Several Colorado Springs-area school districts are making access to child care easier and more affordable for busy working parents.

Lack of affordable child care has been a chronic issue for parents in the El Paso County area for years, district officials said. In recent years, a number of school districts conducted needs assessments, surveying parents and stakeholders about ways to help students succeed and make parents’ lives easier. According to the survey results, a need for safe, affordable child care ranked high on the list of parents’ concerns.

In response to this feedback, most area districts now offer free or reduced-cost child care for students in grades K-5. While some of the programs require payment, they generally cost less per month than most local facilities charge per week. Traditional child care facilities in Colorado Springs typically range from $160-$225 per week, according to the childcare website Care.com.

“It’s a huge financial savings for families,” said Angela Outlaw, Harrison School District 2’s program coordinator. “And it gives working parents peace of mind – one less thing to worry about.”

“I think it takes one of the biggest stressors off of parents,” said YMCA executive director Melanie Zuniga, who oversees the nonprofit’s district partnerships. “They don’t have to wonder ‘Where is my kid gonna go? Will they be safe and taken care of?'”

Colorado Springs District 11, Cheyenne Mountain District 12, Manitou Springs District 14, Harrison District 2 and Fountain-Fort Carson District 8 have established care partnerships with YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region.

Widefield School District 3, which has offered before- and after-school care for nearly 20 years, works with Junior Academy Children’s Centers in Colorado Springs.

In addition to providing care during the school year, BASE49, District 49’s program, offers a summer camp at “limited locations,” according to spokesman David Nancarrow.

Parents who are currently between jobs can also use the program, officials said.

“It will allow them the flexibility to interview for jobs, with the knowledge that their children will be taken care of on a consistent basis,” said Outlaw.

Some programs require parents to prove they are either working or going to school when they register.

The programs provide a safe, supervised venue for kids, but they are not babysitting services. They are more of a fun extension of the regular school day, according to district 11 spokeswoman Devra Ashby.

“Students participating in these programs will participate in fun learning activities,” Ashby said in a news release. “Additionally, students will experience both on-site expert presentations and field trips to local learning extension opportunities.”

Most programs remain open during teacher work days, parent-teacher conferences, and early release days. Programming space is limited, so parents are advised not to wait until the last minute to enroll their students.

Thanks to the “universal preschool” bill Gov. Jared Polis signed into law in April, families will be allowed to enroll their 4-year-old children in preschool – free of charge – beginning in the fall of 2023. But Colorado Springs parents with K-5 students can take advantage of free or affordable before- and after-school care now.

“Our mission has been to serve the community in any way that we can,” Zuniga said. “This is our mission in action – to actually be able to offer child care to everyone without barriers.”

To register, or for more information, visit your district’s website or www.ppymca.org/programs/youth/child-care/before-after-school.