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Colorado Universal Preschool Expands Access While Providing Quality Early Childhood Education Across Colorado

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DENVER — Colorado Universal Preschool is rapidly expanding access for families across the state while building a strong and connected foundation for quality. Colorado ranks 3rd (and climbing) in the nation for preschool access for four-year-olds, serving 70% of eligible children. The State has made significant gains for younger learners, rising from 12th to 5th in the nation for serving three-year-olds. These gains reflect Colorado's commitment to expanding access while continuing to build and strengthen quality across a diverse early childhood system.

"In our third year, Colorado's efforts to expand early childhood education and help Colorado kids start off strong are working. Across our state we are seeing the positive  impact Universal Preschool has by connecting kids to a good education and saving families over $6,300 per year. Giving kids a strong start is the foundation for  a strong workforce and economy, setting Colorado, kids, and families up for success," said Governor Polis.

"Governor Polis set out to expand access to preschool for families across the state, and we are seeing that promise delivered," said Dr. Lisa Roy, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. "In just a few years, we've made significant progress reaching children and families in every corner of Colorado. At the same time, we are intentionally building a system that supports quality across classrooms, providers, and communities—because access and quality must go hand in hand."

Through a mixed-delivery system that includes school districts, community-based providers, and home-based care, Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) are working to ensure children have access to high-quality, developmentally appropriate early learning experiences in settings that meet the needs of families and communities.

After serving over 45,000 children in program year 2025-26, here's what our Colorado families and providers have to say about Universal Preschool:

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Families:

"Before CDEC, my son struggled to make 3 word sentences let alone actual words when he knew he could grunt his way to some adults. The inability to communicate was frustrating him too and causing behavioral problems such as throwing items at people. After his first 6 weeks of getting to go to public school at 3, he was enunciating words more clearly and gaining confidence to speak to other kids and adults. Now he hardly stops talking, telling stories of his day and adventures on video games. His twin never had speech trouble, never needed speech therapy. Having the opportunity to go to Pre-K thanks to the Universal Pre-K due to CDEC opening the door has greatly helped my son catch up to his brother verbally, helped reduce his outrageous tantrums, and put him on a path to love school and look forward to going back each day," said J. Hughes.

"Thanks to this program my daughter has THRIVED! Preschool costs in my area were simply more than we could afford. We were afraid that she wouldn't be prepared for kindergarten. I was thrilled, to say the least, when this program was offered. Between Covid and the costs of preschool my daughter hasn't had much socialization or opportunities to learn away from home. Being able to make friends in a safe environment was truly amazing for her growth. She has excelled in her academics and is ready to join her class in kindergarten for the 24/25 year. I really cannot express my gratitude for this program enough. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring about our kids and realizing how important it is to have them in this program. There are so many families like mine, struggling to give their kids the life they deserve. Mine is not a rare story, and I feel like I'm not alone in saying, this program really helped change our lives," said Brianna Mackey.

Providers:

"As we wrap up 2025, WHALE Respite Center has so much to celebrate! This year, we proudly provided 52,330 hours of care, launched our Universal Pre-K (UPK) program, and celebrated our very first birthday in July. We also hosted countless meaningful events for our families and community, each one a reminder of why our work matters. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to support families raising children with delays and disabilities, and we look forward to another year of growth, connection, and joy," said Kristin Ceriani, Executive Director, WHALE Respite Center.

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A Growing System with a Strong Quality Foundation

Colorado's Universal Preschool program is built on a mixed-delivery system, partnering with school districts, community-based providers, and home-based programs to meet families where they are. This approach allows for both expanded access and diverse, community-based options for families.

Quality in Colorado is defined through a comprehensive, connected system that includes licensing, Colorado Shines (the State's Quality Rating and Improvement System), Universal Preschool quality standards, and early childhood learning goals. Together, these elements support safe environments, strong teaching practices, and positive outcomes for children.

Data from the 2024–2025 program year show that:
  • 76.8% of children (33,312) attended a school district program or a provider rated Level 3 or higher in Colorado Shines
  • 89.4% of children (38,786) attended a school district program or a provider rated Level 2 or higher

These figures reflect that the majority of children in Colorado's Universal Preschool program are already participating in high-quality learning environments, even as the system continues to evolve.

Ongoing Investments to Strengthen Quality

The Department is developing a comprehensive refresh of its Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), informed by early childhood experts, including preschool providers, to strengthen and better align quality standards statewide, alongside significant investments to improve preschool quality. As part of this work, CDEC is aligning with National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) benchmarks, with several standards already met and a roadmap to meet additional benchmarks, such as classroom monitoring by the 2028 program year.

Beginning in the 2026–2027 program year, providers will further implement instructional practices aligned with State early learning guidelines, whole-child development, and culturally and linguistically responsive teaching.

As Colorado Universal Preschool continues to mature, the State expects to see continued progress in both access and quality. With a strong foundation already in place, Colorado anticipates continued improvement in national quality benchmarks in the coming years, with the goal of rising in NIEER rankings by Universal Preschool program year six as additional standards, supports, and monitoring systems are fully implemented.

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