Senate Bill 18-099 Summary

• Aligns early childhood quality improvement programs with the Colorado Shines Quality Rating and Improvement System effective July 1, 2018, consolidating previous separate systems into one comprehensive framework.

• Redefines "early childhood education programs" as licensed child care programs serving children five years or younger, and establishes the Colorado Shines System as the primary quality rating and improvement mechanism for all early childhood programs.

• Requires early childhood councils to prioritize distribution of school-readiness quality improvement funding to programs serving children with risk factors for not being school ready, including low-income families, with plans targeting programs rated Level 2 or higher in Colorado Shines.

• Updates reporting requirements to annual reports due August 15 each year instead of previous thirty-month cycles, and requires councils to track children's academic performance through high school graduation.

• Modifies the Colorado infant and toddler quality and availability grant program to award grants through Colorado Shines System and allows early childhood councils and county departments to apply independently rather than jointly.