Exclusive: Johnston's universal child care plan set in motion
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Mayor Mike Johnston has already convened the task force charged with developing Denver's universal child care plan, and the group's membership will be unveiled Monday, he told Axios in a phone interview.
Why it matters: It's the first concrete step toward delivering one of Johnston's most ambitious affordability promises yet.
State of play: The mayor's State of the City address last week put universal child care at the center of his affordability agenda.
- He believes Denver could become one of the first major U.S. cities to offer that benefit from birth to age 5 — and hopes it becomes a model other cities can replicate.
The big picture: The proposal reflects a broader shift among Democrats, who increasingly see affordability as their strongest political message.
- Child care has emerged as one of the party's clearest answers — championed by moderates focused on lowering household costs and democratic socialists like New York City's Zohran Mamdani, who've made expansive public child care a signature proposal.
Yes, but: Johnston announced a vision, not a program.
- His pledge is to develop a universal child care plan by the end of a second term — assuming he's reelected — not to launch a fully funded system.
Existential questions remain:
- What would "universal" actually mean?
- How much would it cost?
- And where would the money come from?
What he's saying: Johnston said the city won't know the program's full cost or funding needs until after it designs and evaluates a pilot planned for next fall.
- "If that's successful, we would figure out what the cost of that system is and what revenue sources are needed," he told Axios.
Zoom in: Johnston said Denver has found a few examples of cities attempting universal child care from birth through age 5.
- The city is studying New Mexico's statewide effort, consulting with officials there and exploring other national models.
- "We think Denver has a path to figure out how to do it well," Johnston said.
What they're saying: On "Colorado Inside Out" Friday, independent political analyst Eric Sondermann noted the State of the City address was "Typical Mike Johnston … very, very long on aspiration and somewhat short on specifics."
- "The devil is always in the details," he said, "and the devil's also in the funding."