Local Financing for Early Childhood Education

The Buell Foundation recognizes that additional, ongoing funding is necessary to support the needs of children, families, and caregivers. As part of this strategy, we are interested in supporting local efforts to bring new, public revenue into the system. In early 2024, the Buell Foundation has released Supporting Families, Children, and the Caregiving Workforce: A Local Financing Toolkit for Colorado to support communities as they work through the process of securing additional revenue. In alignment with the toolkit, an open funding opportunity is available to support communities who are actively engaged in efforts to raise revenue locally. This funding opportunity is open to invited applicants only. For more details about the opportunity, click here.

For a PDF of all six case studies combined that are part of the Local Financing Toolkit, click here.

For individual Local Early Childhood Initiative case studies, click below:

1. Denver Preschool Program
2. Estes Valley Lodging Tax
3. Strong Start San Miguel County
4. Right Start and Strong Future UPK: Summit County
5. Chaffee County Initial Use of Lodging Tax
6. Eagle County Lodging Tax
7. NEW! June 2025: 2024 Local Ballot Measure After-Action Review: Reflections from Grand County, La Plata County, and the City of Montrose on their Lodging Tax Success

Links to recorded webinars related to this funding opportunity are available below:

• NEW! June 2025: Innovations at the Intersection of Child Care, Housing, and Impact Investing: Rural Homes Early Childhood Initiative and Mission Driven Finance. For the accompanying June 10 webinar slide deck, click here.
• NEW! June 2025: Local Financing Leadership: Lodging Taxes and Early Childhood Education (ECE) in La Plata County. For the accompanying June 2 webinar slide deck, click here.
• November 2024: Informing Local Communities: Lessons Learned From American Rescue Plan Funds Spent on Early Childhood Education
• October 2024: Special Taxing Districts and Their Potential in Early Childhood: Hear From Two Communities Exploring This Tool
• September 2024: Local Lodging Taxes for Early Childhood Education: Stories of Success from Eagle County and Estes Park
• May 2024: Decades of ECE Ballot Measure Success in Colorado: The Impact of Voter-Approved Funding for ECE in Three Communities
• April 2024: ECE Local Financing: Children’s Funding Project’s Resources and How They Could Benefit Colorado