2015 REPORT

EPIC is the business community’s advocate for early childhood investment in the workplace and in the political sphere. We support pre-kindergarten, full-day kindergarten and affordable quality child care for all Colorado children. We promote family-centric worksite wellness practices for all Colorado employers. To achieve these goals, we: • Educate the business sector on the importance of early childhood development • Equip the business sector with tactical approaches to support early childhood • Engage business leaders to be early childhood advocates and champions • Energize business leaders to lead a campaign to reform and amplify early childhood investment

www.ColoradoEPIC.org

ADVOCACY EPIC’s Policy Committee is driven by our members to prioritize the agenda for our organization’s advocacy. We consistently support the expansion of the Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) and funding full-day kindergarten for all Colorado children. In 2015, we highlight the power of public-private partnership for the benefit of early childhood. Colorado’s new Pay for Success contracting law and its under-utilized Child Care Contribution Tax Credit are at the forefront of EPIC’s advocacy work. Through public presentations, legislative testimony and printed opinion editorials, EPIC raises awareness of these important measures to increase financial support for early childhood.

Pay for Success, House Bill 15-1317 After two years of engagement around this unique funding opportunity, HB 15-1317 (Pay for Success Contracting) became law on May 20, 2015 with bipartisan support. Pay for Success contracts are designed to allow socially responsible private investors to fund evidence-based, prevention programs that have the potential to reduce government costs for remediation. If the contract goals are met, resulting in reduced government expenditures, the investor is paid. If the contract goals are not met, the government does not pay the investor. Research confirms the return on investment in early childhood development, making it a prime candidate for Pay for Success financing. After the passage of HB 15-1317, EPIC hosted a luncheon for over 60 policymakers and business leaders focused on Pay for Success which included state legislators and the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting. It is vitally important that quality, scientifically researched early childhood programs are identified as a state priority for this financing. EPIC aims to ensure that Pay for Success contracts are utilized to support the public-private investment in early childhood.

Colorado Child Care Contribution Tax Credit (CCTC) EPIC business leaders have been involved in supporting CCTC since its reauthorization in 2009, including advocacy efforts to maintain and uphold the tax credit. In 2015, we have taken a leadership role in determining and clarifying corporate eligibility to make CCTC qualifying contributions. Additionally, we spearhead a coalition of business, community and government leaders with the goal of bringing taxpayer contributions through CCTC back to pre-recession levels. We are managing a robust public awareness campaign to remind taxpayers that CCTC benefits have been fully restored effective January 1, 2015 and to re-energize public support of child care for all children in Colorado. In 2010, before legislative triggers were enacted on the tax credit, contributions to qualified programs were as high as $44 million ($22 million in tax credits). In 2012, contributions dipped to a low of $2 million ($1 million in tax credits). CCTC is a unique public-private partnership created in 1999 to provide financial support for child care. Monetary contributions made to qualified child care, early education and after-school programs are eligible for the state income tax credit. Taxpayers are incentivized to use CCTC through a Colorado income tax credit of up to 50% of the total contribution.

Child Care from a Business Perspective Access to quality child care is an important component of the development, retention and productivity of Colorado’s workforce. Throughout 2015, EPIC has researched the issues of access to and affordability of infant and toddler care for Colorado’s working families. Licensed child care in Colorado is more expensive than in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges. Child care is a significant expense for working families because employees with young children tend to be younger in age and less established in their careers, therefore having lower earning capacities. The lower earnings combined with the high cost of infant and toddler care result in a large percentage of working family income dedicated to child care, over 20% in many Colorado counties. This raises concern for family self-sufficiency throughout our State. Access to and affordability of infant and toddler care for Colorado’s working families will continue to be a matter of keen interest to EPIC.

ENGAGEMENT “One of the most significant issues facing employers in Colorado is how to attract and retain skilled employees. If we want a stable workforce, investing in early care and education will not only improve the school-readiness and work-preparedness of children, it will improve parents’ abilities to stay employed.” -Greg Anton, Chairman & CEO, Anton Collins Mitchell LLP

EPIC Workforce Initiatives provide no- to low- cost worksite wellness options for employee assistance programs and Colorado’s business sector centered on early childhood development and school readiness.

