ALAMOSA — Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman has issued a “Mayor’s Challenge” to the community at large, encouraging anyone and everyone to donate funds toward construction of the Little Learners Early Care and Learning Center in Alamosa.   

A resolution supporting the Mayor’s Challenge was passed by the city council with a unanimous vote during Wednesday night’s meeting, authorizing allocation of $50,000 from the city budget to be used as matching funds for contributions made by the community.   

“We are thrilled to introduce the Mayor's Challenge, which will provide $50,000 in matching funds for local contributions to the Little Learners construction project,” Coleman told the Valley Courier. “The Early Childhood Council’s employer group identified this project as a crucial step in solving our local childcare crisis. Yes, we have a childcare crisis, and we need everyone’s help to fix it!” 

In a presentation to the Alamosa City Council during Wednesday night’s meeting, Aaron Miltenberger provided sobering information explaining why the need is so pressing and so great. Miltenberger, president/CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of the San Luis Valley, is spearheading the facility’s construction. 

“Over 400 children in Alamosa County lack access to licensed early childhood education,” he said. “With waitlists longer than 12-16 months at existing childcare centers. The average cost is $9,000 to $12,000 per year per child, and many families can’t afford quality early education. And that leads to gaps in school readiness.” 

Lack of childcare also has a clear negative impact on a community’s economy. “Twenty-five percent of parents remain out of the workforce because they don’t have childcare for their children,” he said. “And businesses face significant challenges in keeping employees because childcare isn’t available.”  

The situation can result in Alamosa losing committed, productive citizens, he said, illustrating with a story of a couple who were actively involved in the community and greatly enjoyed living in Alamosa, but lack of childcare required them to move to Denver. 

“The communities of parents, employers and professionals across the San Luis Valley have clearly shown that the lack of access to high quality childcare is impacting everyone,” he says. 

Miltenberger is transparent about the challenges. “This region has a shortage of credentialed early childhood educators with only 40% of local providers meeting qualifications recommended by the state. And these jobs typically pay about $14.50 an hour which is below a living wage.”  

But incorporated into its operational design, Miltenberger says, the Early Care and Learning Center will function as a kind of “lab” with training provided on-site and career pathways that will bring wages up to a livable level.”    

“Community members frequently share their concerns with me about the lack of childcare and how it affects their families and job choices,” Mayor Coleman says. “Our children are the future, and as a community, we must provide them with the tools and resources for a strong, healthy start. Early childcare services play a crucial role in a child's development by fostering a love for lifelong learning. These services help improve social skills, increase attention spans, and encourage creativity, setting the foundation for future success.”  

Once opened, what would the Little Learners Early Care and Learning Center do to the landscape in Alamosa?  

The Early Care and Learning Center will provide 40 good paying jobs in an organization that has career pathways. But, most importantly, being able to serve up to 160 infants, toddlers and children will be a massive catalyst towards boosts in academic, social and economic trends in our future. 

That’s good stuff.  

The fundraising goal is $8.8 million, and a little less than three-quarters – $6.2 million – has already been raised through a constellation of sources.   

Of that $6.2 million, $4.2 million came through grants; $750,000 through private foundations; $400,000 through corporate contributions.  

Equally notable, individual donors, including members of the community, have donated $815,000 so far. 

And that leaves $2.6 million “left to go”, as they say. 

Coleman reiterates that point. “While the project has already secured substantial grants and funding exceeding $7 million, there remains a funding gap of approximately $3 million. As mayor, I challenge all residents, community partners, and major employers to help close the funding gap for the Little Learners construction project!” 

“We are so close to achieving our goal of opening a new center to support families,” Miltenberger told the Valley Courier, “and we’re grateful for the Mayors Challenge and the City of Alamosa in leading us to close the funding gap to secure an incredible building for this program.”  

“Every contribution, big or small, makes a huge impact, and I cannot emphasize enough just how crucial this project is to our city. We can’t grow – and, in some cases, are losing people – because of a lack of childcare. I hear this all the time. And we all know that a community that isn’t growing is a community that is going to die.  

“This is a cause our whole community can rally behind,” Coleman says, encouraging people in the community to keep an eye out for challenges he plans to issue on his own. “Let’s come together to support our children, our most vulnerable and our future.”