CAEYC -- Public Policy

Public Policy

Home	Public Policy Alerts -- Issues of importance to all CAEYC members Legislation -- CAEYC views on current legislative issues Policy Program and Agenda Colorado Early Childhood Summit -- This group represents the ten largest early childhood organizations in Colorado, including CAEYC.

Register to Vote in Colorado

NOVEMBER 2010: VOTE NO TO AMENDMENT 60, AMENDMENT 61 AND PROPOSITION 101

Amendment 60: schools would lose more than a billion dollars in funding each year. School districts would be required to cut property taxes by 50%. The state is already strapped for cash and has cut billions from the budget. Think of it - school tax revenue cut in half on top of cuts that have already occurred. Inevitably, there will be more closings and even fewer teachers. Click here for more information: http://www.bellpolicy.org/node/3724

Amendment 61: would severely limit - even prohibit - voters from approving large capital projects like schools, fire stations, water projects, highways, transit, colleges.... the list goes on. Without the ability to pay for large projects over time, billions of dollars worth of economic activity and tens of thousands of jobs will be lost. Click here for more information: http://www.bellpolicy.org/node/3501

Proposition 101: eliminates a major source of funding for road construction by cutting vehicle registration fees to 1919 levels - when the state had only a handful of paved roads. The near elimination of the Specific Ownership Tax would take $500 million annually from schools and other local priorities. Proposition 101's income tax cut would eliminate a quarter of the state's revenue when the budget already has been severely impacted by the recession. Click here for more information: http://www.bellpolicy.org/node/3513

                Colorado Department of Human Services Division of Child Care

1) Director Qualifications - Steps to renew the Director Qualifications letter

2) Early Childhood Teacher Qualifications (formally know as Group Leader)

7.702.52     Director Qualifications ‑ Large Child Care Center

The educational requirements for the director or substitute director of a large center must be met by satisfactory completion of one of the following. (All course hours are given in credit hours, but equivalent quarter hours are acceptable.) Official college transcripts must be submitted to the Department for evaluation of qualifications.

Must meet ONE of the following:

Updated May 2010

A and B Options
Degree or college course requirement

A (1)   All individuals with a Bachelor's or Master's degree with a major emphasis in child development, early childhood education, or early childhood special education and all other individuals submitting official transcripts for evaluation and/or completing necessary college coursework to become qualified as a director of a large center must complete a three (3) semester hour course from a regionally accredited college or university, at either a two year, four year or graduate level, in each of the following subject or content areas:

a. Introduction to early childhood professions;

b. Introduction to early childhood lab techniques;

c. Early childhood guidance strategies for children;

d. Early childhood health, nutrition, and safety;

e. Administration of early childhood care and education programs;

f. Administration: human relations for early childhood professions or introduction to business;

g. Early childhood curriculum development;

h. Early childhood growth and development.

Effective May 31, 2011, the following two (2) three (3) semester hour college courses, in addition to the courses listed in Section 7.702.52, A, 1, must be taken from a regionally accredited college or university at either a two year, four year or graduate level, in each of the following subject or content areas for a total of thirty (30) semester hours:

a. The exceptional child;

b. Infant/toddler theory and practice; or the Department approved expanding quality infant/toddler training.

A (2) Completion of a course of training approved by the State Department that includes course content listed at Section 7.702.52, A, 7, and        experience listed at Section 7.702.52, C.



A (3) Completion of the Advanced credential assessment (FORMERLY CALLED THE CHALLENGE TEST)through the Colorado Office of Professional Development with a score of eighty percent or better; In addition, experience listed at Section 7.702.52, C, is required.

B   All individuals holding a valid approval letter for director qualifications from the Department of Human Services that matches official Department records are required to take, or have taken, the following five (5) three (3) semester hour courses.

(1.)         One course must be taken every two (2) years from a regionally accredited college or university at either a two year, four year or graduate level in each of the following subject or content areas:

a. Early childhood guidance strategies;

b. Early childhood health, nutrition and safety or child nutrition;

c. The exceptional child;

d. Infant/toddler theory and practice; or expanding quality in infant and toddler training;

e. Administration: human relations for early childhood professions.

B (2).   Official transcripts from a regionally accredited college or university of the one (1) or more of the five (5) courses shall be submitted to the State Department within thirty days of completing each course until all five (5) courses have been completed. The first course must be completed by May 31, 2012.

Directors of public school preschools must attend a Department-approved course of training in nutrition and implementation of rules regulating child care.

B (3).   All college course grades for large or small child care center director qualification must be a “C” or better.

