UPK for FAMILIES
Click the icon for a FAQ page for families and see the Family section for more info. If you still don't see what you need, please contact us! We're here to help!I
UPK for providers
Click the icon for an FAQ page for providers and see the Provider section for more info. If you have additional questions, please contact us or attend Office Hours.
UPK for School Districts
Click the icon for an FAQ page and see the School District section for more info. If you have additional questions, please contact us or attend Office Hours.
UPK NEWS + EVENTS
GRANT UPDATE
Provider capacity-building grants are live! Eligible providers were emailed the application from MetrixIQ.
- The grant is open until October 31
- For questions, contact: coecstimulus@metrixiq.com
Provider bonus attestation is live! Eligible providers were emailed the attestation from MetrixIQ.
- MetrixIQ will disburse funds twice this fall – October and November/December. The sooner providers sign the attestation, the sooner they will receive their $800 bonus!
- For questions, contact: coupkpayments@metrixiq.com
Infant/Toddler Bonus Grant:
- In Spring 2024, a one-time bonus (estimated at $800 – $1,600) will be awarded to Universal Preschool providers who have maintained or increased their licensed capacity to serve infants and toddlers between April 1, 2022, and April 1, 2024.
- Providers considering reallocating slots intended for four-year-olds to serve other age groups based on actual Universal Preschool enrollment levels, may be eligible to receive the one-time bonus if they convert these slots to maintain or expand their infant and toddler capacity.
UPK TOWN HALL
- Recording of September 6th Town Hall
- Slide Deck coming soon
DRAFT UNIVERSAL PRE-K COLORADO STANDARDS
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) has released 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 various provider types and program settings, including school-based, community-based, and home-based settings. Stakeholders may use the Stakeholder Input 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. See links below for details.
- Posted to CDEC Public Notice Information
- Draft Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado Quality Standards
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Stakeholder Input Form (open through at least September 22nd)
- Quality Standards Crosswalks (previously released in Spring 2023
MAP OF UPK PROVIDERS
Provider Guidance
ALL-IN Guidance for PRoviders
future matching rounds
Responsive enrollment rounds are now rolling every week to get children placed ASAP! We recognize many new families will be reaching out for back-to-school information; having access to the application in person with your direct enrollment guidance will ensure a match that week.
Each weekly round for the 2023-2024 school year starts on Monday and follows this cadence:
- Weekly Deferred Acceptance Algorithm (DAA) (a technology standard to matching solutions) run
- Matches are sent to providers
- Three-day provider review period
- Matches are sent to families
- Family review and acceptance period
enrollment guidance for walk-ins
- We understand that families may contact a provider directly (e.g., walk-in) that has not yet applied in the Universal Preschool Application Portal. In these cases, we ask the provider to work with the family to help them apply in the Application Portal the same day they contact the provider and complete the enrollment process simultaneously. The provider will email UPK@jointinitiatives.org when the application is complete, and JI will accept the match on behalf of the family on that day. Finally, the provider will complete the enrollment form for the child that same day in the Application Portal so we can ensure that the payment is correct based on the actual start date of the child.
- It is the provider’s responsibility to ensure there are enough seats available to serve walk-in students based on children in the matching queue in the Universal Preschool Application Portal. Providers must monitor declines and children in the queue before making a manual placement to ensure no children who apply through the Universal Preschool Application Portal are displaced due to manual entries.
important provider dates
- By no later than October 14, ALL of your children attending your program need to be in Enrolled status in BridgeCare in order for you to receive payment. For information on how to do this, download the guide HERE. You should begin moving the children who are in accepted status in your program to enrolled status once they have completed your paperwork. Click HERE for the Provider Guide on how to enroll children in the UPK system.
- Do I have to report my enrollment monthly to be paid? No. Metrix IQ is downloading your enrollment on the 15th of the month, and that will be the basis of your payment the following month on the 8th. Make sure that all of your attending children are in enrolled status!
- What do I do if a child drops from my program? You have two choices. You can send an email to UPK@jointinitiatives.org to withdraw/unenroll the child, or you can attempt to unenroll by clicking on the child’s name and changing their status to unenroll. If you need assistance, please email us.
- The CDEC will allow providers to increase seats throughout the year.
Payment Process for providers
CDEC prioritizes ensuring payments to providers are accurate and timely. Providers are encouraged to reach out to UPK@jointiniatives.org with specific questions and technical assistance needs.
- October Four-year-old Payment: Metrix IQ will pay providers based on four-year-olds who are in accepted or enrolled status for the October 8th payment, based on children’s status as of September 15th.
- Full-Day Funding: The state will determine eligibility for full-day funding monthly, as new applications are submitted, pending available funds.
Providers have received communication from MetrixIQ (see payment vendor information in Provider Section) regarding the provider payment process for UPK. To access an overview of the payment process and direction on who to contact, please click this link: Payment Quick Reference. For a detailed payment schedule, see the Provider Section below.
