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Colorado Department of Early Childhood

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Colorado Department of Early Childhood

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Government Organization, 710 S. Ash Street, Denver, CO.

CDEC ensures the delivery of a thorough, community-informed, data-driven, high-quality and equitable early childhood system that supports the care, education and well-being of all CO’s young children, their families and early childhood professionals.

09/28/2026

Colorado WIC's updated income guidelines keep up with the cost of living. Now, a family of four with a gross annual household income of up to $61,050 may qualify for free healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and healthcare referrals.

Who can get WIC?

• Pregnant individuals, new parents, babies, and kids under 5.
• Caregivers, including fathers, grandparents, and foster parents, can apply for the children in their care.
• Families currently receiving Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR are automatically income-eligible!

Help us spread the word by sharing this post! Connect with WIC today:
Visit https://ow.ly/Cx2Z50ZL0F5

Call Hunger Free Colorado’s Hotline at 1-855-855-4626

09/27/2026

Congratulations to the Colorado Digital Service team in the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) on receiving the Tom Clements Operations Director Award!

The team was recognized for its work on Colorado Universal Preschool enrollment, helping connect families across the state with preschool opportunities.

Thank you for your partnership, dedication, and commitment to helping families access high-quality early learning opportunities. Expanding access to high-quality early learning gives children a strong foundation for learning and development and supports families across Colorado. We’re grateful for the work you do to help Colorado’s children and families thrive!

09/26/2026

CDEC Executive Director Dr. Lisa Roy joined early childhood policy expert and author Dan Wuori in Glenwood Springs for a conversation about his book, The Daycare Myth, and the future of early childhood.

Dr. Roy guided the conversation, asking Dan about his experiences working across early childhood policy and practice, when learning begins, the challenges facing the child care system and what families, educators and policymakers can do to support young children.

Dan brings experience as a former kindergarten teacher, school district administrator and early childhood policy leader, giving him a perspective that connects policy decisions with the experiences of children, families and providers.

Thank you to Dan and everyone who joined the conversation in Glenwood Springs!

09/25/2026

CDEC Executive Director Dr. Lisa Roy recently joined community partners to celebrate the 53rd Birthday Bash of the Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus!

The annual celebration brought supporters together for an evening of creativity, food, music and fun, all while raising funds to support the Museum’s programming, exhibits, operations and efforts to expand access.

For more than five decades, the Children’s Museum has created opportunities for Colorado children and families to learn, play, explore and experience the joy of childhood.

Happy 53rd birthday, and thank you for all you do for Colorado’s children and families!

09/24/2026

Your voice matters in the future of child care licensing in Colorado!

SB26-020 created the Child Care Licensing Task Force to study and develop recommendations to streamline the child care licensing system.

This fall, the task force will meet to hear from child care providers and other interest-holders and consider both technical requirements and real-world experiences with licensing.

All meetings are open to the public, with public comment opportunities during Meetings #2 and #5.

Upcoming meetings:
Sept. 24 | 1 – 5 pm
Sept. 29 | 10 am – noon | Public Comment
Oct. 19 | 10:30 am – 2 pm
Nov. 10 | 10:30 am – 2 pm
Nov. 17 | 10 am – 2 pm | Public Comment
Dec. 15 | 10:30 am – 2 pm

Learn more, find meeting information and stay up to date: https://ow.ly/7FsC50ZQCH6

09/23/2026

Dolly Day is coming to Denver!

Join us for a free, family-friendly celebration of the life and legacy of Dolly Parton at Governors Park.

Enjoy an afternoon filled with live music, story time, food trucks and plenty of Dolly-inspired fun for the whole family.

Friday, Sept. 25
3–7 p.m.
Governors Park | 701 Pennsylvania St., Denver

Hosted by Imagination Library of Colorado, the Office of Governor Polis and CDEC.
Bring the family and help us celebrate Dolly’s lasting impact on music, storytelling and generations of young readers.

Read more about Dolly Day: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/CODEC/bulletins/42bf3dc

09/22/2026

Early Childhood Champion Spotlight: Gretchen Fair

This Baby Safety Month, we’re recognizing Gretchen Fair, prevention education director at Blue Sky Bridge, for helping children learn about body safety, boundaries and how to identify trusted adults they can turn to for help.

Through age-appropriate prevention education, Gretchen works with children, schools and families across Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley to make body safety conversations easier to understand and talk about.

🔗 Read Gretchen’s full Early Childhood Champion spotlight: https://ow.ly/Ly2V50ZPLYH

09/21/2026

CDEC Executive Director Dr. Lisa Roy recently joined fellow Education Commission of the States Steering Committee members in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a strategic planning meeting.

As a member of the Steering Committee, Dr. Roy helps guide ECS’ work and brings Colorado’s perspective to conversations about education priorities and opportunities across states. The Steering Committee provides broad oversight and serves as ECS’ primary policy-setting body.

The meeting brought members together to share insights, discuss priorities and help shape the organization’s work moving forward.

Thank you to ECS for hosting and to fellow Steering Committee members for the thoughtful conversations and collaboration!

09/20/2026

🚀The QRIS Provisional Level 3 beta is LIVE! 🚀

Today, September 20, marks the launch of the QRIS Provisional Level 3 beta as Colorado continues its 19-month transition to a refreshed Quality Improvement System (QIS).

Early childhood programs can choose to participate in the interim process or remain at their current rating. CDEC will provide resources and support throughout the transition to help programs understand the process and prepare for the refreshed QIS.

Learn more about the Provisional Level 3 beta and find support resources ➡️
https://ow.ly/qGNL50ZPkXi

09/19/2026

It’s been a busy week for CDEC Executive Director Dr. Lisa Roy, connecting with leaders and partners and bringing Colorado’s early childhood perspective to conversations happening here at home and across the country.

Recently, Dr. Roy:

Boosting Parent Literacy: An Imperative for Early School Success | Sept. 15
Dr. Roy served as moderator for this national conversation focused on the connection between adult literacy, family literacy and children’s early school success. The discussion brought together leaders from the Literacy Center of West Michigan, Mesa Public Schools, Penn State University, Los Angeles County Library and the National Center for Families Learning.

The Hunt Institute Opening Dinner and Governor’s Panel | Sept. 16
Dr. Roy joined early childhood leaders from across the country for The Hunt Institute’s Opening Dinner and Governor’s Panel, connecting with state leaders and partners about the opportunities and challenges shaping early childhood systems across the country.

Advocacy Learning Community: State Governance Structures, Opportunities and Challenges Across the Country | Sept. 17
Dr. Roy participated in this conversation about how states are structuring early childhood governance, the opportunities those structures create, and the challenges states are navigating as they build and strengthen their systems.

2026 Hunt Institute Early Childhood Leadership Summit | Sept. 14–18
Throughout the week, Dr. Roy connected with leaders, policymakers and partners from across the country, sharing Colorado’s experiences and learning from the work happening in other states and communities.

Thank you to the organizations, partners and leaders creating space for these important conversations!

Address

710 S. Ash Street
Denver, CO
80246

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5:30pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Website

https://cdec.colorado.gov/

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