UPK NEWS, events + resources
The UPK Provider Handbook is Your Friend!
TheĀ UPK Provider HandbookĀ is kept up to date by CDEC and can always be foundĀ HERE.Ā If you have a question, the provider handbook is a great place to start!
2024-25 upk school year information
Direct enrollment will continue through the rest of the UPK year. The pages below are from the updated UPK Provider Handbook HERE. Please scroll through or see the full handbook. If you unenroll a child, you will be able to look at children who are in selected status with you and call to see if they are interested. However, direct enrollment is ideally set up to make the enrollment process as seamless as possible when you have a family who comes in to tour with you and decides to register. If a family needs to complete an application, you can help them do that right in front of you! As always, if you need more seats open, please reach out to Noreen at nglt@mac.com. You cannot offer a seat that you donāt have in the UPK system.
2024-25 UPK PROVIDER PAYMENT SCHEDULE + RATES
š¢ Click HERE for Update to Providers on 2024-25 Final UPK Payments
The payment schedule for UPK providers is availableĀ HERE.Ā Ā Payment issuesĀ mustĀ be addressed to Metrix IQ as we cannot address those. Ā As soon as you know that you have a payment issue, please send an email toĀ coupkpayments@metrixiq.com. Ā If you have a routine question about payments or need to set up your account with Metrix, you canĀ open up a ticket HERE.
The rates for UPK for this year are as follows:
- Part-Day Rate:Ā Ā $4,806.51
- Half-Day Rate:Ā Ā $6,060.38
- Full-Day Rate:Ā Ā 10,762.40Ā
FAMILIES CAN STILL APPLY FOR THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR THROUGH MAY OF 2025
All families with eligible children (the year before kindergarten) may register atĀ upk.colorado.gov. Complete eligibility information is on theĀ UPK for Families page HERE.Ā All families must complete a new registration for the 2024-25 UPK year.Ā If you have ANY questions about registering, have trouble logging in, or need to make changes at any point, please contactĀ UPK@jointinitiatives.org.Ā Please be sure to complete ONLY ONE application per eligible child.Ā If the family registered as a 3-year-old, they may use the same login created for Year One and then will choose that they are registering for the 2024-25 year.
changes to 2024-25 applications
Families who need to make changes in their 2024-25 application must contactĀ UPK@jointinitiatives.orgĀ soĀ the application can be unlocked.Ā Any family who is having an issue with accepting or declining a match should reach out to UPK@jointinitiatives.org for assistance.
2025-26 UPK SCHOOL YEAR + Rate INFORMATION
2025-26 UPK REGISTRATION FOR PROVIDERS
- Provider Registration: UPK Registration for providers has started and is ongoing. If you are not currently a UPK provider but wish to become one, please reach out to Noreen (nglt@mac.com or at 719-338-7223) to get more information about the registration process.
- Seat Adjustments for 2025-26: If you need your seats adjusted for 2025-26, please reach out to Noreen at nglt@mac.com to have them submitted. Providers are no longer able to make seat adjustments for 2025-26 in their portal, but you can still add seats for the current year (2024-25) in your portal. All seat reductions for either year need to be submitted to Noreen.
- Additional Questions: Please email upk@jointinitiatives.org if you have additional questions or need support. Your JI UPK Team is happy to help! And remember that you can direct families to the state help desk at help.upk.colorado.gov by emailing universalpreschool@state.co.us or by calling 303-866-5223.
2025-26 UPK REGISTRATION FOR FAMILIES
2025-26 Family Registration is OPEN!
General Family Registration
- April 1 until the end of the 2025ā26 school year: Direct enrollment for non-IEP families directly through providers. Providers can adjust seats by adding seats on their own, or by connecting withĀ Noreen atĀ nglt@mac.comĀ to remove seats during this time.
IEP Registration
- December 2024 through the end of the 2025-26 school year: As families whose children have IEPs submit their applications starting in December, they are assigned to an AU. Starting in January 2025, the AU can place the student into a program using the Program ID through the AU Portal.
- March 2025 through the end of the 2025ā26 school year: Special Education Administrative Units (AUs) and school districts will request placement of students in accordance with their IEPs and CDEC will support direct upload of those identified placements. Providers will accept matches within 2 weeks of receiving a match; families will have until the start of the school year to accept matches.
Please see the UPK calendar linked above for more information about specific dates.
Minimum Number of Hours Required per program per year
When you are planning your calendar for the 2025-26 year, please use the guidance on Page 7 of the Provider Handbook as the minimum number of hours that you must offer per program.
UPK expenditure reporting
The quarterly expenditure reporting for August through November 2024 and December 2024 through February 2025 is due on March 30, 2025.Ā Quarter Three reporting (March through May 2025) is due on June 30, 2025. For more information, see the resources and upcoming office hours.
- Expenditure Memo
- Expenditure ReportingĀ FAQ
- Expenditure Reporting Guidance Slides
- Expenditure reportingĀ Template and Tools
CDEC OFFICE HOURS + RESOURCES
To accommodate simultaneous translation, provider office hours have been moved to Zoom. (Previous links were Google Meet.)