UPK Newsletters + FAQs
- UPK Newsletter | 9.11.23
- UPK Newsletter | 8.17.23
- UPK Newsletter | 8.8.23
- All Previous UPK Newsletters
- UPK Colorado FAQs
Curious about the meaning of the statuses in BridgeCare? Here are the definitions of the most commonly used statuses.
family applications
Universal Pre-K (UPK) allows families to choose the right setting for their child, whether in a licensed community-based, school-based, or home-based preschool setting. Families of children in the year before they are eligible for kindergarten and qualifying 3-year-olds are able to apply for UPK for the 2023-24 school year.
- If you have already submitted a UPK application for your child, please DO NOT submit a second one unless directed by JI. Each child can only have one application in the system.
- If you are having trouble logging into your original application to make changes, please contact JI at upk@jointinitiatives.org.
Here are links to more information:
upk guidebook coming soon!
Next month, the CDEC will share the compiled and finalized materials, based on provider feedback, and will publish them into a Universal Preschool Guidebook. This guidebook will be updated regularly with new information, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education. CDEC will also communicate with the relevant partners when updates are made.
UPK Capacity-building grants
The state is offering UPK Capacity-Building Grants! See the News + Updates section at the top of the page for details.
ADDITIONAL provider resources:
- Business Consultation + Support: Still trying to decide if you want to become a UPK provider? Need help in integrating UPK into your business? Just need one-on-one support? Contact Noreen Landis-Tyson at nglt@mac.com for free assistance in developing your program and support in maximizing revenue as a provider. Hours are flexible, and the consultation is free!
- Learn more about the true cost of child care and managing finances, including revenue, monthly costs, and profit-and-loss calculations HERE.
- Need a UPK flyer to share with families? Download or share a link to Universal Pre-K for Families Flyer (English) or Universal Pre-K for Families (Spanish)
upk for providers
Early childhood programs act as the bridge between preschool and kindergarten and are an essential resource for families preparing to navigate this transition. Below are suggestions to help your program implement practices to ensure families have the information they need and that children are ready for this big transition. The most important thing is that children who believe in their own abilities have been found to be more successful in school.
Providers must complete an enrollment verification form in BridgeCare for each child, which includes confirmation of the date of birth and Colorado residency, by October 14th. In response to providers, the form has been simplified for efficiency. Providers will only need to complete this once per child. This will ensure accurate payment and can be adjusted on a monthly basis based on changes to enrollment.
- This Universal Preschool Provider Guide contains additional details on the process: UPK Provider Guide: How to Enroll a Child 7.24.23.
Providers will receive payment for all children in accepted and enrolled status for the months of August, September, and October, even if the Enrollment Verification Form has not yet been completed. You have until October 15 to complete the Enrollment Verification Form for each child attending your program. Through October 15, payment will be made based on acceptance. After October 15, payment will be made on enrollment. CDEC will give additional time to complete the verification as needed. Please email cdec_upkcolorado@state.co.us if you need additional time to complete the Enrollment Verification Form for your student(s).
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See hours graphic under Family Section.
Metrix IQ is the payment vendor for UPK. All providers should have received an email from Metrix IQ asking you to complete a “survey” that is the basis for your payments. Click HERE for a sample email sent to private providers along with the payment dates. If you have any questions about payments, please contact Metrix IQ at coupkpayments@metrixiq.com.
Providers have received communication from MetrixIQ regarding the provider payment process for UPK. To access an overview of the payment process and direction on who to contact, please click this link: Payment Quick Reference.
Providers may reach out to UPK@jointinitiatives.org for specific questions and technical assistance.
On August 1, providers will receive their initial start-up payment based on their accepted matches and enrollment as of July 9. Providers will receive their first two payments based on matches made in BridgeCare before October 15. After that, monthly payments for the remainder of the school year will be based on the number of students who are enrolled and verified, as explained in the payment reference guide (linked above). Please see the payment schedule below.
Payment Date | Includes Enrollments As Of
August 1 | July 9th
September 8 | August 15 and late enrollments from July 10-August 15 (full-month rate)*
October 6 | September 15 and late enrollments from August 16-25 (half-month rate)*
November 8 | October 15 and late enrollments from September 16-25 (half-month rate)*
December 8 | November 15 and late enrollments from September 16-25 (half-month rate)*
January 8 | December 15
February 8 | January 15
March 8 | February 15
April 8 | March 15
May 8 | April 15
*Payments are structured to retroactively pay for students who did not enroll before the previous month’s data was reported. Providers who are published for UPK between July 10 and August 15 will be eligible for a full monthly August payment on the delayed schedule if children are in an accepted or enrolled status.
If you have questions about provider payments, please contact coupkpayments@metrixiq.com.
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New! Visit the new CCCAP web page! This page has been updated to include new information and links to the recently developed CCCAP/Universal Preschool resources.
Are you a CCCAP (Colorado Child Care Assistance Program) provider and have questions about how CCCAP integrates with UPK?
