Parents struggle to afford day care after Colorado Child Care Assistance Program freezes

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The cost of child care is sometimes too much for families, and some daycares are struggling too.

One local day care claims it's due to the Colorado Child Care Assistance freeze and without the proper support, low-income families are not able to pay for child care.

The Little Mountain Climbers Preschool and Daycare has been taking care of children in Colorado Springs for three years, and they say more than half of their customers rely on the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program.

John Salinas, director of operations, says that the program was critical not only for their business but for the families. Parents are now being forced to leave their children at home alone or not go to work at all.

Since the program was frozen at the end of last year, fewer kids have been dropped off at the daycare and programs have been discontinued.

"If they can't put them in child care. What are they doing with their children? And so, their kids are probably feeling like, hey, I'm maybe a burden. And that's the last thing any parent wants their child to feel," says John Salinas, director of operations.

Now the day care is working to fill in the gaps to help families by offering other resources and incentives such as free diapers, one month of free day care, and part-time care.

The length of the freeze is expected to last several years, but you can find out more about the daycare here.

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