Media Contact: Carolyn Romero | carolyn.romero@state.co.us
Based on Community and Provider Input, CDEC Recommends Cost-Saving Strategies to Sustain Early Intervention Services and Prioritize Child Impact
Denver, CO — June 18, 2025— Responding to extensive community and provider feedback, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) submitted recommendations to the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of the state’s vital Early Intervention (EI) program. The plan prioritizes protecting direct services for children and families while meeting the JBC’s request for recommendations that total $1 million in cost savings.
The JBC requested CDEC identify $1 million in savings in FY 2025-26. Since February, the Department has held 18 listening sessions with early intervention providers, parents, and partners to better understand their needs and discuss potential solutions for the sustainability of the critical EI program. An average of 200 participants joined each session. In addition, CDEC surveyed providers and families regarding each potential strategy and received 167 responses, which the Department used to develop the recommendations. Based on the extensive public engagement, CDEC recommends the following cost-containment strategies for FY 2025–26 to maintain services for children and their families:
- Reducing administrative costs of the CDEC EI Program
- Discontinuing no-show payments for subcontracted providers
- Discontinuing mileage and travel reimbursement for subcontracted providers
- Discontinuing training stipends for subcontracted providers
CDEC projects that these strategies will save $953,826 in FY 2025-26 (starting January 2026) and $1,607,652 in FY 2026-27. These recommendations do not include any changes to the program prior to January 1, 2026.
“The CDEC EI Program is committed to working with the community to give our children the best start possible. We are grateful for the hundreds of providers and family members who helped inform our recommendations for the sustainability of this successful program,” said CDEC Executive Director Dr. Lisa Roy. “Even as we face an increased need for our services, a constrained state budget, and sunsetting federal stimulus funding, we are dedicated to maintaining the EI Program. Together, we will continue to support Colorado’s infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities.”
The Department and its partners evaluated 12 strategies based on these key considerations:
- Impact on children and families
- Impact on providers
- Cost savings
- Requires change to Early Intervention rules, statutory change, or data system
- Requires Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) approval
- Requires collaboration with another state department
In December 2025, following eight additional input sessions, CDEC will submit a second response to the RFI, which will analyze another set of potential cost-containment strategies for FY 2026-27.
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