Colorado § 26.5-3-806 - Child care teacher salary grant program - created - timeline - criteria and eligibility - grant awards - reports - definitions.

§ 26.5-3-806. Child care teacher salary grant program - created - timeline - criteria and eligibility - grant awards - reports - definitions.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "CCCAP" means the Colorado child care assistance program created in part 1 of article 4 of this title 26.5.

(b) "Child care center" has the same meaning as set forth in section 26.5-5-303.

(c) "Eligible entity" means a child care center licensed pursuant to part 3 of article 5 of this title 26.5 or a family child care home that has the following components:

(I) Authorization to serve families pursuant to CCCAP; and

(II) A quality rating of at least a level three pursuant to the Colorado shines quality rating and improvement system established in section 26.5-5-101.

(d) "Family child care home" has the same meaning as set forth in section 26.5-5-303.

(e) "Grant program" means the child care teacher salary grant program created in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) There is created in the department the child care teacher salary grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to allow eligible entities to apply for a grant to increase the salaries of its early childhood educators.

(3) The department shall solicit and review applications from eligible entities. Each application must, at a minimum, include:

(a) A description of the number of early childhood educators proposed to receive a salary increase;

(b) Verification that the eligible entity has had a quality rating of at least level three under the Colorado shines quality rating and improvement system during the past twelve months and specification of that quality rating level;

(c) Verification that the eligible entity is authorized to administer subsidies under CCCAP;

(d) Verification that the eligible entity is actively serving families that are subsidized through CCCAP; and

(e) Written attestation the money received from the grant program will only be used to increase salaries of early childhood educators, as specified in subsection (4) of this section.

(4) The department shall establish the percentage of salary increase for each early childhood educator, based on the number of applications and available appropriations.

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added with relocations, (HB 22-1295), ch. 123, p. 655, § 3, effective July 1.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 26-6-806 as it existed prior to 2022.