Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC

Exciting progress is underway in Durango as construction begins on WonderLab Early Learning, a new childcare center on The Powerhouse campus scheduled to open in September 2026. 🪏

Designed to serve children from 18 months to 5 years old, the center will feature 3 classrooms and expand access to quality early learning opportunities for families in the region.

The Powerhouse participated in the third cohort of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC's Employer-Based Childcare Design Lab and received funding through Colorado's Employer-Based Childcare Grant Program to help bring the project to life. WonderLab Early Learning is a great example of how community organizations, employers and strategic partnerships can work together to develop innovative childcare solutions that work for families and employers alike.

We're proud to have supported the Powerhouse throughout the development process and look forward to celebrating the center's opening later this year.

🔎 Learn more about this development from The Durango Herald below.

Powerhouse gives first look at new child care center in Durango The Powerhouse in Durango is about six months from launching its new child care program – WonderLab Early Learning – tailored for children ages 18 months to 5 years old. The Powerhouse is in the middl...

Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC recently welcomed Pivotal Founder Melinda French Gates, Guild President and CEO Bijal Shah and Denver International Airport President and CEO Phil Washington to Denver for a conversation on the important role employers can play in advancing childcare solutions for working families.

The visit included a tour of The Beehive, Guild's onsite childcare center, which was developed with support from EPIC through its employer-focused childcare model. During the tour, children attending The Beehive enjoyed a special story time with Melinda. The experience served as a reminder that when leaders engage in conversations around childcare, they help elevate solutions that create lasting benefits for children, families, employers and communities.

📸 Photo courtesy of Pivotal Ventures

We're growing! 🌱

Please join us in welcoming Kayla Klein to the Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC team as our new Director of Business Engagement & Partnerships.

Kayla brings extensive experience in mission-driven public relations, branding, consulting and stakeholder engagement. In her new role, she will lead event strategy, business partnerships and engagement efforts that strengthen collaboration and advance childcare solutions in the business community.

We're thrilled to have Kayla on board and look forward to the expertise and perspective she will bring to our team. Welcome, Kayla! 🎉

Last week, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC President and CEO Nicole Riehl and Colorado Executive Director Alethea Gomez joined policymakers, advocates and partners to celebrate the signing of HB26-1004, securing a 10-year extension of the Colorado Childcare Contribution Tax Credit.

We were proud to support this effort throughout the 2026 legislative session, working alongside partners to champion policies that strengthen access to childcare and support the providers and families who rely on it every day. Thank you to Governor Jared Polis, Senate President James Coleman, Speaker Julie McCluskie, Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell and Minority Leader Cleave Simpson for sponsoring HB26-1004.

We are also grateful to our partners who joined the celebration – Mathangi Subramanian, director of early childhood policy at the Colorado Children's Campaign and Colleen Walker, chief executive officer of the Auraria Campus -- for their continued commitment to Colorado's children and families.

More than 53 million travelers pass through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) each year, and behind every flight, arrival and departure is a workforce that keeps the airport running.

As employers across the country look for ways to attract and retain talent, childcare continues to emerge as a critical workforce support. Last week, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC's Steph Itelman, Elle Sanderson and Jane Kim were in Seattle advancing a childcare feasibility study for the Port of Seattle at SEA.

During the visit, the team:

📊 Presented interim findings to Port of Seattle Commissioners, including survey data showing that 60% of airport employees with childcare challenges have reduced their work hours, while nearly 1/3 have left a job due to lack of care.

💬 Hosted focus groups with airport employees to better understand the childcare needs of the workforce.

🏫 Visited El Centro de la Raza's Jose Marti Child Development Center alongside Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa, Port of Seattle leaders Eric Schinfeld and Bookda Gheisar and Early Childhood and Elementary Education Consultant Monique German to see culturally responsive early learning in action.

Projects like this demonstrate how employers can better understand workforce needs and explore solutions that strengthen recruitment, retention and employee well-being. Many thanks to the Port of Seattle, El Centro de la Raza and the SEA airport employees who shared both their time and insights during our visit.

As childcare costs continue to rise and access remains limited, many working families are forced to make difficult decisions about employment, caregiving and financial stability.

A recent multi-part series from Colorado Public Radio takes a closer look at how Colorado families are navigating the state's childcare challenges and the broader impact those issues have on employers and the economy.

Among the findings:

📊 1 in 5 parents has lost a job due to childcare disruptions, contributing to an estimated $2.7 billion to $3.3 billion in lost productivity for Colorado businesses each year.

At Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC we know that childcare is more than a family issue; it's a workforce and economic issue that affects communities across the state. This series offers an important look at the challenges families and employers face and the solutions needed to build a stronger, more sustainable childcare system.

Explore the series: https://ow.ly/QQFK50Z6Lzt

In 2025, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC continued building momentum alongside partners and policymakers to advance childcare as essential community and economic infrastructure.

These efforts helped contribute to $18 billion in federal tax credit enhancements, including a tripled employer-provided childcare tax credit designed to encourage stronger employer and community investment in childcare solutions.

EPIC's new Impact Report also highlights the policy leadership and collaborative advocacy efforts that helped pave the way for the 10-year extension of Colorado's Childcare Contribution Tax Credit, renewed earlier this month.

📥Download the report to learn more: https://ow.ly/vUsp50Z5orS

Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC President and CEO Nicole Riehl joined business leaders, advocates and policymakers in Washington, D.C., for the 11th Annual National Convening hosted by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. The event marked the launch of the National Blueprint for Action, a yearlong effort focused on better aligning systems, policies, workplaces and communities to support military and veteran caregivers.

The Convening brought together influential leaders from across the country, including U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, Elizabeth Dole Foundation CEO Steve Schwab and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who received the inaugural Lifetime Leadership Award for her longstanding commitment to veterans and military families.

From policy discussions to personal stories, the event highlighted the critical role caregiving plays in the well-being of families, communities and the workforce, while reinforcing the importance of collaborative solutions that better support caregivers nationwide.

📸 by Elizabeth Dole Foundation

🎉 Congratulations to the 7 local chambers participating in the new Child Care Access Alliance! These community leaders are launching an intensive effort to better understand local childcare challenges and explore opportunities to expand access in their regions.

With grant support from Gary Community Ventures, technical assistance from Executives Partnering to Invest in Children - EPIC and additional partnership support from The Colorado Chamber of Commerce, this initiative is designed to unlock innovative, community-driven solutions. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of this work in March 2027.

Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce Aurora Chamber of Commerce Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce Adams County Regional Economic Partnership Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC

New Alliance Aims to Improve Child Care Access, Affordability Across Colorado – Colorado Chamber of Commerce