§ 26.5-2-204 — Early childhood councils - applications - rules

Colorado § 26.5-2-204

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 26.5: Early
• Art.: Local Infrastructure - Early

Text

(1) A newly
established or newly identified council shall submit to the department an
application to become part of the statewide system of early childhood councils. The
department shall develop and distribute the application form and criteria and an
explanation of the process for joining the statewide system of early childhood
councils. The department shall provide support for the preparation of applications.

(2) A new council shall designate on its application the following information:

(a) The intended service area;

(b) The counties to be involved in the council;

(c) Participating mandatory stakeholders;

(d) The entity that serves as the original fiscal agent for the council; and

(e) The signatures of the chair or chairs of the board or boards of county
commissioners for the counties involved in the council, the legal signatory for the
counties, and the president of a school district board of education involved in the
council.

(3) An existing early childhood council seeking to be newly identified as a
council shall designate on its application a restatement of the following
information:

(a) The designated service area;

(b) Current members;

(c) Any additional stakeholders required to meet the membership
requirements of section 26.5-2-205;

(d) The designated fiscal agent; and

(e) Signatures of the current organization leadership, the fiscal agent, the
chair or chairs of the board or boards of county commissioners of the counties
involved in the council, and the president of a school district board of education
involved in the council.

(4) Each council shall develop a strategic plan based upon an assessment of
the early childhood needs in the designated service area that includes:

(a) A council infrastructure, including a plan for hiring a council director;

(b) A technical assistance plan and an annual budget for developing a local
early childhood system and infrastructure to improve and coordinate early
childhood services; and

(c) A plan for evaluating program performance and council process and
effectiveness as it relates to the council's strategic plan.

(5) The executive director shall promulgate rules to define the standards for
acceptance of applications made pursuant to this section. Acceptance of an
application is automatic if the application is complete, the signatures are in order,
and it meets the standards set forth by the executive director pursuant to this
subsection (5).

Legislative History

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added with relocations, (HB 22-1295), ch. 123, p. 596, � 3, effective July 1.