§ 26.5-5-204 — Eligibility for grants - applications - deadlines

(1) The
department shall develop an application process and issue a request for proposals
for the grant program, including notification of available money to early childhood
councils, eligibility criteria, proposal requirements, and award criteria.

(2) An applicant to the grant program is eligible for a grant award pursuant
to this part 2 if:

(a) The application is made by an early childhood council and includes
strategies developed jointly with community partners, including, at a minimum,
county departments of human or social services. If an early childhood council
serves more than one county, it may submit a single application for the counties
that make up its designated service area.

(b) The early childhood education programs to which the grant money will be
distributed have achieved a quality rating pursuant to the Colorado shines system
of at least a level two, or are licensed programs with a demonstrated hardship that
are actively working toward achieving a Colorado shines system level two rating,
and have fiscal agreements with CCCAP;

(c) The early childhood council demonstrates a need and provides a plan to
improve quality and increase the capacity for early childhood education programs
that serve infants and toddlers three years of age or younger in its designated
service area. The early childhood education programs may be home-based or
center-based.

(d) The applicant meets any other criteria set forth in the application process
developed pursuant to this section.

(3) Subject to available appropriations, the department shall review
applications and determine which applicants will receive grants and the amount of
each grant.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added with relocations, (HB 22-1295), ch. 123, p. 718, � 3, effective July 1.