Free Universal Preschool registration launches Tuesday

Colorado is preparing for the launch of Universal Preschool registration.Every child in the state is eligible in the year before they start kindergarten.The online application

portal goes live Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 8 a.m. State set to launch first part of universal Pre-K program 03:31 The benefits of high quality early learning are well documented. Kids

are more likely to read earlier, become more proficient in academics, more likely to pursue higher education and earn more money throughout their lives.The staff and parents at

Escalante Biggs Academy in Denver know this well. Connie Trujillo teaches in the preschool and is preparing to enroll her son this week on the Universal Preschool Colorado website.

  She said, "He's my first child so I'm nervous about the process for sure."And yet Trujillo sings the praises of preschool to other parents, excited for the impact she knows it

will have on her son. "To have those interactions with peers and be able to connect and create friendships it's such a great skill and it's a skill due to Covid that some kiddos

we're seeing that they're lacking in." Universal Preschool Colorado Parents enrolling rising four year olds are prepraring to use the state's universal preschool application portal

for the first time.  In order to receive the preschool benefit - up to 15 hours per week, or five half days- they will have to apply both on the state portal, and via their school

district or early childhood provider. Eric Love is Director of Schools, Early Education for Denver Public Schools. He said, "This is going to be new to a lot of our school

districts, it's going to be new. It's going to be new to our community sites and other providers who will be a part of the UPK process so we're definitely going to have to have

patience." On the portal, parents will find only the schools that have signed up to participate.Director of Universal Preschool Colorado Dawn Odean said, "We're continuing to

enroll them throughout this first program year knowing that we're doing a quick start to get children in programs and families access."Families can choose up to five preschool

options and rank them based on their preferences. The state program will save families an average of $6,000 a year on child care. Governor Polis has said it's a value statement

that every child in the state should start school with the same shot at success. CBS Odean said, "This was very much voter driven through Proposition EE and it was very clear from

our voters and from the community of Coloradans that this was important." If parents have questions as they apply a good place to ask for help is the front office of their