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Resources

UPK Quality Standards Rules
Colorado Shines UPK Resource Bank
Learning Approach: 4 Essential Criteria
Criteria Checklist for Family & Community Engagement Policies and Procedures English & Spanis h
Checklist for Healthy Development Policies and Procedures English & Spanish
Checklist for Instructional Practice Policies and Procedures English & Spanish
RMECC Professional Development Calendar
Child Find
CDEC Licensing Rules:

General Rules for Childcare Centers: (2.216 Early Childhood Teacher Reqs)

CDEC Quality Standards FAQs

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Our North Star

Doing what is best for children and families.

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Resource Bank Overview

3 Quality Standards:

Family & Community Engagement
Healthy Development
Instructional Practice

Also in the Resource Bank:

Robust resources for each standard
Policy language
Checklists for each standard to help meeting each standard easier
FAQs

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General Requirements

UPK Rules - 4.110

Minimum 360 instructional hours/year

Ratios: 1:11 (July 1, 2026), 1:10 (July 1, 2027)

Equity in enrollment & access

Lead teacher qualifications required

Compliance with IDEA/ECEA for IEPs

Min 360 hrs:

Every provider must schedule at least 360 hours of planned instruction per school year for each child.
This ensures children receive enough exposure to structured learning environments before kindergarten.
If a child enrolls mid-year (for example, in January), the hours adjust you don’t have to make up the full 360 hours
This is not “seat time” only; it includes teacher-planned, intentional learning activities.

Ratios:

July 1, 2026: Max ratio = 1 adult : 11 children (group size 22).
July 1, 2027: Max ratio = 1 adult : 10 children (group size 20).
Smaller ratios = more individual attention, better support for children’s emotional, social, and academic needs.

Exceptions:

Providers with a Colorado Shines 4 or 5 rating may have more flexibility, up to licensing max.
Waivers may also apply, but generally the state is moving toward smaller groups.

Equity in Enrollment & Access:

UPK is for all children. Providers cannot discriminate or create barriers.
Race & ethnicity
Income or housing status (homeless/unhoused families must still have access)
Disability (children with IEPs must be served appropriately)
Gender identity & family structure
Religion
UPK is funded with public dollars and designed as universal access — no family should feel excluded.

How do you ensure every family feels welcome in your setting?

Lead Teacher Qualifications:

For centers: Must meet Early Childhood Teacher qualifications per licensing (training, experience, or degree pathway).
For family child care homes: The primary provider serves as the lead teacher.

Compliance with IDEA/ECEA (Children with IEPs:

Children with IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) must receive services in appropriate preschool settings. All IEP children UPK funding will go to the school district if there's an active IEP.
Providers must work in collaboration with local school districts or Administrative Units for special education.

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Family & Community Engagement

Communicate in families home languages
Gather input on priorities, routines, and culture
Collaborate on child goals & transitions
Engage families & community partners in decision-making
Annual family experience survey

UPK Rules for Family & Community Engagement - 4.113

Building strong partnerships with families is a cornerstone of Early Care & Education. It is important to know your families in order to provide services that support their child and value what families do as their child’s first teacher.

You will see the common thread of setting policies with each standard. We always follow the documentation rule… If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen.

You will be required to set up policies and procedures for the 5 bulleted items above and each policy must ensure that families contribute in these processes.

Review the list…

You will need to develop a policy around interpretation

What do you do now?
Challenges/barriers?

Do you gather input on how your program runs regarding priorities, routines and culture?

What do you do now?
Challenges/barriers

How are families engaged in setting goals for their child
How does your program plan for and help maneuver transitions?

Within the program
Transition to kinder

How do you currently partner with your school district?

When making decisions, how do you engage families/community partners in that process?
Do you currently have a family experience survey?

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�UPK Quality Standards �Part 2�Date: 10-08-25

Registration Link:

h ttps://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HAy-ylaHQu2urViZ9fqUPg

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Agenda

Healthy Development

Child Find Presentation - Sarah Brotherson, MVDS
Requirements & Deadlines
Policies
Rules & Regs - 4.112�

Instructional Practice

Requirements & Deadlines
Policies
Rules & Regs -4.111

July 1, 2026, Implement curriculum and assessment that aligns with the 4 Essential Criteria

Professional Development Requirements - 4.114

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Healthy Development

Screenings: vision, hearing, health, social-emotional, developmental

Provide referrals & translation services

Policies published within 6 months of participation

Annual family surveys on services

�

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Instructional Practice��

Approved early learning/assessment approach (by July 1, 2026)

Align with CO Early Learning & Development Guidelines

Inclusive & culturally appropriate practices

On-site observations at least every 3 years�

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Professional Development Requirements

Professional Development Requirements - UPK Rules 4.114

Beginning July 1, 2026, all staff responsible for direct care of eligible children receiving preschool services, must annually complete the following:

4 hours of Social-Emotional training including 1 hour of training in Trauma Informed practices.
2 hours of training in Teaching Practices
2 hours of Family & Community Partnerships training including 1 hour of training in Suspension & Expulsion practices.