Gov. Jared Polis signed into law Monday a bill that establishes 10 hours of universal preschool per week at no cost to parents and a new department that will oversee that and other child development programs in the state.
Moreover, supporters say, HB22-1295 creates a single clearinghouse for family services offered by the state. It’s a centerpiece accomplishment for Colorado Democrats and Polis, a Democrat seeking re-election in November, and comes on the heels of the state establishing free, universal kindergarten in 2019. Both programs were campaign promises by Polis.
The new preschool program covers 10 hours per week per child the year before they begin kindergarten, with some families qualifying for additional hours. The program begins in fall 2023. Backers say it will save families an average of $4,300 a year.
“Not only are we saving families money, but we are also saving families time with this one-stop shop not only to access universal pre-K, but all of the early childhood programs that our state has to offer to ensure that our children are not just growing but thriving,” state Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver and a sponsor of the bill said at the signing ceremony.
Early childhood care is notoriously hard to find and afford in the state. In 2020, Colorado voters approved a measure by a two-to-one margin that increases taxes on nicotine products to, among other things, implement the preschool program. The new taxes will bring in an estimated $275 million in annual revenue once fully implemented in 2027.
The new department will enroll local coordinating organizations, which can be community nonprofits or government agencies, to handle on-the-ground efforts at enrolling children and coordinating with preschool providers. The law allows for a variety of groups who want to participate, including churches and home care.
The new department will absorb many functions currently administered by the state departments of education of human services. Proponents back it as a department where parents can reach out for any of the individual services and get looped into other programs they qualify for.
“Instead of having different forms and days of red tape and confusion, it’s going to make it simple for families,” Polis said, adding that there’s additional funding that might help some families get more than just 10 hours of free preschool a week. “We all get to go through the same front door. I think that makes a powerful statement about equity as well as convenience for families.”
The legislature passed the 562-page bill on bipartisan votes in both the House and Senate, though more Republicans voted against it than for it in each chamber. Opponents warned it creates a huge new bureaucracy that won’t have the money necessary to meet voters’ expectations.
Similarly, they worried it would actually end up fracturing government programs, many of which are currently administered at the county level, and make it harder for families to access the suite of services they qualify for.
State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican and a former Weld County Commissioner, was one sounding such alarms.
“The state won’t be able to deliver their promises at all,” Kirkmeyer said while it was being debated in the Senate. “That’s a huge concern.”
Advocates spent 47 years working to make universal early childhood education a reality, bill namesake, Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame member and early childhood education guru Anna Jo Haynes said.
Senate President Steve Fenberg said it was a long, and not always straight, road to get the bill before the governor. It had dozens of amendments as it worked its way through the legislature.
“Success for Colorado starts with support for the youngest in our state,” Fenberg said.
