Policy Brief: Colorado’s New Agency for Early Childhood

Business Community Recommendations for Innovation, Agility, and Impact through Agency Design

Over the next 18 months, Colorado’s policy leaders will make critical decisions regarding a new state agency for early childhood and a new state-funded pre-kindergarten program that will shape the state’s early childhood system for decades to come. More importantly, that system will then shape the educational and life trajectories of hundreds of thousands of kids.

In this policy brief, Colorado Succeeds, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), and ReadyNation offer actionable recommendations related to the establishment of the new state agency informed by best practices from the private sector and case studies of other state early childhood systems.

Policymakers are urged to embrace innovation, agility, accountability, and – rather than simply reorganizing bureaucracy – to build new structures and systems that will better serve children, families, and educators.

This brief and a forthcoming companion piece specific to the new universal pre-k program are offered in the spirit of continuing constructive collaboration toward a stronger, more effective early care and education system for Colorado.

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