**Sign this petition to encourage CO Federal Legislators to end the federal shutdown now so that the CO CCCAP Waiver can be approved and counties can begin to move off of waitlists and freezes, restoring low income child care statewide.

For decades, Colorado's child care programs have championed low-income families, operating on razor-thin reimbursements to build stronger communities. In FY 2023-24 alone, 2,566 licensed providers served 30,124 children birth to age 12—including nearly 14,500 vulnerable infants and toddlers—through the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP).

But new 2024 federal mandates skyrocketed program costs, forcing 24 counties to freeze or waitlist low-income slots. As of October 1, 2025, 7,498 families—representing 10,938 children—are stranded, unable to access care and return to work for self-sufficiency.

The fallout? Of 2,410 CCCAP-contracted programs, only 1,646 are serving low-income kids—and at far reduced capacity. That leaves 764 programs idle for these families, crippling providers statewide.  Those that are serving low-income kids could be serving many more as well.

The federal government plans to rescind these costly rules, but not until 2026 at earliest. As a bridge, Colorado's Department of Early Childhood requested a waiver from the Office of Child Care (OCC) to pause enforcement until revisions. Approval would enable counties to unlock funds, end freezes, and restart care in local communities.

Yet the ongoing federal shutdown stalls everything: The OCC can't review or approve waivers  because they've been furloughed, starving providers of reimbursements and pushing many toward closure. Without action, we'll lose these community anchors, devastating families who rely on CCCAP for stability.

We urge Colorado's federal legislators: End the shutdown NOW. Restore OCC operations to greenlight our waiver, revive funding, and safeguard child care for our most at-risk kids and working parents.

This isn't politics—it's a family crisis. Sign below to demand swift congressional action. Together, let's ensure Colorado's children thrive, not suffer.