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PRESS RELEASE

Colorado Department of Early Childhood Releases Independent Evaluation Report Highlighting Progress and Opportunities to Strengthen Early Childhood Systems

DENVER (November 4, 2025) — The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) released findings from a legislatively required, independent evaluation of its first three years of operation, offering Coloradans a transparent look at the Department’s early progress, accomplishments, and opportunities for growth. 

The evaluation, mandated by House Bill 22-1295, was conducted by a team of independent evaluators, Child Trends and Watershed Advisors, and guided by a diverse steering committee of parents, early childhood professionals, local partners, and state leaders. Data for the evaluation were gathered through a mixed-methods process, including document reviews, interviews, focus groups, surveys, and analysis of program and performance data across the CDEC’s divisions. The evaluators also reviewed the Department’s Early Childhood Integrated Data System (ECIDS) plans to assess progress in connecting data across child care, preschool, Early Intervention, and workforce programs. 

“This evaluation gives us valuable insights into what’s working and where we can continue to grow,” said Dr. Lisa Roy, Executive Director of the CDEC. “We built a department from the ground up. We’ve made tremendous progress, and this evaluation gives us a roadmap to move from building to optimizing Colorado’s early childhood system.”

Key Findings

1. Expansion through local partnerships: School districts and community-based organizations partnered to add over 31,000 new preschool seats statewide in the first year of Colorado Universal Preschool, propelling Colorado from 27th to 3rd nationally for preschool access.
2. Progress on data modernization: Through the successful implementation of ECIDS, CDEC has advanced the integration of child care licensing, Colorado Shines, the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), and universal preschool program data, laying the groundwork for more comprehensive, evidence-based decision-making.
3. Workforce investments: The Department successfully administered nearly $50 million in workforce development grants to support higher education scholarships, credential attainment, and compensation stipends for early educators across both school and community-based settings.
4. Capacity building: The Department has demonstrated measurable gains in high-quality providers (up to 33.4%) and infant/toddler capacity (up 2.1%).

"When the Colorado Department of Early Childhood launched three years ago, it was a milestone in our state's work to prioritize what happens in kids' early years," said Dr. Mathangi Subramanian, Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Colorado Children's Campaign. “Evaluations like this one are invaluable tools for ensuring that Colorado's youngest children thrive and that families get the services they need. Understanding how the state is serving kids now is an important step towards creating a seamless system for kids ages 0-8 that is accessible, equitable, and high quality."  

“Strong early childhood systems are foundational to lifelong health and well-being. We appreciate this thoughtful, independent review and the shared accountability it brings. CDPHE values our close partnership with CDEC as we continue strengthening supports for Colorado’s youngest children and their families, and we look forward to working together to advance the recommendations,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

“As public health professionals committed to advancing nutrition security for Coloradans, we appreciated the opportunity to participate in the evaluation and to highlight opportunities to continue aligning resources to advance community health and early childhood development,” said Brett Reeder, Nutrition Services Branch Director with the CDPHE. “CDEC is a critical partner in the state’s mission to create a  broad early childhood system that meets the needs of all Coloradans.”

Evaluation Process

The independent process included: 

• Quantitative analysis of program participation, workforce trends, and statewide performance metrics.
• Qualitative data gathered through over 40 interviews and focus groups with families, providers, local coordinating organizations (LCOs), early childhood councils, and partner agencies.
• Review of policy, fiscal, and operational data from the CDEC.

“We are so fortunate in Colorado to have a dedicated Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) focusing on the importance of safe, high-quality early care and education for our state’s youngest learners,” said Carrie Kennedy, Public Relations Representative for the Colorado Association of Family Child Care (CAFCC). “CAFCC appreciates the opportunity to be part of the CDEC Evaluation Steering Committee and to highlight the Department’s accomplishments over the past three years while also elevating areas for growth to ensure all Colorado families and children can access the care setting that best meets their needs.” 

The evaluation used the Active Implementation Framework (AIF) to assess CDEC’s progress and determined that the Department is in the “Initial Implementation” stage, consistent with other newly created state agencies of this scale.

Next Steps

The CDEC will use the findings from the independent evaluation to guide the next phase of its work, moving from building foundational systems to optimizing and refining them for greater impact. Over the next several years, the Department will focus on simplifying and coordinating family access to early learning and care, strengthening collaboration with local governments, community organizations, and other state agencies, and deepening data integration through ECIDS to better inform policy and measure outcomes.

The Department also plans to continue investing in the early childhood workforce, ensuring stability, diversity, and professional growth across all program types. These efforts will align with its fiscal priorities and equity goals to create a more seamless, responsive, and sustainable early childhood system for Colorado families and providers.

The full evaluation report and summary of findings are available here.

FAQ 

• Why was this evaluation conducted?

The evaluation was required by HB22-1295, which directed an independent review of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood’s first three years of operation. The intent was to assess how well CDEC has unified and strengthened Colorado’s early childhood system, identify areas of progress, and surface opportunities for improvement.

• Who conducted the evaluation?

The evaluation was led by Child Trends and Watershed Advisors, independent research organizations specializing in early childhood policy, with guidance from a Steering Committee of 30 diverse stakeholders representing families, providers, advocates, local leaders, and state partners.

• Who was included in the evaluation?

A large and diverse Steering Committee was formed to assist with information evaluation protocols, data collection tools, and outreach to communities throughout Colorado. In addition, a small team from the Steering Committee served as research advisors, providing weekly support to the evaluators to ensure the data analysis, findings, and recommendations were grounded in Colorado’s early childhood context. The evaluation also included outreach to community organizations, service providers, and families receiving services. 

• Does the report reflect only the CDEC perspective? 

No. The evaluation was conducted independently by Child Trends and Watershed Advisors, guided by a 30-member Steering Committee that included families, early childhood professionals, local partners, providers, and representatives from state agencies. The findings draw from surveys, interviews, and administrative data from multiple agencies beyond CDEC. This ensures the report reflects the broader early childhood system, including how families and providers experience programs at the local level.

• How will families and providers benefit from these improvements?

Families and providers will benefit from a more coordinated, consistent, and accessible early childhood system. The evaluation’s recommendations are already informing improvements that will make it easier for families to find and maintain care, as well as reduce administrative burdens on providers. Over time, these changes will lead to clearer communication, faster connections to services, and better-informed decisions about where and how resources are allocated.

• Is this the final evaluation? 

HB22-1295 required only one formal evaluation of the Department at its three-year mark. However, CDEC will continue to report on its progress to the General Assembly, the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) and other partners through ongoing accountability processes, including annual SMART Act hearings, performance reports and Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) updates.

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