Former Colorado Springs YMCA reopening as affordable childcare center amid countywide shortage

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s an issue families in El Paso County know all too well: a shortage of affordable, quality child care. But now, a new program could help change that, and it's launching inside a building that once served the community in a very different way.

Five years after the Garden Ranch YMCA on Montebello Drive shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, the building is reopening with a new purpose: as a low-cost child care and summer camp center.

Revolution Church, which purchased the facility in 2022, received unanimous approval from Colorado Springs City Council on Tuesday to operate licensed child care programs at the former YMCA site.

"The building is very well used," said Kevin Ross, a board member at Revolution Church. "It was only just in the last year that we saw the opportunity and the need for a child care center, and that's kind of what started this ball rolling. So those other uses would continue. You would just add this to it."

The newly-approved use variance will allow the church to serve up to 150 children at a time, many from nearby neighborhoods and schools within District 11.

According to data shared in Tuesday’s council presentation, El Paso County faces one of the largest child care gaps in Colorado. Nearly 28% of families with kids under 18 are led by single parents - most of them mothers - who earn a median income of just $34,000. By comparison, married couples in the area earn more than double that.

The data showed nearly 40% of those single mothers spend more than a third of their income on housing alone, making child care an often unaffordable necessity.

Adding to the strain: only 15% of the more than 22,000 students in School District 11 have access to after-school programs, leaving hundreds of working families without safe, affordable care during evening hours.

Revolution Church says its program is designed with those families in mind. Tuition for the after-school center will be $30 per week from 3 to 5 p.m., and $60 per week for 5 to 9 p.m. – a price that includes dinner.

"We have a business plan that actually cash flows at that," said Ross. "We do have some very generous supporters as well. So some of those costs, particularly during the startup phase, would be underwritten by other revenues from the church and other sponsors."

The church also emphasized that the programming will go beyond basic child care - offering tutoring, ESL courses, sports and creative activities for kids. Their proposal describes the center as "not just filling hours, but igniting futures."

While an official opening date hasn’t been announced, church leaders say the center is expected to operate year-round, beginning with summer programs and transitioning into full after-school care once the school year begins.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.