The Chaffee County Department of Human Services and the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office are continuing efforts to expand local childcare opportunities.
DHS and representatives of the Chaffee Childcare Initiative Board of Directors that governs The Schoolhouse facility in Poncha Springs have met a few times over the past week to determine how to best coordinate support for families impacted by The Schoolhouse’s closure.
DHS and the Board of County Commissioners provided the Chaffee Childcare Initiative a contribution of $144,000 from DHS reserves in May of 2022 to support expansion of The Schoolhouse’s childcare capacity. Part of this contribution was used in late 2022 to develop The Schoolhouse’s infant/toddler classroom. The groups are now working on creative approaches to using the remaining balance of this investment for its original intent to support and expand local childcare offerings long-term.
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood, the state agency responsible for licensing of childcare centers across Colorado, continues its review of operations and any required resolution of prior and current corrective actions. Their assessment will determine when, or if, The Schoolhouse is eligible to reopen as a licensed childcare center.
Neither the Chaffee County Department of Human Services nor the County Commissioners have authority over The Schoolhouse facility’s childcare licensing or approval to operate.
RELATED: State Says Operation of The Schoolhouse Presented “Substantial Danger”
Chaffee County Commissioner Keith Baker said in a press release, “This situation highlights the childcare crisis our families face and we all want to bring about positive change that helps us offer more solutions here, and also creates stronger state-level policies that can benefit other rural areas.”
Chaffee County Sheriff John Speeze has also initiated an independent, third-party professional review of the internal agencies’ response to the investigation of The Schoolhouse, which was originally prompted by complaints made to DHS’ Child Protective Services about conduct at the facility. DHS and the Sheriff’s Office are voluntarily initiating this evaluation to help identify areas of strength and areas of improvement within their response protocols.
Sheriff Spezze explained, “State law sets forth what our responsibilities are, and we want to do the best we can for our community as we uphold those duties. So, while steps like conducting investigations and issuing victim’s rights are statutorily mandated in situations like this, we also see that it can be confusing and upsetting process. I believe that undertaking an objective evaluation of our agencies’ response will help us identify areas we can improve. We look forward to learning from the process.”
DHS, in collaboration with the Chaffee-county based Early Childhood Council, also continues to work with the state and they evaluate alternative options for childcare within other local childcare providers. The state is able to grant temporary expansions to increase the number of spaces a center is permitted to fill, which will increase childcare seats available in the community if these facilities are able and willing to accept additional children.
To date, only one provider has expressed interest in and ability to offer additional spaces.
