Child Care Capital & Infrastructure Fund Launches to Accelerate Rural Child Care Capacity

Durango, CO —January 14, 2026 - 

First Southwest Bank, with the support of Gary Community

Ventures, has launched the “Child Care Capital and Infrastructure Fund” to support the child

care facility financing needs of rural Colorado child care businesses.

Expanding child care capacity requires the acquisition, renovation, and development of physical

space. The pilot $5M Child Care Capital & Infrastructure Fund addresses this need by enabling

both new and existing child care providers to secure properties, expand operations, and

renovate outdated facilities to meet the growing demand for services. Administered by First

Southwest Bank, a CDFI bank, this fund will drive significant improvements to the child care

market’s physical infrastructure.

Gary Community Ventures has provided a $1M guarantee for loans provided through this

program. Licensed child care providers, including in-home family providers as well as large

centers will be able to access loans from $10,000-$2,000,000. Interest rates for lower amount

loans will range from 3-4%, and larger loans from 4-6% — well below market rates.

“We are thrilled to partner with Gary Community Ventures to offer accessible, low-interest loans

to child care providers across rural Colorado. Accessible child care enables workforce

participation and economic growth, yet in rural communities it can be incredibly difficult to start

or expand a child care business. This fund will help create much-needed child care slots. As a

Community Development Financial Institution, providing financing that expands access to child

care and strengthens our communities is core to our mission.” Kristy Esquibel, Chief Credit

Officer, EVP, First Southwest Bank.

Loans can be used to assist with business start-up and equipment costs, facility acquisition,

renovation, and refinancing; or to support infrastructure improvement or expansion. This fund

aims to increase physical capacity for child care across rural Colorado. FSWB will provide the

necessary oversight to guarantee that funds are allocated to projects that align with long-term

child care objectives and the overall growth of the sector.

“At Gary, we believe that every Colorado family should have access to quality, affordable child

care.” states Catherine Toner, Managing Director of Impact Investing at Gary Community

Ventures. “One way to achieve this is by expanding child care supply through low-cost,

accessible financing—especially in a sector where margins are thin and traditional lending

models often fall short. We hope that this pilot can create new opportunities for providers, who

form the backbone of our early childhood system.”

The Child Care Infrastructure & Capital Fund will partner with Early Childhood councils and

economic development groups across rural Colorado to help deploy these funds to high need

areas and connect with child care providers looking to expand their operations. The Fund’s

inaugural partnership is with the Early Childhood Council of La Plata County and the La Plata

Economic Development Alliance to support the implementation of La Plata’s Early Child Care

Investment Strategy. The Child Care Investment Strategy lays out three funds needed to

support La Plata’s child care ecosystem, with an Infrastructure & Capital fund highlighted as an

immediate need to expand capacity.

If you are interested in accessing capital for your child care business through the Capital &

Infrastructure Fund, please visit

www.fswb.bank/business/childcare-capital-and-infrastructure-fund.

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About First Southwest Bank

First Southwest Bank (FSWB) is a locally owned, independent community bank, and one of two

Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) banks in Colorado offering personal and

business banking, agricultural and small business loans. FSWB puts customer dollars to work to

improve the social and economic landscape of Southern and rural Colorado. With its non-profit

partner, the First Southwest Community Fund, FSWB ensures its region’s entrepreneurs, small

businesses, and not-for-profit organizations have access to the capital they need to grow and

enrich our communities. More information is available at fswb.bank.

About Gary Community Ventures

Gary Community Ventures is an impermanent philanthropic organization committed to using all

of its resources by 2035 to transform systems and build wealth for Colorado kids and families.

Using a powerful mix of catalytic grantmaking, impact investments, policy and advocacy and the

development of new ventures, we create opportunities for Coloradans to thrive now and for

generations to come