Child-Free Boulter's Day Reveals Child Care's Hidden Backbone
Source: denverpost.com
- Child-free Coloradan Andrew Hyde shadows his daily routine to reveal hidden reliance on child care workers and parents.
- Colorado faces a crisis with 91,590 children under 5 unable to access care and families paying $15,000 per child yearly.
- Shortages force 40,000 parents into career changes, risking broader economic fallout from workforce exits.
The article follows Andrew Hyde, a 42-year-old child-free tech founder near Boulder, through a typical day to show how his life unknowingly depends on Colorado's strained child care system. It meets parents, caregivers, and providers he encounters, highlighting the "invisible infrastructure" enabling everyday services. Even child-free residents benefit indirectly, yet 65% say it has zero impact on them. This matters because child care shortages hobble families, workers, and the economy in a stat