In Mesa County, finding childcare can start before a baby is even born. This local home childcare provider says she gets calls almost every day from families looking for care, especially for infants. She estimates there is about one infant spot for every 30 babies in the area. She's only allowed two children under 18 months, so her waitlist for a new client is at least two and a half years. Some families are planning their pregnancies around when she'll have an opening.

She also talks about the money side of the crisis. She calls the CCAP (Colorado Child Care Assistance Program) freeze "a major, major, major thing." She pays for scholarships out of her own pocket and currently gives three low-income families a discounted rate. Without it, she says, those parents might lose their jobs, their housing, or the ability to put food on the table. She also describes the "cliff effect": parents who earn "$100 too much" or even "$10 too much" to get food stamps, but are still struggling.

She closes with practical advice for expecting parents. Look into programs like UPK (Universal Preschool) and Head Start. And as soon as you find out you're pregnant, get on every waitlist you can, because spots are first-come, first-served and very competitive.