What is Universal Pre-K
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. ALL families of children who are in their year before they are eligible for kindergarten and 3-year-olds with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) can apply for UPK.
How do I get started?
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) has published a Family Handbook that explains the “ins and outs” of UPK. View the Family Handbook HERE!
Do I need to apply?
YES! Families complete ONE UPK application per child for the school year.
- Registration is NOW OPEN for children in their year before kindergarten in the 2026-27 year. IMPORTANT! When you click the apply here button below and arrive on the application page, the magenta button on the application page is for NEXT year! If you are registering for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year, be sure to apply using the link under the information for 2025-26.
- For help with the application process, see the Family Application Guide.
2025-26 School Year (August 2025 through May 2026): Registration will remain open through May 2026. Please see HOW TO REGISTER AND FAMILY MATCHING below for additional information.
TWO UPK CATEGORIES FOR CHILDREN REGISTERING:
For all categories, the UPK Family Handbook details how to register and the next steps. Please also refer to the sections below about Eligibility for UPK and Key Dates.
- New to UPK: Child who is not currently attending at a UPK provider but would like to attend during the current 2025-26 UPK year.
- Child with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). If your child does not have an IEP but you think your child might qualify for special services, please contact your home school district to arrange for an evaluation. View the contacts for school districts HERE. If you need to find your home school district, use this School Finder Search Tool.
Eligibility for UPK is determined based on the Kindergarten eligibility date of the child’s home district.
2026-27 School Year
Children must be 4 years old by October 1, 2026, to be eligible for UPK during the 2026-27 school year, with the following exceptions:
- Edison School District 54JT – Must be 4 years old by June 15, 2026
- Peyton School District – Must be 4 years old by July 1, 2026
All children are eligible for 15 hours per week free (August to May). If the family chooses to register at a UPK provider for more than 15 hours per week, the family is responsible for the cost of the additional hours at the provider’s published rates.
- Example: Your child is eligible for 15 hours per week and you choose to register your child in a full-day program at your UPK provider (30 to 40 hours per week). The first 15 hours per week will be paid to the provider by the state and will be free of charge to the family; the family will pay for the remaining hours each week that are not covered by UPK (between 15 and 25 hours).
Some children are eligible for 30 hours per week free (August to May). Additional hours are based on a combination of family income and additional eligibility factors. For more information, please consult the UPK Family Handbook under Eligibility: Who Is Eligible for Additional Hours?
2026-27 School Year
2025-26 School Year
Families may still register for the 2025-26 School Year (August 2025 to May 2026). Families should register at upk.colorado.gov per the instructions in the Family Handbook HERE. You may browse and choose providers as part of the application process.
- Follow the instructions HERE to upload your income documentation to the application.
- Next, submit a help desk ticket at help.upk.colorado.gov stating that you have uploaded your income documentation to your application and are requesting a review of your supplemental hours eligibility. This process can take four to six weeks once submitted. Until eligibility is reviewed, your family is eligible for 15 hours of UPK per week.
If your family has had a change in eligibility factors, follow these steps:
- Submit a help desk ticket to help.upk.colorado.gov, stating the change in whatever eligibility factor has changed – such as income, housing status (i.e., experiencing homelessness), IEP or incorrect primary language information – and ask to correct the information and re-determine eligibility.
- Attach any documentation that supports the requested change. This process can take four to six week once submitted. Until eligibility is reviewed, your family is eligible for 15 hours of UPK.
Children who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) can apply for UPK at any time at upk.colorado.gov by answering “yes” to the question in the application about the child having an IEP. Families of children with IEPs are not able to select a program or a site when submitting their application. The application goes directly to the school district or Pikes Peak BOCES to work with the family for placement.
All questions about UPK services for children with IEPs should be directed to the child’s home school district. To find your home school district, please use this School Finder Search Tool.
Families with children who will be three by October 1, 2025 (and not yet four by that date) who want to be served by their school district must go directly to their school district to register. These children will not be able to register through the UPK system (the exception is 3-year-old children with IEPs – see above). Availability of seats varies by school district. Any family who is unsure of their home school district may click HERE to determine their district.
Note: Some school districts have kindergarten eligibility dates that are different than October 1st. Eligibility for UPK is determined based on the kindergarten eligibility date of the child’s home school district. In El Paso County, the following school districts adhere to different eligibility dates:
- Edison School District 54JT – Must be 4 years old by June 15, 2026
- Peyton School District – Must be 4 years old by July 1, 2026
If you need to find an early childhood program for your child, please visit our Finding Quality Child Care page.
Visit our Resources page for a comprehensive Community Resource Directory!
Military families will find additional resources on our Military Families page which includes the information below.
Home Front Military Care Network >>
- HFMN helps service members, veterans and their families navigate support systems through web-based and call-in information and assistance to find the services that are the best fit, and follows alongside these individuals every step of the way. If you are looking for assistance, please call 719-577-7417 to speak with our navigation team.
The Peterson Air Force Base Airman & Family Readiness Center >>
Provides targeted Airman and Family support and services, contributing to the mission readiness, resilience and well-being of the Air Force community. View Brochure>>
Facebook @21FSS or @petersoncommunitysupport
The Fort Carson Military and Family Support Center
- As a gateway to the resources you need, the Military and Family Support Center provides information, support and services to help you balance the demands of military life. The Military and Family Support Center is one part of the overall Family Readiness System, which is the network of agencies, programs, services, partnerships and individuals that supports your personal and family life readiness, mobilization and deployment readiness, and mobility and economic readiness.
Child Care Aware >>
Visit the Child Care Aware website for further information or select your branch of service for more information on eligible programs and assistance.
Military OneSource >>
This website provides important details about military child care in one convenient location — to keep you informed on child care options, resources to help you find care, and fee assistance opportunities to help offset the cost of child care.
What if I need help?
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood offers a Family Handbook, which is a great place to start if you have questions. You can also visit the CDEC website HERE to view FAQs and learn more about UPK.
If you need more help, JI’s Family Resource Navigator can assist you by phone or email. This includes making changes to an application or help logging into your original application.
- UPK@jointinitiatives.org (When emailing for assistance, please include your full name and the name of your child as it appears on the application.)
- Heather Mayheu: 719.684.4326
upk quality standards
DRAFT QUALITY STANDARDS
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) has released the 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.