- 1st Tuesday of each month at 6pm on Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/j/83557451399
- 4th Monday of each month at 1pm on Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/j/88949693259
- CDEC Slides from February 2025 Provider Meeting HERE
- Office Hours from November 26, 2024, HERE.
- Still need additional assistance?
Please contact Noreen Landis-Tyson at nglt@mac.com or call 719-338-7223.
PROVIDER AGREEMENT UPDATES + Office hours
Some significant changes have been proposed in the Provider Agreement for the coming year. . It is critical that you read Appendix A of the agreement.Ā
- Roundtable Presentation on Provider Agreements
- CDEC Links + Resources
- Provider Agreement Office Hours FAQ
The state will be holding office hours on Thursdays from 2ā3 pm through July concerning the Provider Agreement.Ā (Office hours cancelled for April 24th.)
- Video call link:Ā meet.google.com/kgw-nxdy-pke
- Or dial: āŖ(US) +1 631-621-7555ā¬ PIN: āŖ408 153 336ā¬#
Roundtables for Early Childhood Providers
Next Roundtable: April 23 at 11 am or 6 pm.
- Join Meeting HERE,Ā Meeting ID: 418 525 8570, Passcode: UPK
- View April Roundtable Slide Presentation HERE.
- April Roundtable Recording HERE
Joint Initiatives offers RoundtablesĀ to keep early childhood providers informed about guidance from the Colorado Department of Education (CDEC), provide time for Q+A, and provide expert business consultation and training.Ā RoundtablesĀ for previous months are in theĀ ResourcesĀ section at the bottom of the page.Ā You can also access all Roundtable videos for centers, family child care, and school districts onĀ JI’s YouTube channel PLAYLIST.Ā Ā
ā¶ March Roundtable Recording HERE | March Roundtable Slides HERE
This section contains past UPK Newsletters and UPK Updates. Updates contain information shared by Noreen Landis-Tyson in direct emails, and we are posting it here. Additional past newsletters are in our Resources section below.
marketing
your program
Keep your profile up to date! Ā
JI’sĀ webinar/roundtableĀ to support providers in setting up their profiles to attract as many families as possible is now available.Ā If you need one-on-one assistance to address any points covered in the presentation, please contact Noreen at nglt@mac.com or 719-338-7223.
ā¶View Marketing Training Presentation Slides HERE
There is also a section in the Provider Handbook on Marketing your program that begins on page 49.Ā You can find the Provider Handbook HERE.
UPK FLYERS AVAILABLE:
JI has created flyers that can be used to hand out to parents.Ā You can download the flyer HERE (in English and Spanish) and print copies as needed.Ā If you would like copies delivered to your program for your use, please contact us at UPK@jointinitiatives.org and we will deliver them to you.Ā
RESOURCES +
SUPPORT
ā¶ Visit the CDEC UPK web page HERE.
For Families
- 2025-26 UPK Family Handbook
- 719.630.0927 (press 4 for UPK assistance in English; press 5 for Spanish)
- Heather Mayheu:Ā 719.684.4326
- Need additional support?Ā Contact the JI UPK staff atĀ UPK@jointinitiatives.org
For Providers
- 2025-26 UPK Provider Guide
- Program Setup Form Guide HERE
- 2024-2025 UPK Provider Agreement
- Need help determining what programs and seats you would like to offer? Contact the JI UPK staff atĀ UPK@jointinitiatives.orgĀ or Noreen atĀ nglt@mac.com.
- Need additional support?Ā Contact the JI UPK staff atĀ UPK@jointinitiatives.orgĀ or Noreen atĀ nglt@mac.com.
For Partners
- Universal Preschool 101 for Partners Presentation SlidesĀ
- Universal Preschool 101 for Partners Recording
ROUNDTABLES + NEWSLETTERS
All Roundtable videos for centers, family child care, and school districts are available for viewing on JI’s YouTube channel HERE.
Read past newsletters here:
upk quality standards
DRAFT QUALITY STANDARDS
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) has released theĀ Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado Quality Standards designed to ensure that preschool services are both high quality to prepare children for kindergarten and accessible throughout the state across various provider types and program settings, including school-based, community-based, and home-based settings. The proposed UPK Quality Standards reflect statutory requirements, incorporate findings from comprehensive reviews of 26 national and Colorado-specific standards, and include input and feedback from Families, Providers, School Districts, Early Childhood Councils, and Early Childhood Community Members.Ā
The Rules Advisory Committee is considering a change to the quality standards implementation timelines to slow things down and be more intentional. It is very likely that implementation of all quality standards will be delayed until July 1, 2026, meaning that all providers will continue to adhere to licensing standards for the 2025-26 school year. We will let you know once that rule has been considered and implemented.
- CompleteĀ Rule Folder
- Quality Standards Crosswalks (previously released in Spring 2023)