Prior to Preschool: Family and Provider Voices on How Universal Preschool is Impacting Child Care for Infants and Toddlers
Introduction
In recent years, Colorado has made big changes to its early childhood programs. In 2023, the state started the Colorado Universal Preschool Program (Universal Preschool), which offers up to 15 hours of free preschool each week for every child the year before kindergarten, as well as for some three-year-olds. Because it’s so large, Universal Preschool represents a major change in how families can get child care and early learning for their young kids.
Even though this is a big step in making early learning more accessible, the state hasn’t made similar investments to support families with infants and toddlers. Before kids reach preschool age, many families find it hard to afford or find good child care.
To see how Universal Preschool is affecting child care for younger children, Early Milestones talked to child care providers and families across the state. They explained how the program has changed access to care for infants and toddlers, what they’ve done to keep or expand care for younger kids, and what kinds of policies are needed to improve care for infants and toddlers in the future.
The Families and Providers We Interviewed
Between May and July 2025, Early Milestones interviewed ten child care providers and ten families to learn about their experiences with Universal Preschool and care for infants and toddlers. This included three Family Child Care Homes, three school-based centers, and four community-based centers from diverse regions of Colorado. Six of the providers accepted the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), and all were serving preschool-age children through Universal Preschool.
The ten families we interviewed lived in a mix of rural areas, Denver, and the suburbs. Their household incomes ranged from $34,000 to $250,000, with most earning under $100,000 a year. The families came from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, including Black or African American, white, Latina, and Asian American. The interviews revealed several important lessons.
What Did Providers Say?
- Most providers didn’t cut infant and toddler slots, and some even added more. Since Universal Preschool started, most providers either kept their infant and toddler care slots the same or added more. Only two providers reduced the number of slots, and just one of them did this because of Universal Preschool.
“I had four 18-month-olds and found out that doing UPK and having those that young was so challenging.” -Family Child Care Home Provider - Financial help was key to expanding infant and toddler care. Most providers used incentive or stimulus funding to either keep or add more infant and toddler care slots. About one-third said that these funds allowed them to open new rooms for infants and toddlers and cover costs like supplies, space, and staff training.
“That’s one of the big reasons we were able to quadruple in size. We had three classrooms and went to twelve. That was a game changer.” -Community-Based Child Care Center Provider - Providers want to offer more infant and toddler care but face staffing and money challenges. Many providers said they have space available but don’t have enough money for renovations, equipment, or staff. Hiring and keeping qualified infant and toddler teachers is a big challenge. A statewide study also found that one-third of family child care homes and community-based centers have space that isn’t being used enough.
“Even though I have open classrooms for infants and toddlers, we wouldn’t convert them. Because of the overhead and the staffing combined, I need those preschoolers in there to kind of make it balanced and so that we don’t go completely under.” -Community-Based Child Care Center Provider - Family Child Care Home (FCCH) providers felt they weren’t being fully used or promoted through Universal Preschool. Home-based providers felt they weren’t being promoted to families as much as center-based programs.
“I feel like we need to educate the public about what a home child care provider does and how we’re educating the children just a much.” -Family Child Care Home Provider
What Did Families Say?
Families also told us important things:
- Families still struggle to find and afford infant and toddler care. While families liked that Universal Preschool made preschool more affordable, they said it didn’t solve the ongoing problems of finding and paying for infant and toddler care, which is still more expensive than preschool.
| “Paying $2,000 a month [for child care] is a second mortgage. We’re not low income enough to receive support, so we feel stuck in the middle.” -Infant Parent | “There’s no guidebook to help me figure out how to do this, what I should be looking for. I don’t know how people do this.” -Infant & Toddler Parent |
2. Families knew little about child care resources and didn’t fully understand Universal Preschool. Many families didn’t know about resources like Colorado Shines and were confused about things like Universal Preschool eligibility, available options, and how extra hours beyond the base allotment are decided.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Based on feedback from providers and families, Early Milestones suggests the following:
- Make it easier for families to find information. Families need clear and simple guidance to help them understand their child care options and eligibility.
- Increase financial support for providers. Temporary state and federal relief funds helped keep and grow infant and toddler care. We must replace these with long-term public and private investments.
- Support the infant and toddler workforce. Providers often have space to grow but struggle with staffing shortages and financial challenges. Strengthening pathways for workers in this field is essential.
- Support and promote Family Child Care Homes. FCCHs are an important but underused resource. They should be more visible in Universal Preschool and child care referral systems.
Conclusion
Universal Preschool is a big step forward for Colorado families, but access to infant and toddler care is still a major challenge. Providers want to offer more care, and families need affordable options. However, without continued investment and stronger support systems, care for the youngest children will stay limited. Colorado now has proof that targeted incentives can be effective, and with federal relief funds ending, it’s up to state leaders and private organizations to keep progress going and tackle the ongoing problems in the infant and toddler care system.
keyTakeaways
Universal Preschool expanded preschool access but did not solve all infant and toddler care challenges.
Targeted financial incentives helped providers maintain or expand infant and toddler slots, but staffing and funding barriers remain.
Family Child Care Homes are an underused but vital resource that need greater visibility and support.
References
Colorado Department of Early Childhood. n.d. Universal Preschool Colorado. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from https://cdec.colorado.gov/universal-preschool-colorado
Colorado Department of Early Childhood. n.d. Emerging and Expanding Grants. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from https://cdec.colorado.gov/emerging-and-expanding-grants
Colorado General Assembly. 2023. Senate Bill 23-269: Colorado Universal Preschool Program Provider Participation Bonus Program. Approved June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-269
Colorado Department of Early Childhood. 2024. Colorado Child Care Facility Needs Assessment. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/Colorado-Child-Care-Facility-NeedsAssessment_Final-Report-Nov-2024.pdf
Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance. n.d. The Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant. Retrieved 11/19/25, from https://www.ecclacolorado.org/fcchgrant/.
Colorado Department of Local Affairs. n.d. HB1237 Program Information. Retrieved 11/19/25, from https://cdola.colorado.gov/program-information.
