The Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab at the University of Denver is evaluating the Colorado Department of Early Childhood’s activities to strengthen and expand the early childhood sector in Colorado with the support of over $465 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and ARPA Child Care and Development Fund dollars.
Brodsky Research is currently leading the evaluation of four of these activities specifically focused on the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP):
- Financially supporting child care providers who accept families enrolled in CCCAP by (1) paying child care providers even if a child enrolled in CCCAP is not in attendance some days and (2) waiving attendance-based payment and shifting to enrollment-based payment for infants/toddlers.
- Increasing the amount of money that child care providers are paid to care for children enrolled in a CCCAP-funded program in recognition of the increased cost of providing child care during the pandemic.
- Lowering the fees that families pay out of pocket to a maximum of 10% of their gross income.
- Increasing the federal poverty level percentage qualifications for the CCCAP program so that more families are eligible for subsidy and alerting families about the CCCAP program and benefits.