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

7.702.52 C Director Qualifications ‑ Large Child Care Center

Must meet ONE of the following:

EXPERIENCE OPTIONS

C     The experience requirements for the director of a large center must be met by completion of the following amount of work experience in a child development program, which includes working with a group of children in such programs as a preschool, child care center, kindergarten, or Head Start program:

(1.)    Persons with Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with a major emphasis in child development, early childhood education, or early childhood special education, no additional experience is required

(2)     Persons with a 2-year college degree in early childhood education must have twelve (12) months (1,820 hours) of verified experience working directly with children in a child development program.

(3) Persons with a Bachelor's degree and completion of courses specified in Sections 7.702.52, A, 1-2, must have twelve (12) months (1,820 hours) of verified experience working directly with children in a child development program.

(4) Persons who have no degree but have completed the twenty-four (24) semester hours specified in Section 7.702.52, A, 1-2, must have twenty-four (24) months (3,640 hours) of verified experience working directly with children in a child development program.

(5) Verified experience acquired in a licensed family child care home or school-age child care center may count for up   to half of the required experience for director qualifications. To have family child care home experience considered, the applicant must be or have been the licensee. The other half of the required experience must be working directly with children in a child development program.

(6) Experience with five (5) year olds must be verified as follows:

a.       If experience caring for five year old children occurs in a child care center classroom, the hours worked shall be counted as preschool experience;

b.      If experience caring for five year old children occurs in an elementary school program, the hours worked shall be counted as school age experience.

CHANGES TO GROUP LEADER QUALIFICATIONS

7.702.54 An early childhood teacher (Formerly Group Leader), assigned responsibility for a single group of children and working under the supervision of a director, must be at least 18 years of age and must meet at least One of the following qualifications: Must meet ONE of the following (from A—J options) Updated May 2010

A—J Options	Degree or college course requirement Grades Must be "C" or Better	Experience Requirement

A. A Bachelor’s (4 year) degree	As of 5/1/2010, major area of study for each Bachelor's DEGREE SHALL be in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Special Education, Family and Child Development or Child Psychology.	No additional experience required

B. A Bachelor’s (4 year) degree in an unrelated area	Effective May 31, 2011, a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a major area of study in any area other than those listed at Section 7.702.54, A, 1, a must have two (2) three semester hour early childhood education college courses with one course being either introduction to early childhood education or guidance strategies,	At least six (6) months (910) hours of verified experience in the care and supervision of four (4) or more children under six (6) years of age who are not related to the individual. Satisfactory experience includes being a licensee of a family child care home; a teacher's aide or teacher in a child care center, preschool, or elementary school; or work with disabled children

C. A 2-year college degree	sixty (60) semester hours, in early childhood education from a regionally accredited college or university, which must include at least two (2) three-semester hour courses, one of which must be either introduction to early childhood education or guidance strategies;	at least six (6) months (910 hours) of verified experience, as listed in (B).

D. Completion of two (2) years of college education This option to be EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER qualified will not be available after May 31, 2011	Completion of two (2) years of college education, sixty (60) semester hours, from a regionally accredited college or university with at least one (1) three-semester hour college course in early childhood education This option to be EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER qualified will not be available after May 31, 2011.	At least six (6) months (910 hours) of verified experience, as listed in (B).

E. Twelve (12) semester hours in college-level credits	Completion of twelve (12) semester hours from a regionally accredited college or university at either a two year, four year or graduate level, in each of the following subject or content areas early childhood education. By 5/31/12, one of the three (3) semester hour courses must be either introduction to early childhood education or guidance strategies,	At least nine (9) months (1,395 hours) of verified experience as listed in (B).

F. Completion of a vocational or occupational education sequence in child growth and development.	Completion of a vocational or occupational education sequence in child growth and development	At least twelve (12) months (1,820 hours) of verified experience as listed in (B).

G. Current certification as a Child Development Associate (CDA) or Certified Child Care Professional (CCP) or other Department-approved credential.	No college course work required.	No additional experience required.

H. Department approved course of training	Completion of a course of training approved by the department that includes training and work experience with children in a child growth and development program	At least twelve (12) months (1,820 hours) of verified experience as listed in (B).

I. Thirty -six months of verified experience. This option to be qualified as an early childhood teacher will not be available after May 1, 2010.	Thirty-six months (5,460 hours) of verified experience in the care and supervision of four (4) or more children less than six (6) years of age who are not related to the individual. This option will not be available after May 1, 2010.	This option to be qualified as an early childhood teacher will not be available after May 1, 2010.

J. A current Colorado Level I credential OR Two (2) 3 credit college courses with one course being Intro to ECE.

A current Colorado Level I credential; or, Two (2) three-semester hour early childhood education college courses from a regionally accredited college or university at either a two year, four year or graduate level, in each of the following subject or content areas with one course being either introduction to early childhood education or Guidance Strategies.

At least Twenty-four (24) months (3,640 hours) of verified experience as listed in (B).

The