COMMUNITY SUPPORTS
The VVF brings together governments, businesses, and individuals to achieve great things and tackle significant challenges in our community.
Recognizing the broader needs of our community, we have officially added 'Community Supports' as our fourth pillar to reflect decades of work rising to meet community challenges.
Through extensive community engagement and assessment, we have identified Childcare as a key area requiring immediate and mid-range support. These priorities emerged from our community engagement committee, established in 2021 following our work supporting the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Transforming Childcare in the Eagle River Valley
The Challenge
The Eagle River Valley is currently experiencing a critical shortage in childcare availability, with nearly half of the Valley’s childcare needs going unmet. Many families must rely on informal, unlicensed solutions through friends, family, and neighbors, while others have no viable childcare options at all.
Our Solution: Avon Early Childhood Education and Development Center
We established the Eagle River Valley Childcare 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2022 and we have been working ever since to build an early childhood education and development center in Avon. We are proud to have made significant progress on this landmark project.
The innovative 13,595 square foot facility will provide approximately 165 childcare spots for children ages 0-5 years, combining open market availability with an employer-sponsored model, along with plans for a tuition assistance and staff housing assistance fund.
The Project: Partners and Timeline
The Town of Avon has generously leased the land to the VVF for 50 years for $1, and Eagle County donated $1 million for the facility. We partnered with Zehren and Associates for architectural and design services. In spring 2025, Access Early Education Foundation was selected as the facility operator, and we finalized an agreement with RA Nelson for General Contractor duties. Several additional local and regional partners have been involved throughout the process.
In June 2025, the project officially broke ground. The ceremony drew a large crowd, including state Sen. Dylan Roberts, all three Eagle County commissioners, many Avon Town Council members, several donors who are making the project possible, and members of Eagle County’s early childhood education world.
Construction progress has been steady through fall and winter 2025. The structure went vertical, walls were framed, and installation of roof trusses began. The facility is projected to open in fall 2026.
Recent News
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Support
Addressing community challenges through transformative projects requires continued community support and strong partnership to reach its full potential. We are grateful for our collaboration with the Town of Avon and other community partners who are essential to uniting our community toward solutions that alleviate our most pressing issues.
If you would like to learn more about supporting our childcare and workforce housing initiatives, please contact VVF Senior Vice President of Operations Sarah Franke at [email protected] or President Mike Imhof at [email protected].
