We believe that strong public policy and informed advocacy are essential.
This section highlights RMECC’s active engagement in tracking and influencing key legislation, promoting policies that expand access to affordable, high-quality early care and learning, and advancing equitable opportunities for providers and families across our region. Through collaboration with community leaders, educators, and lawmakers, we work to ensure that the voices of young children and those who care for them are heard in the halls of policy-making and beyond.
Want to join our Committee?? Find more information about our meetings on our Get Involved page.
In appropriations
This bill extends the existing income tax credit for monetary contributions to promote child care in Colorado from January 1, 2028 to January 1, 2038, a 10-year extension.
House considered Senate amendments – Repass
This bill makes various technical and clarifying changes to Colorado’s early childhood services laws, including licensing exemptions, provider reimbursement procedures, program eligibility requirements, and advisory body membership.
Referred to appropriations. Hearing on 4/28/26
This bill extends the implementation date for certain child care assistance program requirements from August 1, 2026, to August 1, 2028, and clarifies that counties may use no more than 5% of allocated child care assistance funds for administrative costs.
ECCLA, RMECC, First Impressions, Custer County Kids, Kids and the Colorado Children’s Campaign testified in support of this bill.
Passed! Waiting for the Governor to sign
This bill transfers the responsibilities of local coordinating organizations (LCOs) to early childhood councils, expands council duties to include comprehensive early childhood and family support programs, and establishes new accountability requirements and performance review processes.
Passed 2nd reading- no amendments.
Hearing in House Finance, 4/30/26
This bill reforms Colorado’s child care provider licensing system by requiring the Department of Early Childhood to phase out third-party inspectors in favor of department personnel, creating a digital file system for provider information, and establishing a task force to recommend further licensing reforms.
House Committee – lay over unamended, amendments failed
Hearing 4/28/26 House Appropriations
UPDATED 4-15-26: This bill exempts school district-operated before- and after-school programs from certain Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) regulations that duplicate or conflict with existing Colorado Department of Education (CDE) requirements.
Governor signed!
This bill requires child care centers to disclose to parents that their workers are mandatory reporters of child abuse or neglect and, if applicable, to provide written policies regarding the use of video recording equipment.