Department of Early Childhood
Transition Planning and Universal Preschool Recommendations
An Announcement from the Early Childhood Leadership Commission
Thank you to the nearly 600 stakeholders who expressed interest in being involved in the planning of Colorado’s new Department of Early Childhood and the implementation of universal preschool! We are happy that so many of you could join the kick-off webinar hosted by the Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC), Governor’s Office, Colorado Department of Education, and Colorado Department of Human Services last week. In case you missed it, WATCH the recording. Here are a few additional updates:
After an extensive review process, the ECLC is pleased to share the individuals who have been named to the Transition Advisory Group (TAG).
Learn more HERE.Click to view the members named to the Special Education Subgroup.
Learn more HERE.All groups, including the Transition Advisory Group, will begin meeting in July. View the transition meetings calendar for more informatoin.
Read all of the updates, including information on how to stay involved in the many engagement opportunities, in the July Newsletter.
We are so grateful to all of you for your investment in the success of this process and look forward to working alongside you to chart the best path forward for Colorado’s young children and their families.
Thank you to everyone who joined the webinar to kick-off the New Department of Early Childhood Transition Planning Process!
View the recording here!
The presentation shared during the session can be found here!
We are excited to begin this exciting work with all of you and will soon be announcing the members for the Transition Advisory Group and the Special Education Subgroup, as well as numerous opportunities for engagement throughout the Summer and Fall. Stay tuned - sign up for updates here!
Join a Webinar on the New Department of Early Childhood Transition Planning Process
Thank you to everyone who submitted an interest form regarding your involvement in the planning of a new Department of Early Childhood and the implementation of universal preschool. We are thrilled to share that we received almost 600 interest forms from stakeholders throughout the state!
The Early Childhood Leadership Commission is now reviewing submissions and will soon release a list of stakeholders who have been selected to serve on a Transition Advisory Group and the Special Education Subgroup, as well as provide information on additional subgroups and all of the opportunities to continue to engage throughout the summer and fall.
Until then, we are excited to host an informational webinar with the Governor's Office, the Colorado Department of Education, and the Colorado Department of Human Services to explore upcoming opportunities for engagement. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 2:00pm MST!
Please continue to visit www.earlychildhoodcolorado.org/transition for updated information on the transition planning process and recommendations for universal preschool. We look forward to these next steps and to working alongside you to chart the best path forward for Colorado children and families.
Building on its longstanding commitment to serving children and families, Colorado is creating a new unified state Department of Early Childhood, effective July 1, 2022.
The Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC) is tasked with approving a plan to transition to the new agency, as well as to guide the state’s new universal preschool program. As part of this transition process, the ECLC will engage a wide range of stakeholders—including parents/families, members of the early childhood workforce, providers, school districts, human services leaders, and others—to ensure recommendations are representative of the unique and diverse voices across Colorado. You can learn more about these efforts here (Spanish version here).
You’re invited to participate in this important process by completing an online interest form in English or Spanish to share the perspective you would like to bring to the Transition Advisory Group or one of its Subgroups no later than June 21, 2021
[FORMS HAVE NOW CLOSED. Sign up to receive information on upcoming stakeholder engagement opportunities HERE.]
All meetings are open to the public. Additional information, as well as future engagement opportunities, will be posted to the ECLC website: www.earlychildhoodcolorado.org/transition.
With a unified agency comes exciting new opportunities, and we look forward to working together to shape a future that best serves all of Colorado’s children and families.
For more information, contact ECLC Director Kristina Heyl at kristina.heyl@state.co.us.
To sign up for regular updates on the Department of Early Childhood Transition Planning and Universal Preschool Recommendations process, click HERE.