Policy & Legislation
The Policy and Legislative unit is responsible for advancing policy and fiscal interests to achieve the strategic mission and vision of the Department, with both the Governor's Office and the Colorado General Assembly. The unit works on behalf of the Department's leadership team, coordinating and facilitating the legislative agenda and implementation process, articulating the Department's position on legislative and fiscal matters, and regularly engaging with external stakeholders, partners, and advocates to accomplish the Department's policy and fiscal objectives.
Legislative Agenda
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood is committed to ensuring the delivery of a comprehensive, community-informed, data-driven, high quality, and equitable early childhood system that supports the care, education, and well-being of all Colorado’s young children, their families and early childhood professionals in all settings. CDEC is prioritizing the following bills through its legislative agenda for the 2024 Colorado Legislative Session:
HB24-1009: Bilingual Child Care Licensing
Sponsored by Representatives Joseph and McLachlan and Senators Ginal and Rich, this bill would require the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) to ensure that child care licensing services be available in Spanish and establish a Bilingual Licensing Unit. Providing access to Spanish language child care licensing services would help remove barriers that preclude individuals from becoming licensed child care providers in their communities. Read the fact sheet.
Legislative Reports
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood is statutorily required to submit reports to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office. These reports, which include programmatic data, performance information and/or policy recommendations, are organized below by office/division, report and date.
Department Performance Plan
Federal Funding
Department Regulatory Agenda
Long Range Financial Report
Transition, Program Review, and Agency Collaboration Report
Early Childhood Mental Health Funding
Early Intervention Services
Qualified Early Childhood Educator Supply
Colorado Child Care Assistance Program Annual Report
- FY 22-23 Colorado Child Care Assistance Program Annual Report
- FY 21-22 Colorado Child Care Assistance Program Annual Report
- FY 23-24 Colorado Child Care Assistance Program Annual Report
Colorado Early Childhood Councils Triennial Evaluation
Infant Toddler Quality and Availability Grant Program in Colorado
- FY 22-23 Infant Toddler Quality and Availability Grant Program Report
- FY 23-24 Infant Toddler Quality and Availability Grant Program Report
School Readiness Quality Improvement Program in Colorado
Online Kindergarten Readiness Pilot Survey
Joint Budget Committee Requests for Information
Following the passage of the annual appropriations act, known as the Long Bill, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood receives formal requests for data on an annual basis from the General Assembly's Joint Budget Committee. The responses to these requests are organized below by office/division, report and date.
Child Care Development Funds
Schedule 9 Cash Fund
Non-Developed Property
Colorado Nurse Home Visitor Program (Tobacco Master Settlement Funds)
- FY 22-23 Colorado Nurse Home Visitor Program Report
- FY 21-22 Colorado Nurse Home Visitor Program Report
- FY 23-24 Colorado Nurse Home Visitor Program Report
Early Intervention Caseload Growth
- FY 22-23 Early Intervention Caseload Growth Report
- FY 21-22 Early Intervention Caseload Growth Report
- FY 23-24 Early Intervention Caseload Growth Report
Social Emotional Learning Programs Grant
Child Care Development Funds
Colorado Child Care Assistance Program Costs
Legislative Resources
- For more information on the current laws, rules and regulations in Colorado, please review Colorado Revised Statute (Title 26.5 Early Childhood Programs and Services) and the Code of Colorado Regulations.
- General Assembly Website
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Health and Human Services Committee
- House Education Committee
- House Public and Behavioral Health Committee
- Joint Budget Committee
Please contact us if you need a report from a prior year or in a different format.