Policy Update: Childcare Crisis in Westminster
You may have heard me talk about Sarah from the Countryside neighborhood in Westminster. She is 28 years old and delaying having a second child because childcare costs more than her mortgage.
Sarah is not alone.
Families have shared countless similar stories with me, and across Westminster many are being forced to delay children, leave the workforce, or rethink their future because childcare has become unaffordable.
Also, a growing share of Westminster residents are older adults, and building a strong childcare system helps create the economic stability that allows families to support loved ones while preserving independence and dignity. Many adults in Westminster are part of the sandwich generation, caring for both young children and aging parents, and unaffordable childcare reduces their ability to support older family members. Affordable childcare helps families stay in the workforce, build retirement savings, and better care for both children and aging parents.
During my re-election, I pledged to lower costs in childcare, housing, groceries, and utilities, and I am doing the uncommon thing in government by testing and building those solutions in-public, sharing updates, naming tradeoffs even when the answer is no, hopefully inspiring other municipal leaders across the state through the transparency.
Today, let’s focus on childcare.
Westminster has a childcare crisis and I’ve been fighting hard for years to address it. When we say childcare, what we mean are children between 6 weeks and 36 months, which is where the greatest need exists and also the most costly care to provide. Westminster currently has a shortage of 922 infant slots and 546 toddler slots.
A family with two children needs to make about $216,000 a year to afford childcare and other basic needs.
The official recommendation is that childcare should cost no more than 7% of household income, but in Westminster that number is 13% and climbs to 23% for low-income families.
These costs are not just impacting families, they are constraining our local economy, as the lack of affordable childcare for infants and toddlers costs Colorado nearly $3 billion annually in lost earnings, productivity, and tax revenue while pushing parents out of the workforce. A strong childcare system boosts economic growth by enabling more parents to work, and one analysis found that returning just 10,200 sidelined mothers to the workforce in Colorado could generate $3.8 billion in GDP and 29,000 jobs statewide.
Big wins so far: It has been 100 days since my re-election and we adopted a landmark 2040 Comprehensive Plan amendment recognizing childcare as essential infrastructure and established zoning by right by opening all safe zoning types to childcare providers.
And I have continued to push for even more advancements to support Westminster families during this childcare crisis. In Westminster, our Strategic Plan is a formal document that guides everything we do. In the new Strategic Plan that will be finalized this month, I successfully prioritized childcare affordability to a level we have never seen before in Westminster and one that surpasses any other municipality in Colorado. Our goal is simple: success going forward should be measured by how much we actually improve the lives of Westminster residents.
(Westminster’s Strategic Plan is scheduled for formal Council adoption on April 27)
Strategic Priority 1: Opportunity to Thrive
“1.4 Improve economic mobility by reducing essential household cost burdens, including childcare, utilities, groceries and other cost pressures, to support long-term financial stability.”
Strategic Priority 4: Vibrant and Diverse Economy
“4.1. Expand economic opportunity by strengthening the local business environment and supporting access to essential neighborhood services such as childcare, grocery access, and other community serving businesses.”
Strategic Priority 5: Resilient Infrastructure
“5.4 Sustain and strengthen infrastructure, including utilities, transportation, childcare capacity, and grocery access, to provide reliable services that support quality of life and economic participation.”
I have also embedded affordability into our current budget planning process:
Childcare-specific Ideas In Progress
Exempt infant formula from grocery sales tax (Status: TBD prioritization on May 9th):
The test: Infant formula is not a luxury item, yet families in Westminster still pay grocery sales tax on this critical expense. I want us to exempt infant formula to help provide immediate some relief for families.
The data: City Council has not had an opportunity to decide on this (or any other new idea) yet. The discussion will occur at the 2027 Budget Workshop on May 9. If a majority approves, staff will review constraints, impacts, and implementation options within our tax structure.
The decision: TBD
Create a Westminster Property Tax Incentive Program (Status: TBD prioritization on May 9th):
The test: I would like to create a Westminster Property Tax Incentive Program to reduce startup and operating costs that make it difficult for childcare providers to expand, especially for infant and toddler care where the need is greatest. With Adams County recently approving a countywide incentive, my goal is to mirror their approach so providers in Westminster within Adams County could benefit from both programs, while providers in Westminster within Jefferson County would still receive meaningful local support.
The data: The discussion will occur at the 2027 Budget Workshop on May 9. If a majority approves, staff will review constraints, impacts, and implementation.
The decision: TBD
Include childcare providers in future mixed use developments (Status: TBD prioritization on May 9th):
The test: As Westminster grows, we have an opportunity to embed childcare directly into new developments so families can live, work, and access childcare in the same areas. We are exploring policy mechanisms to encourage or prioritize childcare providers in mixed use developments.
The data: The discussion will occur at the 2027 Budget Workshop on May 9. If a majority approves, staff will evaluate zoning flexibility, developer incentives, and best practices from other municipalities that have successfully integrated childcare into new developments.
The decision: TBD
Explore donation of vacant city owned land to childcare providers (Status: TBD prioritization on May 9th):
The test: Land costs are one of the largest barriers to expanding childcare capacity. I am exploring whether Westminster could donate or lease vacant city owned land to childcare providers to accelerate expansion and reduce startup costs.
The data: The discussion will occur at the 2027 Budget Workshop on May 9. If a majority approves, staff will identifying eligible parcels, reviewing legal constraints, and assessing long term fiscal and operational considerations.
The decision: TBD
Don’t forget to submit your ideas here: Westminster Affordability Survey
About Obi Ezeadi
Obi Ezeadi is a first-generation American, first responder (EMT) and City Councilor who champions economic, democratic, and personal freedoms for all of Westminster. He was recently re-elected to Westminster City Council with a record-breaking vote total and is prioritizing affordability in this final term. Obi came in as an outsider and delivered:
Expanded open space and parks
Expanded housing options (condos, townhomes, housing people can afford)
Made water more affordable and secured clean water for generations
Increased Mental health support
First-ever gun violence proclamation
First-ever Collective Bargaining Agreement for Police
Led best-in-class Firefighter Collective Bargaining Resolution and Enhanced Firefighter Collective Bargaining Agreement
Led the establishment of free transport service for seniors & disabled residents
Drove police vacancies down from a region-worst 13% to an area-leading 1%
Cut car thefts by 50%
Invested to solve unhoused crisis
Elevated transparency and accountability with our residents
I read this plan and Childcare-specific Ideas In Progress. I thought all the ideas were smart and doable. I passionately agree infant formula should be exempt from Westminster grocery sales tax.