Colorado UPK
at Mountain Shadows
A Montessori beginning,
made possible for more families
Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) provides 15 hours per week of tuition-free preschool for eligible 4-year-olds. UPK will be available at Mountain Shadows Montessori School beginning in the 2026–2027 school year and may be applied toward tuition during the year before Kindergarten.
Eligible children must live in Colorado, be 4 years old by October 1, 2026, and complete the state UPK application. Families enrolled in full-day or extended-day programs may use UPK funding to offset tuition, and some families may qualify for additional support based on need. Applying for UPK is separate from MSIMS enrollment and does not guarantee placement. Space is limited and families are encouraged to apply early.
UPK Resources for Families
Healthy Development & Child Screenings
Developmental or Health Screenings
Vision, Hearing, or Dental Screenings
Social-emotional, Cognitive, or Language Sreenings
Mental Health or Special Education Referrals
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
Translation Services
TransLingua
Family Resource Centers
Family Resource Centers (FRCs) serve as a single point of entry for providing comprehensive, intensive, and integrated state and community-based services to vulnerable families, individuals, children, and youth. FRCs connect families to many types of resources, such as clothing, food, emergency financial assistance, child care, and benefit enrollment. FRCs offer services consisting of family development and family support, home visitation, and parent education guided by the following principles:
All families have strengths.
Colorado needs healthy and cohesive families.
Families are best served by a local family resource center that prioritizes their community’s needs.
Family resource centers work in collaboration with public and private entities.
Family resource centers provide safe and engaging environments.
Early Childhood Councils
The Department of Early Childhood also partners with Early Childhood Councils statewide to participate in the work to unify the early childhood system and systems building efforts.
Raising Colorado Kids
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood has launched RaisingColoradoKids.com, a consolidated, bilingual platform that simplifies access to early childhood services and family resources. Families can anonymously discover eligible programs, track application statuses like Universal Preschool, and seamlessly connect with statewide support hubs in one place.
Illuminate Colorado
Illuminate Colorado offers targeted services to empower parents and caregivers with the tools and resources they need to create safe, nurturing environments for their children
