Some early childhood experts have recently sounded the alarm about the growing footprint of private equity in the child care space. They worry that such investment firms are primarily motivated by outsized profits, not providing quality experiences for young children.

Colorado lawmakers are taking notice of private equity’s push into child care. In January, they introduced legislation that would put new limits on private-equity backed centers in an attempt to temper practices that critics say are harmful, including cutting staff and raising tuition. The bill would give the public more information about tuition and fees, provide advance notice of staff layoffs or enrollment changes, and curb a common private equity real-estate practice that can hurt child care centers financially.