Join Us: Connections Breakfast Panel Discussing Colorado’s Child Care Crisis
April 9, 2026 | Warren Village at Alameda
Colorado is facing a child care crisis that affects every corner of our state. With 24 counties enforcing waitlists or freezes on child care assistance and more than 12,000 children waiting for funding, the challenges facing families, providers, and our economy have never been more urgent.
On April 9th, Warren Village will convene leaders, policymakers, and child care experts for our Connections Breakfast—a morning dedicated to understanding the crisis and, crucially, exploring solutions that are already working across Colorado.
RSVP here!
The Conversation We Need to Have
Moderated by Warren Village President and CEO Ethan Hemming, this panel brings together three voices at the forefront of Colorado’s early childhood sector, each approaching the crisis from a different angle.
Senator Scott Bright
Senator Bright brings a unique perspective as both a state legislator and the third-generation owner of a family early childhood education business. Since 1990, he’s worked in the family business that now operates 25 licensed child care and preschool facilities across Weld County, serving over 2,000 families with 250 employees.
Born and raised by a single mother in Greeley, Senator Bright has devoted his legislative career to promoting better education and childhood development—policy areas he doesn’t just champion from the capitol, but lives every day as a provider navigating the same challenges facing child care centers across Colorado.
Christina Taylor, CEO of Northern Colorado Kids Thrive
Christina Taylor just led the successful 2025 ballot initiative 1B campaign in Larimer County, which established a new sales tax expected to generate $28.7 million in 2026 to support both families and child care workers.
The Larimer Kids Thrive initiative represents an innovative funding model—providing tuition assistance for families, stipends to attract and retain child care workers, and strategic facility improvements. Now, Christina is leading the implementation phase, bringing the community together to ensure every young child in Larimer County has access to quality early childhood experiences.
Her work offers a roadmap for what’s possible when communities decide child care isn’t a private problem, but a public investment.
Natriece Bryant, Strategic Advisor at WSP
Natriece Bryant serves as strategic advisor at WSP, leading infrastructure project planning across the United States. But her expertise in early childhood comes from her previous role as director of Colorado’s State Property Division, where she managed public-private partnership projects specifically related to affordable housing, early childcare, mental health services, and broadband expansion.
As a board member of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), Natriece brings a systems-level perspective on how early childhood infrastructure—the physical facilities, the funding models, the partnerships—can be designed to support both providers and families sustainably.
Why This Conversation Matters
Child care isn’t just a family issue; it’s an economic issue, a workforce issue, and a community stability issue. When providers close their doors, parents can’t work. When waitlists grow, families face impossible choices. When the system is under-resourced, everyone suffers.
Still, across Colorado, communities are finding solutions.
This Connections Breakfast is an opportunity to learn from those solutions, connect with others working on these challenges, and leave with actionable insights about what’s working and what’s possible.
Join Us
The conversation begins at 7:30 AM on April 9th at Warren Village at Alameda, with complimentary breakfast and an optional campus tour following the panel discussion.
Space is limited. Register here.
Because when it comes to solving Colorado’s child care crisis, we need every voice at the table—including yours.
