Policy Priorities

Together, Colorado’s 35 Early Childhood Councils form a statewide network with deep knowledge of local perspectives. Leaders can rely on the expertise of Councils to ensure policies focus on helping young children enter school ready to learn and achieve their full potential. Annually, ECCLA and Councils develop policy priorities to ensure there is a collective voice on behalf of all Colorado’s young children and their families.

ECCLA’s Policy Priorities for 2023

In 2023…

• ECCLA will advocate and promote that local infrastructure must be supported and sustainably resourced to deliver on the strategies outlined in the Colorado Early Childhood Framework and HB 22-1295 that highlight a vision of coordinated and comprehensive local early childhood services and systems.

• ECCLA will advocate for resources dedicated in SB 22-213 to be delivered, as intended, through 2026 to ensure local early childhood systems, programs, and providers have access to those resources that are time intensive in their delivery.

• ECCLA will advocate that Quality Improvement Funding should be, at minimum, maintained, and preferably increased, as these critical dollars flow to local programs and providers to support their work in becoming high quality, something that is specifically called out as a part of UPK Implementation and represents the only funding available to programs and providers serving infants and toddlers.

• ECCLA will advocate that Early Childhood Councils and local Child Care Resource and Referral services have a critical and unique role to play in coordinating and ensuring local infrastructure exists and seek role clarity with newly created Local Coordinating Organizations.

• ECCLA will promote and support the reauthorization of the Colorado Child Care Tax Credit, which provides a valuable mechanism for Coloradans to support local early childhood organizations.

• ECCLA will promote and advocate for a variety of workforce strategies that support recruitment, retention, quality, and competency, including ongoing support for universal access to scholarship programs with a focus on T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship, apprenticeships, Child Development Associate Credential (CDA), and other opportunities for Higher Education, and assessing, understanding, and applying standards that result in a qualified workforce.

• ECCLA will support policy that ensure all Colorado Children have access to universal, preventative, and developmental screening, referral, and follow-up, and promotes access to intervention services when needed.

• ECCLA will support policy that strengthens and increases local access to increased family strengthening services including home visiting, Family Resource Centers, WIC, SNAP, CCCAP, CACFP, child maltreatment prevention, Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and other evidence-based services local communities and state partners identify.

ECCLA encourages policymakers and community members to join conversations with their local Council. Many Councils host legislative forums or policy discussions, and all Councils are a resource regarding local challenges and solutions for early childhood issues.

Click here to read ECCLA’s full policy agenda.

Find your local Council and connect to engage in policy solutions together.