NEW CDEC RULE TRACKER
Now you can see what stage of administrative process each rule set is at. See the tracker here: https://lookerstudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/a762872b-8aa3-4f4d-83b8-a5faa80d1dc9/page/9K4QD
https://www.coloradoecea.org/post/property-tax-impacts-on-private-programs-statewide-survey-results (Additional data can be found there!)
HAVE YOU ENTERED YOUR INFORMATION YET??? WE NEED EVERY PRIVATELY OWNED CENTER POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY SO THAT IT INFORMS OUR POLICY OBJECTIVE!
Fill it out here: https://forms.gle/oq21Db15XF2V2h879
Read the annual report here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5679be9605f8e24bd8be467a/t/64ada3f8d5030e5ba07520df/1689101307523/eclc-annual-2022_DIGITAL_062923+%281%29.pdf
ECEA participates in the ECLC policy meetings. We post updates in our newsfeed as we hear important information that impacts you and your business! We listed the future priorities here for you to know what each committee will be working on in the coming year.
WELCOME New Members!
Cornerstone
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! Our members understand how critical it is to have a voice in policy meetings FOR YOU! They provide input and feedback that informs the discussions that are taking place while you run your business. The reality is...we wouldn't be here without them. Receiving this email doesn't mean you are a member...our members provide that to you for FREE.
Make a difference in our industry and JOIN NOW! Our annual fees are reasonable and ensure that the discussions that need to happen are happening for you!
Large Center License: $250
Small Center License: $200
Family Child Care Home: $50
School Age Programs: $60
Only YOU can strengthen the voice of Child Care Businesses Statewide!
Join NOW: www.coloradoecea.org/membership
Share with your Families!
The Early Childhood Service Corps (ECSC) is an innovative, intergenerational
response to the critical workforce need in the Early Childhood Field, and to the
unprecedented departure of older Americans from the workforce. Our program recruits,
trains, and deploys older adults to serve in the Early Childhood Field as classroom
volunteers, Volunteer Business Advisors or take advanced training to become paid
Encore Substitutes. Our program promotes intergenerational understanding, inclusivity,
and diversity in early childhood classrooms.
We hope to tap into the skills and passion of older adults in our communities and work
to identify and recruit volunteers who reflect the cultural and language backgrounds of
the children and their families in those areas. We are committed to preparing
underserved older adults to access our education and training to participate in our
program. Our Partner EC Sites are more diverse and serve many children with diversity
of religion, gender, orientation, culture, family structures, and physical/intellectual
abilities. We hope to be able to match this diversity with our volunteers and Encore
Subs, because we know that the identity of oneself is based upon caregivers/teachers'
ability to name, reflect and act on social and ecological diversity and justice.
ECSC maintains by providing flexible support in early childhood through our older adult
Service Corps members we will be instrumental in helping to eliminate structural
inequities that limit equitable learning opportunities for children, as well.
Please join us by volunteering to serve on our Diversity Advisory Board
(https://bit.ly/ECSCDEIBoard) or join our waitlist to take our training to become an
Encore Substitute of volunteer in our upcoming Cohort V: https://bit.ly/ECServiceCorps
Universal Preschool Colorado (UPK Colorado) Update
Matching
With the first three rounds of matching for UPK Colorado complete, more than 35,000 four-year-olds have been matched to participating providers. Of those, more than 30,500 have accepted their matches or enrolled in their matched preschool. Families that apply through July 13 will be matched in the fourth round and will receive matches on July 27.
Funding for Additional Hours
CDEC plans to award funding for additional hours for families with qualifying factors by July 15.
Capacity Building Grants
CDEC recently awarded 1,141 UPK Colorado providers more than $15.3 million in the first round of Capacity Building Grants using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were requested in the Governor’s Budget and approved by the legislature. The grants fund education materials and supplies, health care materials and supplies, technology, furniture, and site infrastructure.
All providers that are participating in UPK Colorado are eligible to receive the one-time grant. With 2,010 providers currently participating in UPK Colorado, 57 percent of providers took advantage of the funding opportunity in the first round. A second round of grants will be awarded during the 2023-24 fiscal year with an additional $18.8 million available for participating providers. All licensed child care providers in the state can sign up to participate in UPK Colorado during the 2023-24 school year through the end of August and would be eligible for the grant.
Funding for new students
This will be trued up on the following month. In August, providers will receive a startup payment based on matches from the first three rounds of matching. A family must have accepted their match by July 9 to be included in the startup payment. Payments through the school year will be based on confirmed enrollments on the 15th of the prior month. The general payment schedule is as follows: 15th of the prior month - deadline for providers to confirm a child is enrolled at their site for inclusion in the next payment. 8th of the payment month - payment distributed (ACH transfer) to providers based on the prior month’s enrollments.
Curriculum
Keep doing what you are doing! Buy and use any curriculum that you have been previously for this coming school year!
Data Dashboard
A new dashboard for UPK is coming soon! We will have a clear picture of the UPK programming statewide!
Important Reminder for Stabilization and New Provider Success Grant Awardees
For any and all Stabilization and New Provider Success grant awardees, Large Purchase Requests must be submitted by Monday, July 31.
The Large Purchase Request process is used when you, as a Stabilization or New Provider Success grant recipient, have remaining funds that need to be spent by September 30, 2023, and you'd like to use those funds on a Large Purchase.
This is not a new grant program. This does not give you more money than the amount you've already received through your Stabilization or New Provider Success grant.
A Large Purchase is one item or project that costs $5,000 or more. Bids are required for the item you'd like to purchase or work that needs to be done to complete your project.
Any item or project that costs more than $25,000 requires two bids.
Be sure to read this guidance document before you submit a Large Purchase Request Form.
The Request Form can be found here. All of this information can also be found on this page of the Growing Forward website, under the "Have Questions? Need Support?" section. Remember, all funds must be spent by September 30, 2023, and all projects must be completed/installed/on-site by this date as well.
You can find a summary here: https://www.coloradoecea.org/post/proposed-federal-ccdf-changes-open-for-public-comment
www.coloradoecea.org 303-860-7174 dawn@coloradoecea.org