You know what your business needs. Help us fight for it.
The ECEA Advocacy Committee is where Colorado's private, licensed child care owners set the direction of the fight: the bills, the rules, and the reforms that decide whether your program can thrive. We sit in the meetings so you don't have to, and this committee is how you tell us where to aim.
Together We Are Stronger.ECEA is the leading voice for Colorado's private, licensed early childhood programs. When the state writes a rule or the legislature moves a bill, we are in the room.
Running a child care business is hard enough without also tracking every rulemaking, task force, and budget line at the Capitol. That is our job. Every day we work to alleviate the state pressures on your business: we talk to legislators and administrators, we sit on the commissions, and we shape the regulations so you can focus on children and families instead of red tape.
But advocacy is strongest when it carries the voice of real owners. The Advocacy Committee is how members turn their day-to-day experience into the priorities we carry forward. You bring the ground truth; we bring it to the people who write the rules. We elevate your voice.
What ECEA does so you don't have to
- Sit in the policy meetings and rulemakings
- Talk directly to legislators and state administrators
- Serve as watchdog on child care commissions and advisory bodies
- Translate what changes and what it means for your program
- Bring member data and member voices to the table
What we're fighting for
These are live fights where a strong, organized owner voice changes the outcome. Committee members help shape ECEA's position on each one.
Safe, smart deregulation (SB26-020)
ECEA holds a seat on Colorado's SB26-020 Child Care Licensure & Quality Task Force, charged with recommending ways to reduce compliance burden while keeping children safe. Recommendations are due January 1, 2027.
Why it matters to you: fewer duplicate, non-safety rules means less paperwork, lower cost, and more time for your program. We are pushing to cut what exceeds the federal safety floor and keep what actually protects kids.
Keep UPK funding with your program
Universal Preschool (UPK) is Colorado's state-funded preschool program. We are fighting to make funding for 3-year-olds follow the child into community-based centers and family child care homes, not default to school districts.
Why it matters to you: "funding follows the child" protects your enrollment, keeps families with the provider they trust, and defends the community-based share of a program worth tens of millions of dollars each year.
Rules you can actually find and follow
We work with state leadership to keep licensing and UPK requirements clear, consolidated, and printer-friendly, and to keep de facto compliance rules inside the review process where they belong.
Why it matters to you: clarity saves hours and prevents citations that come from rules nobody could locate. If you must comply with it, you should be able to find it in one place.
Three steps to a seat at the table
Every ECEA member stays apprised of our advocacy. Professional members get more: a seat on the committee and more chances to shape where we push next. Here is what taking part looks like.
Become a pro member
Professional membership is your entry point. It connects you to the committee, the partnerships, and the full weight of ECEA behind your program.
Attend the monthly meetings
Meet monthly to drive ECEA's advocacy direction, and sit down with the people who decide: the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), legislators, and state administrators.
Get engagement training
Receive engagement and advocacy training support, so you know exactly how to speak up, tell your story, and move decision-makers with confidence.
Meetings are held the 4th Wednesday of every month, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. · Questions? [email protected]
Ways to strengthen the fight
Every ECEA member has a role in protecting private, licensed child care. Professional members on the committee carry the most weight.
Stay informed
All ECEA members are kept apprised of our advocacy: what is moving at the Capitol and CDEC, what it means for your program, and when your voice can make a difference.
Become a MemberShape the direction
Professional members can join the committee: a monthly seat, direct input on ECEA's positions, engagement training, and time across the table from CDEC and legislators.
Join the CommitteeYour industry needs your voice. So does your business.
Join the ECEA Advocacy Committee and help decide the fights that shape Colorado child care. We are the workforce behind the workforce, and we are stronger with you at the table.
We are in the meetings so you don't have to. Together we are stronger.