Click HERE to see the slides from a recent training for LCOs presented by the state CCCAP office. The transcript of that meeting can be found HERE.
After discussion with providers, we have decided to suspend Friday office hours and instead make individual technical assistance appointments available. Please reach out to upk@jointinitiatives.org for assistance with scheduling an appointment.
We are also planning some in-person town hall meetings for both families and providers.
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upk for school districts
Early childhood programs at school district locations across our community act as the bridge between preschool and kindergarten and are an essential resource for families preparing to navigate this transition. The information below details the placement of children with and without an IEP, the placement of 3-year-olds, district/AU reports and guidance, FAQs related to special education, and additional resources.
- School districts received the attestation on Monday, September 18th.
- The attestation will be open from September 18 – October 10.
- School districts can expect their historical allowance payment in November.
- This is separate from payments for three-year-olds with IEPs
Districts can make changes within a district by following these steps:
For students WITHOUT an IEP: Connect with Joint Initiatives HERE to align a child without an Individualized Education Program to the new program.
For students WITH an IEP: AUs should request a placement as soon as known with CDEC securely through this IEP Placement Request Form. All requests will be honored and responded to within two business days. However, the AU requesting the placement can begin serving the student immediately, even if the request has not been responded to by CDEC. This form also can be utilized for any other requested modifications such as adding students, or correcting or updating students’ information, except for personally identifiable information, which is protected. To do this, AUs should utilize the “other” field in the form.
If your AU has not already reviewed all selections of families on your list of students with IEPs in your geographic area, please start by reviewing the program selected by the family and making any requested changes using the process described above. The UPK placement for each child with an IEP should be reviewed and verified by the AU. The AU may request a different placement that aligns with the IEP and where the IEP can be implemented. Administrative units are the final decision makers on the location of where a student with an IEP should be placed to ensure consistency with the IEP team’s decision.
We know that the placement information from AU to CDEC will be ongoing, therefore the AU reports described below include the Child ID to allow you to communicate and request a placement with CDEC securely through the AU Reassignment Request form. All requests made through the AU Reassignment Request form will be responded to within two business days.
For children that are found eligible for an IEP and have not yet applied in the UPK system, the AU should support the family by applying in BridgeCare and selecting the provider where the child may receive their IEP services. Once the child’s application is in BridgeCare, the child will then be viewable on the “Children with IEP” report. Should further placement changes be needed, the AU can use the Child ID to communicate and request a placement with CDEC securely through the AU Reassignment Request form.
Need information on the placement process for three-year-olds? Click HERE to see the presentation developed by CDEC.
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In our (CDEC) work with stakeholders around Universal Preschool implementation, there was a request for access to lists of (1) more information about students whose parents identified as having an IEP who reside in the geographic boundaries of an administrative unit and (2) students that requested a district in the matching process but did not end up enrolled in the district. CDEC has collaborated with BridgeCare to create reports responsive to both these requests.
- For Administrative Units: A report was requested by Administrative Units (AU) that provides names of all children residing within school district and AU boundaries who have attested to an IEP regardless of a family’s location choice (including non-school district providers), along with their placement and status. This report is already available in BridgeCare to the AU Directors of Record and is designed to give real-time updates to AUs on the status of the placement process with CDEC and to support school district collaboration for program decisions. (See information above about direct placements of students with IEPs for further guidance on using this report. The assigned contact for each Administrative Unit will receive a separate communication on Friday, July 28 from CDEC with instructions on how to access this report from BridgeCare.
- For School Districts: School districts have requested a report that lists the name of children whose parents chose the district as their first choice. This information is intended to help streamline the placement process. For ease of access, that report will be delivered to each School District UPK enrollment contact via email notification with access to a secure Google link by Friday, July 28 for immediate access that can be downloaded without needing to log in to BridgeCare. The one-time report includes matching data from February 27 through July 27. School districts may request updated reports with information after July 27 from their LCO. Districts will also receive the School District Report User Guide on how to effectively navigate the report. The school district report and user guide will be shared in the AU folder view noted above. Details on the report will be included in the email notification.
CDEC and CDE issued a joint Q&A about UPK and Special Education on Friday, March 3rd. Click HERE to view the Q&A and click HERE to submit questions so that we may follow up with you.
- UPK and Special Education FAQs (January 2023)
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After discussion with providers, we have decided to suspend Friday office hours and instead make individual technical assistance appointments available. Please reach out to upk@jointinitiatives.org for assistance with scheduling an appointment.
We are also planning some in person town hall meetings for both families and providers.
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General Info + Resources
UPK Newsletters
Curious about the meaning of the statuses in BridgeCare? Here are the definitions of the most commonly used statuses.
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Planning, Info + Input Process
Interested in how the Community Plan was developed? The process included planning sessions, input/info sessions, and a special Town Hall. We are grateful to our early childhood community for investing their time and efforts! To revisit any of the notes, feedback, or recordings, download the Community Planning Summary.