Colorado Business Reads Each spring, EPIC joins forces with a broad coalition of Colorado businesses to lead a statewide book drive for children from birth to eight years old. Focusing on collecting new and gently used children’s books for summer reading with an adult brings corporate awareness to the importance of positive adult-child interaction through language development and early literacy. With business leadership, donation boxes are placed on-site; employees and customers are encouraged to donate gently used children’s books or money to purchase new books. The books are distributed to families through schools, libraries, doctors’ offices and child care centers in the local community. In 2015, the third year of the book drive, we collected and distributed nearly 195,000 books, up from 50,000 books in 2014 and 25,000 books in 2013. In addition, EPIC Pueblo, in partnership with FirstBook (www.firstbook.org), is serving as a regional distribution partner for approximately 300,000 more books.

Lunch & Learn Series EPIC’s Lunch & Learn Series launched in late 2014. In our first full year of implementation (2015), we have hosted 20 Lunch & Learn workshops with nearly 300 employees and executives in attendance. Topics such as, “Colorado Reads: The Importance of Early Literacy” and “Keeping My Family Healthy and Fit” are now being embedded in worksite wellness programs at some of Colorado’s largest employers. We have learned that there is no “one-size-fits-all” example of worksite wellness practices and employee assistance programs. Each company is unique and the needs of their employees differ. As we grow EPIC Workforce Initiatives and the Lunch & Learn Series, we will continue to promote early childhood development as a key component of corporate health and wellness practices as well as employee assistance programs.

Online Resources EPIC’s website (www.coloradoepic.org) is constantly updated to reflect the most current opinions, research and relevant discussions regarding early childhood. The online library of videos, articles and reports provides a foundational backdrop to our organization. EPIC’s Employer Toolkit (www.coloradoepic.org/toolkit) is a family-centric online resource for the business sector, including worksheets and activities to analyze employment assistance programs and worksite wellness policies and practices. It is easy to use and interactive, providing hands-on tools for: increasing access to quality, affordable child care for employees, implementing child-friendly policies and procedures and optimizing tax benefits for both businesses and employees. This year, we also launched a website dedicated to Colorado’s Child Care Contribution Tax Credit (www.coloradoepic.org/cctc).The CCTC website works as a clearinghouse for all materials related to the tax credit with specific resources dedicated to providers and taxpayers.

Network Affiliates EPIC’s statewide reach is supported by local affiliate organizations comprised of Executive Roundtable and Network Affiliate members throughout Colorado. EPIC Pueblo and EPIC Metro (Denver) continue to strengthen their leadership while clarifying their visions. In 2015, we have expanded conversations in more communities with the goal of establishing Network Affiliates in other areas of the State. While members of EPIC’s Executive Roundtable continue to focus on statewide funding and access for early childhood development, it is the local Network Affiliates that provide groundwork and context for EPIC’s overall implementation strategy.

EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children) is a thriving collective of business leaders, nonprofits and foundations promoting early childhood care, education, health and parenting as the highest priority of public and private investment in Colorado. As EPIC leaders, we take our business acumen and apply it to the investment in early childhood because we know that early childhood offers us the best rate of economic and social returns. We are in a unique position to encourage Colorado’s business sector to participate in early childhood investments through a variety of avenues. The “secret sauce” to our effectiveness is our deep relationships with businesses and early childhood professionals. Our statewide presence is critical to our success. It enables us to be informed on successful initiatives around the State and increases corporate awareness of the importance of early childhood development.

EPIC Board of Directors 2015 Gloria Higgins, President

EPIC

Brad Busse, Chair

Busse Ventures

Greg Anton, Vice-Chair

Anton Collins Mitchell LLP

Tim Wolf, Treasurer

Wolf Interests, Inc

David Hammond, Secretary

Access to quality child care and early education is crucial to the development, retention and productivity of Colorado’s workforce. We understand that the issues of access to and affordability of care bear significant consequences for working families, and we strive to encourage strong solutions for our State. And so, we invite you to join our cadre of leaders. Tomorrow’s engineers, teachers, military and business leaders are preparing for their careers today, the earlier we can help, the more successful we will be!

Geta Asfaw Christine Benero

Brad Busse Chair

Addis & Co / Ababa & Co Mile High United Way

Paul Major

Telluride Foundation

Doug Price

Rocky Mountain PBS

Sue Renner

Merage Foundations

Amy Schwartz Susan Steele Tamra Ward

Gloria Higgins President

Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP

Chris Watney Burnie Zercher

Foundation for Educational Excellence Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation Ward & Associates Colorado Children’s Campaign Industrial Constructors / Managers, Inc