ECC SLV's Kathryn Trujillo recognized for organizing a sewing group within the community to help combat anxiety and sensory overload.

See full size article here.

Benefits Research Advisory Committee - Early Childhood Workforce Lived Experience Survey

As part of the early childhood care and education workforce, you are invited to provide survey feedback on your experience accessing and using benefits such as healthcare, retirement, and paid time off. This feedback will be incorporated into the ongoing work of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood Benefits Research Advisory Committee, which are reviewing national, state, and local research and recommending the most promising strategies for increasing access to and use of benefits for Colorado’s early childhood workforce. Your input is vital to ensuring these recommendations are grounded in lived experience and reflect the challenges and changes you'd like to see within your field.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7498536/Colorado-Department-of-Early-Childhood-Benefits-Research-Advisory-Committee-Early-Childhood-Workforce-Lived-Experience-Survey

Please respond to this survey by Friday, September 15, 2023.

____________________________________________________

Comité Asesor de Investigación de Beneficios -Encuesta sobre experiencias vividas en la fuerza laboral en la primera infancia.

Como parte de la fuerza laboral de cuidado y educación de la primera infancia, usted esta invitado/a a proporcionar comentarios en la encuesta sobre su experiencia en el acceso y uso de beneficios como atención médica, retiro y tiempo libre pagado. Estos comentarios se incorporarán al trabajo en curso del Comité Asesor de Investigación de Beneficios del Departamento de Educación de la Primera Infancia de Colorado, que está revisando investigaciones nacionales, estatales y locales y recomendando las estrategias más prometedoras para aumentar el acceso y el uso de los beneficios para la fuerza laboral de la primera infancia de Colorado. Su opinión es esencial para garantizar que estas recomendaciones se basen en la experiencia vivida y reflejen los desafíos y los cambios que le gustaría ver dentro de su campo.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7505087/Comit-Asesor-de-Investigaci-n-de-Beneficios-del-Departamento-de-Educaci-n-de-la-Primera-Infancia-de-Colorado-Encuesta-de-experiencias-vividas-de-la-fuerza-laboral-de-la-primera-infancia

Por favor, responda esta encuesta antes del Viernes, 15 de Septiembre.

Dear Universal Preschool Colorado Partners, 

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) is pleased to release the Draft Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado Quality Standards for stakeholder review and input. These draft Universal Preschool Quality Standards have been designed to ensure that preschool services are both high quality to prepare children for kindergarten, and accessible throughout the state across a variety of provider types and program settings, including school-based, community-based and home-based settings.

Background

House Bill 22-1295 directed CDEC to develop Universal Preschool quality standards and outlined essential elements. The draft Universal Preschool Quality Standards reflect these requirements, as well as a review of 26 national and Colorado-specific standards, and input from more than 670 stakeholders including families, providers, school districts, early childhood councils, and others. 

Links

Posted to CDEC Public Notice Information

Draft Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado Quality Standards

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Stakeholder Input Form 

Quality Standards Crosswalks (previously released in Spring 2023)

Preliminary Stakeholder Input Report (previously released in Spring 2023)

Next Steps

The Stakeholder Input Form will be open through at least September 22, 2023. Stakeholders may use this form to submit general comments, questions for inclusion in the FAQ, and suggested changes to the draft Universal Preschool Quality Standards. CDEC will review and consider all submitted stakeholder input in advance of submitting UPK quality standards rules to the Rules Advisory Council later this fall. 

The FAQ will be updated on a rolling basis, and CDEC will host a stakeholder webinar on Monday September 11, 2023 from 3-4 p.m. to walk stakeholders through the draft Universal Preschool Quality Standards. Register in advance here. This presentation will be recorded and posted for those who are not able to attend. We also hope to offer an evening or weekend session in coming weeks.

Resource and Referral

The Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance has announced a new grant for Family Child Care Home Providers. The Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant. Below are the eligibility requirements.

•  Must be a licensed home-based child care program.
•  Funds must be used to serve children from birth to five years old.
•  Funds must be utilized to address health, safety, or licensing issues through physical improvement to a facility’s learning environments or maintain or increase capacity.
• Funds cannot be used for retirement of debt, salaries, or consultants and cannot be used as a reimbursement. If you complete the project before being awarded the grant, grant funds cannot be used as a reimbursement for the project.
• Applications that request $2,500 or more must own the facility or provide a letter of landlord support.
• The maximum amount requested is $5,000.
• Applicant must complete all fields of application and submit all required supporting documentation including “before” photos.
•  A child care program may receive only one FCCH Facilities Improvement Grant from ECCLA during a 12-month period.
• Applicant must submit a six-month progress report and a 12-month completion report that includes “after” photos of the funded project.
• Applicant must submit copies of at least two bids for the project. If your project does not require bids, you will need attached pictures of what you wish to purchase.
• If opening a new family child care business, must be in the pre-licensing stage or completed pre-licensing.
•  If application is not selected, the applicant may resubmit in the next round.

Click on the link to learn more on how you can start up, expand, or maintain your family child care home. www.ecclacolorado.org/fcchgrant