Colorado State Rep. Meghan Lukens joined the Vail Valley Foundation (VVF) and local and elected officials in Avon today to celebrate the completed construction of Lettuce Patch Early Learning Center. Thursday’s ribbon cutting marks the beginning of staff onboarding and classroom preparation at the new facility ahead of students arriving in mid-October. 

It is a long time coming for working families. The Eagle River Valley is a childcare desert. For many, finding high-quality, affordable care is the single biggest barrier to living and working here. Lettuce Patch will help address this significant shortage. 

"When families cannot find care, they leave, and the workforce leaves with them," said Lukens. "This building is the result of a dedicated community, and of a powerful partnership, standing up for its youngest residents. Lettuce Patch Early Learning Center shows what a public-private partnership can accomplish when local government, business, and philanthropy work toward the same goal."  

With capacity to eventually serve up to 165 children ages six weeks to five years, Lettuce Patch is designed to chip away at that gap. Approximately 55 percent of the center’s licensed capacity is dedicated to infant and toddler care, where the shortage is most severe. 

“It’s hard to believe this was an empty lot just over a year ago, and we are now preparing to welcome some of Eagle County’s youngest learners,” said VVF President & CEO Mike Imhof. “This is one of the most ambitious projects in our organization’s history, and we couldn’t do it alone. We are proud to partner with the Town of Avon, Traer Creek LLC, Eagle County, and many individual donors, granting organizations, and local employers to address this critical need so that working families can afford to stay and raise their children in this community.” 

The facility 

The all-electric, 13,595-square-foot facility includes 12 classrooms and four outdoor playgrounds designed for age-appropriate learning and play, as well as a full-service kitchen serving healthy meals that are included in each child’s tuition. Access Early Education Foundation, which oversees enrollment, hiring, and day-to-day instruction, will operate the center Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., year-round. 

Lettuce Patch combines open-market availability with an employer-sponsored model. Families selected in the first round of applications are moving through the enrollment process now, ahead of the target October 12 start date. That includes Danielle Guilmineau, whose daughter will receive infant care at Lettuce Patch. 

“It’s incredibly stressful to be a mom holding her newborn, wondering where she will go every day so you can return to work,” Guilmineau said. “Having this center open its doors is so much more than a convenience. It is a lifeline that our valley has desperately needed. It allows parents to pursue their careers knowing their little ones are in a safe, warm, and nurturing environment where they can thrive.”

Families who would like to be considered for future openings can join the enrollment waitlist. Priority enrollment goes to full-time, year-round families.

Hiring also continues for open positions. At full capacity, the center will eventually employ approximately 40 individuals, including directors, teachers, and kitchen staff.  

A community-wide effort 

The center's name honors Avon's agricultural heritage as a lettuce farming community, reflecting the community partnership that brought this project to life. 

The Town of Avon leased the land to the VVF for 50 years at $10 and contributed $800,000 in incentives, building on Traer Creek LLC's original conveyance of the property for community use in the 1990s. Eagle County contributed $1 million to the project, and the Vail Resorts Epic Promise Foundation provided key grant support.  

Local and regional businesses are heavily involved as well. The project was designed by Zehren & Associates and built by RA Nelson. Active Energies Solar donated and installed more than 100 rooftop solar panels.  

VVF board members Johannes Faessler and Steve Coyer, along with Board Chair Chris Jarnot, guided the project from the beginning. Many additional granting organizations and individual donors helped bring the project to life. A full list is available at empower.vvf.org/donors. 

Sustainably built from start to finish 

The all-electric facility was designed to keep operating costs down and its footprint small. The solar panels donated by Active Energies are expected to produce more than 72,000 kilowatt hours annually. A four-battery energy storage system, funded by the Town of Avon, is designed to run critical infrastructure independent of the grid in the event of a power outage. 

RA Nelson selected Lettuce Patch as a pilot project for its Construction Waste Diversion program. Crews diverted more than 117,000 pounds of waste from the landfill, a 50 percent diversion rate. They also followed strict stormwater management practices to keep soil and debris out of the surrounding watershed. 

Fundraising continues 

The VVF has raised more than $13.4 million toward the construction of Lettuce Patch. Fundraising continues for a $4 million Tuition, Housing, and Operational Fund to support working families across income levels, help attract and retain qualified early childhood educators, and support operational expenses. 

Lettuce Patch is part of the VVF's Empowering Possibility Capital Campaign, a $74 million initiative investing in arts, athletics, education, and community support programs across the Eagle River Valley. 

To learn more about Lettuce Patch Early Learning Center, visit lettucepatch.org or email info@lettucepatch.org. 

Additional quotes from the ribbon cutting 

"We hope this will serve as a model for what people can achieve when the entire community comes together to address our most pressing challenges. Personally, I see in this facility a healthy and vibrant future for Avon and our valley’s children—allowing the next generation of families to thrive in the heart of the valley.”
-Tamra Nottingham Underwood, Town of Avon Mayor

“Representing the VVF Board, I can wholeheartedly say that this is one of our proudest moments as an organization. What can possibly be better than preparing our youngest children to be excited, curious, and capable of making the most of their upcoming school years?”
-Steve Coyer, Vail Valley Foundation Board Member

"Vail Valley Foundation has always excelled at getting things done by bringing together individual donors, nonprofits, and governments. This project is a great example of that. We're grateful for their leadership and for taking this up as an important issue."
-Tom Boyd, Eagle County Commissioner