Congresswoman and mother of two, U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen successfully sponsored a bill to help fund the childcare center in Cripple Creek. The bill is a mark of achievement for Pettersen who represents Teller County in the 7^th congressional district.  

“It’s hard to show deliverables in Congress these days,” she said, speaking last week by telephone. “I’m very proud because the funding means a lot for these small rural communities. Childcare is a huge issue and is especially acute in Cripple Creek.”

In conversations with local realtors and Mayor Annie Durham, Pettersen and her team emphasized in the bill’s language that the project was shovel-ready, she said.

Pettersen’s story is personal.

“I added my name to a childcare center as soon as I knew I was pregnant,” she said.

After the birth of her baby boy, Sam, it took 14 months to land a spot, she said. In the meantime, Pettersen’s husband took care of the now-preschooler and the baby.

“Without childcare I wouldn’t be able to do the work that I do,” she said.

When “It’s a Place for Kids,” opens next year in Cripple Creek, the facility will accommodate 16 infants and toddlers, 20 preschoolers, and 30 elementary-school students for the after-school program.

“This is an example of when government is able to work together,” she said. “The local tax base would not have been to meet the needs of the community. It is essential to have federal partnerships.”