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In This Issue
Colorado Universal Preschool
Provider Profile Set Up is Live!
Preschool providers can now apply to participate in the Colorado Universal Preschool program for the school year 2024-25. To begin, providers can access the online portal to set up programs, create public profiles, and provide contact information for an Authorized Signer to be sent the Provider Agreement for signature.
This is required for both new and returning providers. This process is crucial to ensure your program can be viewed and potentially selected by families in the 2024-25 school year.
The Provider Program Set Up Form must be completed by February 16, 2024. Start the process today!
The 2024-25 Universal Preschool Family Application Opens Soon!
All families can apply to Colorado Universal Preschool starting February 29th! The general application will be open to all families.
As a reminder, the new 2024-25 enrollment process includes three distinct timelines for enrolling families in high-quality preschool across the state. The streamlined process has been developed based on feedback from providers, families, and other stakeholders and designed to reduce matching delays, lessen providers’ administrative burden, and increase equitable family access to funding for high-quality preschool programming available throughout Colorado.
From February 29th to March 28th, only those families that meet the continuity of care, employee, or sibling priority criteria outlined in our pre-registration enrollment guidelines will be matched to providers.
The first general matching round for families will take place in April, with the following matching round to take place in July.
Resources & Support
- Office hours: CDEC is hosting “State Employee Universal Preschool Enrollment Support” office hours starting next week. Any state employee with a child, friend, or family member interested in enrolling in the Colorado Universal Preschool program can attend to have their questions answered about the program and enrollment process. These sessions will be held every Wednesday from 1-2pm. Click this link to join!
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Program Website: Review the estimated enrollment timeline on the website. More information and resources are expected in the coming weeks. For additional support, find your Local Coordinating Organization contact information.
- Have more questions or need help with Universal Preschool Colorado? Contact us using this short form or call 303-866-5223.
We appreciate your continued support, partnership, and input!
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February Farm to Child Month
Spring is quickly approaching!
This month's Farm to Child newsletter explores how food hubs are emerging as essential connectors in the world of agriculture and helping to bridge the gap between local food and child care sites.
Read this month's newsletter for resources on gardening, local food, and nutrition and agriculture education.
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Monthly State TA Day
State TA day is a chance for CDEC and other Early Childhood Partners to connect with our Early Childhood Councils on new initiatives and activities going on throughout the CDEC.
If you missed it, our monthly State TA day call webinar can be found here! Check it out for CDEC initiatives that could benefit you today.
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CDEC Rulemaking Updates
Stakeholder Engagement Opportunities
The Division of Early Learning, Licensing, and Administration (DELLA) has recently held 8 stakeholder meetings to review all of the School Aged Child Care rules to consider making revisions. This collaborative effort is part of DELLA's comprehensive rule review to determine if the rules should be continued in their current form, modified, or repealed consistent with the requirements of section 24-4-103.3, C.R.S. The Department will begin broader stakeholder engagement next week, and will be soliciting public feedback on the proposed rule revisions via email and posting the draft rules on the Department’s Public Notices webpage.
Next Rules Advisory Council Meeting - February 8, 2024
The Rules Advisory Council (RAC) is scheduled to meet next Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 1:00 p.m., to review, discuss, and vote on recommendations for the Executive Director to consider regarding the proposed permanent rules for the Colorado Universal Preschool Program (UPK). More specifically, the rules opened for discussion concern the revisions to the UPK Qualifying Factors, and establishing UPK Quality Standards.
Next Public Rulemaking Hearing - February 22, 2024
During the next Public Rulemaking Hearing on February 22, 2024, at 12:00 p.m., the Executive Director will consider permanent adoption of the proposed UPK Qualifying Factors and UPK Quality Standards rules. This will be the last opportunity to submit written comments and testify before the final version of these rules are approved.
Proposed Rules
Please consult the CDEC Rule Tracker for the Department’s most up-to-date rulemaking information. If you have any questions regarding rulemaking, or would like to submit written comments, send us an email at: CDEC_Rulemaking@state.co.us.
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Family, Friend, and Neighbor Advisory Council
The Colorado Early Childhood Department invites you to attend the Family, Friend, and Neighbor Advisory Council Meetings. The FFN Advisory Council recognizes and values child care as an essential service across all settings, and these meetings are an opportunity to share your valuable thoughts, stories, ideas, and propositions. Colorado is the first state in the country to set up an advisory council for FFN teachers, and significantly values your contribution.
The council meets every month on the 2nd Thursday, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The meeting link can be found here. For more information, please contact cristina.herman@state.co.us
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New PBS Show in English and Spanish Focused on Functional Literacy
On February 5, 2024, PBS KIDS will debut LYLA IN THE LOOP, a funny and engaging new animated TV series for kids ages 4-8! The series follows Lyla, a dynamic 7-year-old girl, who lives in a big city with her close-knit family, fantastical blue sidekick Stu, and a host of relatable characters in her community, who use creative and strategic problem-solving and critical thinking skills to address a range of everyday problems together.
The new series, made possible by the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative with funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready to Learn Program (RTL), will debut in both English and Spanish, and explore foundational computational thinking concepts aligned with the goals of the 2020-2025 RTL grant. For more information, click here.
PDIS Interface Updates are Coming Soon!
The PDIS is getting a new look! Last year we collected feedback from PDIS users on what was difficult and what was most important in using the PDIS. Based on this feedback, we have designed a new look and feel for the PDIS focusing on a cleaner, more organized menu, a more useful home dashboard, and a more useful learner home.
We’re hosting demos of the new system throughout January and February. See the schedule of demos here and sign up to see a sneak peak!
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NEW: Sign up here for emails, news, and updates on Colorado Universal Preschool!
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