![Sylvia and Bodhi Johnston play in a ball pit in Bodhi's room. March 26, 2022.](https://www.cpr.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/04/220326-SYLVIA-JOHNSTON-CHILDCARE-FAMILIES-KIDS-KEVINJBEATY-37-1024x683-1.jpg)
Waitlists that are years’ long, costs that can rival a second mortgage. Child care centers are struggling to meet the need. And, parents are left in the lurch. A recent report found about 60-percent of child care centers in Colorado are having trouble retaining staff. Some have shut down classes or closed altogether. Denverite’s Kyle Harris has been working on a special series. It looks at the situation through the lens of what’s happening in Metro Denver.