UPK Program Updates 2024-25
Rates & Payment Schedule
Providers received an email with the UPK rates and payment information, including how to set up your provider payment account with MetrixIQ.
You must have the Provider Agreement DocuSign completed in order to receive payments. Please email CDEC_procurement-contracts@state.co.us if you have not already done so.
Report Program Start & End Dates to CDEC
If you have not already done so, please complete this form with the UPK school year start and end dates for your program. Remember, June and July are not covered by UPK.
Next Triad Bright Futures Provider Support Session 
The next Triad Bright Futures Provider Support Session will be Wednesday, September 11 from 1-2PM via Zoom. We’ll review important updates from CDEC and talk about the self-report forms. Click HERE to join. No need to register.
Other Important Reminders
If you need to add seats to your program for direct enrollment, please email upk@triadbrightfutures.org with the number of seats you need to add to each of your programs.
If any of the programs you chose do not match the programs that the children will be attending your program, please email upk@triadbrightfutures.org and we will request the correct program to be added to your profile, and we will move the children internally from one program to the other. For example, if you selected a part time program (10 hours per week) but your students attend 12 hours per week, we need to request the correct program to be added, so you can charge students for the hours not covered by UPK.
IEP Direct Enrollment Open Through End of 2024-25 School Year
IEP Direct Enrollment runs through the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Special Education Administrative Units (AUs) and school districts will request placement of students with IEPs. Providers will accept matches within 2 weeks of receiving a match. Families of a child with an IEP will have until 6/30/25 to accept their match. CDEC requests that they accept within two weeks.
Self-Report Forms to Inform Quality Standards Due 9/15/24
The (UPK) quality standards include program requirements in Instructional Practice (IP), Healthy Development (HD), and Family & Community Engagement (FCE).
To better understand what practices UPK providers are already implementing within these requirements, Early Milestones (in partnership with CDEC) has created three forms that UPK providers are asked to complete.
These three self-report forms should be completed by an administrator, director, family child care home owner, or other individual responsible for UPK implementation by 9/15/24:
- Instructional Practice Self-Report
- Healthy Development Self-Report
- Family & Community Engagement Self-Report
To review the questions in each self-report before completing the forms, here are links to the Instructional Practice, Healthy Development, and Family & Community Engagement self-report forms in PDF format.
This video tutorial offers additional guidance for completing the forms.
Important Quality Standards Action Items for Providers
These phased action items are meant to help providers meet the UPK quality standards that will be phased in starting July 1, 2024.
Have and implement policies and procedures (on their website or handbook distributed to families) which ensure:
- The use of interpreters or other language resources to effectively communicate in families’ home language;
- Seeking input from participating families on priorities, interests, home routines, and cultural and social practices;
- Engaging with families on goals which inform the provider’s interactions and instruction with children, including with multilingual learners;
- Engaging families and community partners in decision-making on preschool operations;
- Involving families in the transition of children into and out of the Preschool Program, including the transition into Kindergarten;
- Ensuring the quality of program-family and program-staff interactions.
- Additionally, there is a requirement to notify families of the opportunity to participate in an annual Family Survey conducted by CDEC.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Preschool providers will not be required to submit documentation to demonstrate compliance.
- Information gathered in the 2024-25 school year will not be used for determination of compliance.
Interested in Joining UPK as a Provider?
Providers can start registration and provide contact information for an Authorized Signer to be sent the Provider Agreement for signature. See this guide for instructions on completing your program setup form. If you have questions about provider agreements, please contact CDEC directly at cdec_procurement-contracts@state.co.us.
Tools to Promote Your UPK Program to Families
The materials in this shared folder are designed to help providers promote their program to families.
Resources include printable flyers that you can share with families to let them know that you are a participating UPK provider and how they can enroll their child. There are also emails that providers can customize and send to families.
(CDEC created a marketing toolkit for UPK providers and partners to promote UPK in multiple languages.)
Universal Preschool Handbooks & FAQ
Family Handbook 2024-25
Comprehensive information to help families understand the UPK program, sign their child up, and rank their providers of choice.
There are also answers to common questions, a tool to check age eligibility, and more.
Provider Handbook 2024-25
Check this link frequently for the most updated version of the UPK provider handbook. This is a live document and new information is added regularly.
Includes detailed instructions how to enroll, how the matching process works, answers to common questions, and more.
UPK Help Desk
The Triad Bright Futures Help Desk can help families and providers navigate the UPK portal, assist with reviewing rosters, and make requests to CDEC for seat adjustments.
The fastest way to get support is to submit an online ticket.
Need help with submitting a ticket? Here are how-to documents to guide you through it:
- Provider Help Ticket Guide
- Family Help Ticket Guide
- School District Help Ticket Guide
- Ayuda en español
If you cannot submit a ticket, you can email upk@triadbrightfutures.org or call 720-449-7960.