Weekly Match Rounds
Families, once you have submitted your application or changes, please be sure to check your email on Friday for notification of your match. You will need to accept your match within 6 days of receipt. If you need to make a change to your child’s enrollment based on UPK award, please discuss options with your provider first before contacting the Triad Bright Futures Help Desk. Colorado’s Universal Preschool (UPK) program pays for every 4-year-old child in the year before they are eligible for Kindergarten to receive a minimum of 15 hours of free preschool. Additional hours are based on meeting eligibility criteria determined by CDEC.
Weekly match rounds for the 2023-2024 school year follow this cadence:
- Monday: Weekly Deferred Acceptance Algorithm- DAA- is run (matching technology)
- Monday: Matches are sent to providers
- Mon – Wed: Provider review period
- Friday: Matches are sent to families
- Fri – following Thursday: Family review and acceptance period. Families have 6 days to accept their match.
Weekly match rounds are overlapping. Families may be in review/acceptance period while providers are reviewing the next round of matches.
UPK PROVIDER SUPPORT SESSIONS: EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY, NEXT DATE IS OCT 4th
Every other Wednesday at 1-2 PM, UPK Provider Support Sessions will answer your questions and bring you important information. This week, MetrixIQ will join us to answer your questions about payments. Use this Zoom link and be sure to check this page for any changes to the schedule. No need to RSVP.
Families:
- CDEC will contact you directly by email or text with final results and instructions on how to accept/decline your match. If you do not take action on your match, you will move into the next match round. Please make sure you accept your match by the due date stated in your notification or you may lose your placement!
- Please see these instructions from CDEC about how you will accept or decline a match. Note these instructions are only in English, so please reach out to Triad Bright Futures help desk and request a bilingual team member if you need assistance.
- If you have questions about your child’s IEP placement, you will need to work with Jeffco, Gilpin or Clear Creek Schools directly. Please contact your Special Education Director. For Jeffco Schools, you may also call 303 982-1737 for more information.
TRIAD BRIGHT FUTURES HELP DESK
Call 720-449-7960 or click below to submit a ticket online.
Providers:
- If you have a walk-in placement request, please submit a ticket, rather than email the Triad Bright Futures Help Desk. From the drop-down menu, select “Child Care Provider” or “School District” for Category. Then select “Walk-in Enrollment” for Question Type. This will allow us to expedite your request. Please allow 24 hours for our Help Desk team to respond and refer to this resource for additional information about walk-in placements.
- Resources from the September 11th UPK Quality Standards webinar hosted by CDEC: Webinar Recording | Webinar Slides | Quality Standards Draft document
- Provider Bonus: Eligible providers were emailed an attestation form for the one-time $800 bonus directly from MetrixIQ on September 15th. All Universal Preschool providers who registered by August 31, 2023 and have not previously participated in a state-run preschool program are eligible. For more information, please contact coecstimulus@metrixiq.com.
- Infant/Toddler Capacity: In Spring 2024 a one-time bonus estimated at $800 – $1600 will be awarded to UPK providers who have maintained or increased their licensed capacity to infants and toddlers between April 2022 and April 2024. Providers considering reallocating slots intended for 4yo to serve other age groups based on actual UPK enrollment levels, may be eligible to receive the one-time bonus if they convert these slots to expand infant and toddler capacity. Providers will receive a direct link from MetrixIQ to apply.
- NEW! The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), has consolidated guidance documents that can be found on the CDEC website under “Universal Preschool Provider Information” as well as under “Universal Preschool FAQs.” Triad Bright Futures encourages you to take a thorough look at these documents for answers to many of your UPK questions.
- Round 2 of Capacity Building Grants is live! Any provider who is active, has signed the UPK agreement, and has Universal Preschool matches is eligible for funding. Providers who did not receive funding in Round 1 will be prioritized for this round. The application is open through October 31st. For questions, contact coecstimulus@metrixiq.com
- If you have questions about payments, please email coupkpayments@metrixiq.com or submit a ticket to the Payments Help Desk.
UPK and CCCAP Information
Colorado Childcare Assistance Program (CCCAP) and UPK work together for Colorado families! Even if a family already participates in CCCAP, they should also apply for UPK Colorado to maximize their benefits! Signing up for UPK allows families that participate in CCCAP to:
- Get the maximum number of hours of child care each week
- Reduce or eliminate parent fees
For a UPK and CCCAP comparison chart, click HERE.
Local contacts for CCAP: Jefferson County CCAP Customer Service , 303-271-4484; Gilpin County Childcare Assistance Program; Clear Creek County Human Services. You can receive assistance with completing a CCCAP application from Benefits in Action, 1-888-496-4252.
INFORMATIONAL FLIER about CCCAP and UPK
MATCHING VIDEOS & FAQ DOCUMENTS
These videos from CDEC, in English and Spanish, explain how the matching process works.
Download a PDF with answers to common questions about UPK.
How UPK intersects with IEP, SPED, and Early Intervention
Click below to download an information sheet on how Universal Preschool intersects with preschool special education, Early Intervention, and the IEP.
Can families still sign up for UPK for the 2023-24 year?
YES! Applications will continue to be accepted and matched with providers on a rolling basis throughout the year.
How the UPK Matching Process Works
Families are matched to a preschool provider by the BridgeCare website application using criteria created by CDEC to reflect family choice, eligibility, and weighted priorities. The match criteria give added weight to family choice that creates continuity of care (chances for children to lengthen continuous participation in a program and enjoy stable relationships with caregivers), has siblings in the same program, or has a parent employed by the provider.
Family Applications Submitted: Family applications are accepted and matched with providers throughout the year.
Providers Review Matches: Providers are notified of the preliminary match and have an opportunity to review and confirm their matches. Some preschool providers will require specific information from families to show their program requirements are met. This might include requirements for co-op program volunteer hours, language, faith, employer, or does not serve IEP. Providers can only decline a match based on specific criteria and have 3 days to review and confirm their matches.
Families Notified of Match: Families are notified of their match and asked to accept or decline.
Once Families Accept a Match: When families accept they should contact the matched provider to complete enrollment. If the family does not complete enrollment within 30 days, the provider may decline the match.
If Families Decline a Match: If families decline, their application will be re-run in the next match round.
Tuition Credit Clarification
CDEC wants to highlight to all providers that as part of UPK Colorado a provider may not charge families above the tuition credit for UPK hours.