The Colorado Department of Early Childhood announced on Tuesday that it has added eight languages to the Colorado Universal Preschool program’s online registration system, five more than last year’s three languages offered.
Now, 11 languages are available to help families who are bilingual, multilingual or non-English speaking register their children for the free preschool.
Languages that were offered for the 2023-24 school year were English, Spanish and Arabic, and now translations are available for the 2024-25 school year in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Russian, Vietnamese, German, Korean, Hindi, Portuguese and French.
Students can be registered for up to 15 hours of preschool with the program.
“Early care and education is a cornerstone of child development, and language should not be a barrier to access in Colorado,” said CDEC Executive Director Lisa Roy. “Adding these languages to the registration process brings us one step closer to a more universal program for children and families across Colorado.”
The 11 languages were chosen based on a combination of data from the program’s first year in existence, as well as data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 that provided insight into languages most spoken in Colorado homes.
The census data showed that the 11 selected languages represent 97.79% of all Colorado homes. Information was also pulled from the State Demography Office, Denver Preschool Program and Migration Policy Institute and community partner input was considered in the selection of the languages, according to the CDEC.
“Language access is a fundamental component of equity,” Khatira Amn, senior policy advocate at Spring Institute, said. “CDEC's work is allowing linguistically diverse families to fully engage in their children's education, access vital services for their children, preserve their cultural heritage and contribute to more equitable and inclusive early childhood systems.”
CDEC also developed and translated a “marketing tool kit” for Universal Preschool providers to promote preschool opportunities in multiple different languages.
“These initiatives are part of an ongoing commitment to making multilingual early childhood resources accessible to families and early childhood professionals, the CDEC said.
Some of the translated resources include professional development materials, early childhood playbook, early child mental health referrals, early intervention information and more.
