The village of supporters backing construction of a first for Colorado Springs — a child care center baked into the clay of a new affordable housing development for working families — gathered Tuesday to mark another inaugural element.

The Jan. 1 merger of two credit unions, Ent and Wings also included the Wings Credit Union Foundation. The philanthropic fund announced its first major Colorado donation Tuesday: $250,000 to Early Connections Learning Centers.

“You have witnessed legacy,” said Annie Snead, executive director of the foundation. “While our name has changed, our commitment to the community has not.”

The money comes from a combination of donations made by the credit union, members, employees and funds raised from special events, she said.

The nonprofit Early Connections is building an 8,500-square-foot center for 60 children ages six weeks through 5 years old in the under-construction Bradley Ridge subdivision in southeast Colorado Springs.

The Wings contribution is the first major gift toward the organization’s “next season of growth,” said Liz Denson, Early Connection president and CEO. On Aug. 13, she was named the 2026 “Nonprofit Leader of the Year” by the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

“What makes Bradley Ridge so important is it creates an opportunity to bring two of the most critical pieces of family stability together: affordable housing and high-quality early childhood education,” she said. “This is the kind of creative thinking our community needs.”

Child care can be expensive for families, Denson said. Nearly $20,000 a year in Colorado, depending on the age and program.

“Quality early childhood education is a workforce issue, an economic development issue, an employment issue and a community issue,” she said. “You can see the ripple effect of this investment.”

Offering child care seats for kids from lower-income families near where they live yields a better chance of family stabilization, she said. “This kind of integrated approach must be part of the future of how we support families, and it will be critical to ensure Colorado Springs continues to grow and thrive.”

Two of Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s children attended the Antlers location of Early Connections Learning Centers, which underwent massive renovation and reopened in June.

“The early years matter,” he said at the event. “The love, education, security, encouragement and opportunities we give them help shape who we become.”

Bradley Ridge, which will feature 14 buildings with 336 affordable units for workforce residents, is more than housing, Mobolade said. It allows for people to live in community rather than isolation.

The $3.5 million Early Connections Learning Centers at Bradley Ridge is scheduled to open next spring with 20 employees, Denson said.

The massive project involves multiple entities, including the landowner, Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation, Norwood Development Group, the city and Colorado Springs Utilities as well as various funding streams, including $4.85 million from the voter-approved Colorado Affordable Housing Development Fund or Prop 123, $72.5 million in private activity bonds and $440,000 in fee rebates.

The first apartment buildings will come online in December or January, said Ben Taylor, vice president and project partner at Lincoln Avenue Communities, which is developing the 20-acre site. The entire development should be completed by the end of 2027, he said.

Southeast Colorado Springs has been identified as a “desert” for affordable child care, Taylor said.

“One of the largest hurdles for residents in the affordable housing we build is early childhood care and education,” he said. “To have affordable housing combined with access to an early education center on site — I don’t know a better combination that helps working families more.”

Bradley Ridge has become a model for other low-income housing projects Lincoln Avenue Communities is doing, Taylor added.

Denson said the new child care center project still needs to raise about $525,000 for furniture, fixtures, equipment and startup staffing. That doesn’t include operational costs after the center is opened, she said.

“When our children flourish, our families flourish. The entire city flourishes,” Mobolade said.