COLORADO, USA — Families looking to enroll students in Colorado's universal preschool program can register and browse providers starting Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis' office said.
All Colorado children qualify for up to 15 hours per week of funding for preschool in the year before kindergarten. Some are eligible for additional hours based on qualifying factors.
The state has made some changes to the enrollment process since last year, which was the first year of the program.
This year, families can pre-register for a specific provider if the child is currently enrolled there, the child's sibling is currently enrolled there, or a parent or guardian currently works there. That pre-registration is open through March 28.
Families who want to sign up with a new provider can register and browse providers starting Thursday at UPK.Colorado.Gov. Families will be matched with one of their top 10 preferred providers between April and July, the state said.
In July, after the matching rounds end, families who did not previously sign up can work directly with a provider to enroll, as space allows. That option is available through the end of the school year.
The state said more than 2,000 providers have applied to participate in the program for 2024-25. That's nearly 150 more than the previous school year, the state said.
In 2020, voters passed Proposition EE, which funded universal preschool by increasing taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products and creating a new tax on nicotine products.
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