Universal Preschool Colorado (UPK)

Arapahoe County Early Childhood Council (ACECC) is thrilled to be Arapahoe County’s Local Coordinating Organization (LCO) for Universal Preschool Colorado (also known as UPK). This page is a collection of information from the State of Colorado Department of Early Education and Arapahoe County Department of Human Services. We will continually update this information as opportunities to collaborate and learn are announced.

ACECC is a non-government, non-profit, collaborative that is dedicated to promoting high quality programs and services which support a safe, smart, and healthy start for young children and their families in Arapahoe County. We partner with federal, state, and local organizations to share resources and bridge the gap to improve early education in Arapahoe County.

We are determined to ensure that UPK is of benefit for all families. That means we will do everything that we can to make sure that everyone involved in Universal Preschool, including families, early care and education providers, community partners, government, and local organizations, have a voice in how UPK is implemented with support from our partners.

We are here to help!

Please contact us with any questions or to schedule a one-on-one meeting.
Email: upkhelp@acecc.org
Phone: (720) 845-0918

Tentative Enrollment process for the 2024-2025 school year

Pre-Registration (estimated February - March)
With an eye towards continuity-of-care, a pre-registration process would be available for families with children currently enrolled, children with siblings currently enrolled, or with a family member currently employed by a participating provider. CDEC and Local Coordinating Organizations (LCOs) would provide additional support to providers between pre-registration and the start of the school year to ensure that all families have access to and can complete the application in a timely manner.

Family Matching (estimated April - June)
For families looking for a new preschool provider, the Family Matching process would offer families a simplified opportunity to be matched with a ‘just-right fit,’ based on their top choices from a wide variety of high-quality, licensed school-based, community-based, and home-based providers participating in Colorado Universal Preschool. Families will find a one-stop-shop to browse providers, select top choices, review eligibility for the program, and submit an application for funding via upk.colorado.gov.

Walk-In Direct Enrollment (estimated Summer)
Closer to the start of the school year, families who have yet to enroll would work directly with a provider of choice to enroll as space allows. Similar to the pre-registration process, families would be able to submit an application and directly enroll with the provider. CDEC would continue to work with providers to find ways to ensure families complete the universal preschool application during this phase so that providers secure funding for these families.

Students with an IEP (Year Round)
Throughout the enrollment process and school year, children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) would be supported through direct application, registration, and enrollment through their Administrative Unit (AU).

Universal Preschool Colorado is not a first-come, first-served program. Applications are currently being accepted. You can begin your application at any time and return to it as many times as you like before submitting.

Qualifying 3-year-olds - Families of 3-year-old students who are low income or who have a one qualifying factor, wishing to send their child to a program run by a school district, will not be able to select a specific school location and should select the school district where they reside. School districts will match 3-year-olds in a separate process.

Eligibility - Some participating school districts around Colorado have local Board of Education adopted policies allowing for alternative dates for kindergarten eligibility. If you live in one of those districts and your child is showing as ineligible in the State application portal, please reach out to your LCO(opens in new window) to ensure you are placed for matching in that school district.

Read more on our Universal Preschool Family Information page.