Early Childhood Education
Colorado ranks third in the nation, after Washington, D.C. and Vermont, for the share of 4-year-olds served in its state-funded preschool program.
After weeks of uncertainty, lawmakers approve $2.9 million for the program as part of the “long bill.”
City officials also promised to help stabilize Head Start providers facing funding threats from the Trump administration.
Some of the rules won’t be fully in place for more than two years.
One of the bill sponsors said she may try again in future years.
The current version of the legislation is a far cry from what bill sponsors envisioned.
The council asked for nearly $300 million more for early childhood education, which has emerged as a major sticking point in recent budget negotiations.
New York City needs between $823 and $907 million in additional state funding in order to avoid kicking families out of the voucher program, according to one analysis.
Bill sponsors originally proposed capping child care waitlists fees at $25, but that provision was eliminated.
One part of the bill addressed hotly contested rules about preschool class sizes and staff-student ratios.
Members of the Joint Budget Committee expressed frustration that state early childhood leaders hadn’t alerted them to budget problems earlier.
The cuts are set to take effect Monday.
Amendments approved Tuesday removed or reshaped several original provisions of the bill.
Around 170 Colorado child care centers are owned or backed by private equity firms.
At least two Head Start programs closed their doors temporarily in the wake of the White House memo and payment problems.
Early intervention services in Illinois are often blocked by low funding and bureaucracy.
The window to apply is opening 2 months earlier than last year, and there are other changes.
Boosting enrollment in the state-funded preschool program is one of Colorado’s key goals.
Voters in about 15 Colorado communities have approved the use of lodging tax revenue for child care efforts.
The change would help families of pre-K students who live outside a school’s boundary or attend one of 15 magnet schools.