Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado ensures that every child in the year before they are eligible for kindergarten is eligible for half-day (15 hours), state-funded, voluntary preschool beginning in the 2023-24 school year. Three-year-olds with qualifying factors are eligible for part-time (10 hours) preschool programming. Families of children in the year before they are eligible for
kindergarten with certain qualifying factors, are eligible for an additional 15 hours stacked on top of the half-day programming, bringing those children to full-day programming. UPK Colorado allows families to choose the right setting for their child, whether it is in a licensed community-based, school-based or home-based preschool setting.
Many children will also qualify for Colorado’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), Head Start, and other funding sources that can be stacked on top of UPK Colorado hours to meet the needs of families. In coordination with their preschool providers, families are also welcome to provide a co-pay for additional hours as needed.
If you haven’t had a chance to give comments for the update to the Colorado early childhood framework, here is a link with information. Rural counties like ours need your voices.
http://www.earlychildhoodcolorado.org/early-childhood-colorado-framework
The TRIAD LCO including Gilpin, Clear Creek and Jeffco Director Jennifer Anton started January 3rd (our executive committee did the hiring process in November-December) Jennifer@triadbrightfutures.org I will be asking her to hold a meeting with all of us asap as she is tasked with hiring a Mountain LCO Coordinator in the near future.
The RE-2 LCO contact is Danielle Butler for our Gilpin families attending BVSD schools dbutler@eccbouldercounty.org