CO Code § 26-6-122 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 26 - Human Services Code|Article 6 - Child Care Centers|Part 1 - Child Care Licensing|§ 26-6-122. Pathways to the Classroom and Retention Strategies for Early Childhood Educators - Standards - Alignment Across Agencies - Report - Rules

  The state board shall promulgate rules establishing standards for licensing that allow an early care and education program to be licensed for a period of time determined by the state board if a state-board-approved number of aspiring early childhood educators in the program are pursuing a state-agency-approved early childhood credential and other quality, safety, and supervision conditions are met.    The state board shall promulgate rules that allow an early childhood educator to earn points toward an early childhood credential that meets child care licensing standards based on the candidate's prior experience and demonstrated competency. The licensing pathway must also include ways in which a candidate in a second career or changing careers can earn points or credits for prior experience and competencies that apply toward the qualifications for an early childhood educator credential. The standards and credential awarding process may use validated tools to award points for demonstrated competencies.    The state department and the department of education shall align, to the extent possible, the state's early childhood professional credential, department of education educator licensing, and child care program licensing in order to make the requirements as consistent and clear as possible to educators and providers. The alignment process must include examining strategies that support reciprocity for early childhood educator credentials or qualifications earned outside of Colorado.    The state department and the department of education shall streamline all paperwork that licensed early care and education programs and early childhood educators must complete to meet child care licensing and early childhood educator credentialing compliance requirements. The state agencies shall identify ways to share information and reports across the agencies in order to reduce the administrative and paperwork burden on early care and education programs and educators. The streamlining process must include a systems scan of programs and initiatives, identification of overlapping reporting requirements, and ways to reduce the administrative and paperwork burden on programs and educators.    Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), no later than January 31, 2022, and no later than January 31 each year thereafter, the state department shall prepare a written report concerning Colorado's current supply of qualified early childhood educators.    The state department, the department of higher education, and the department of education shall develop resources to support local communities to increase concurrent enrollment opportunities for high school students or other nontraditional students to earn higher education credits and degrees that allow them to serve as early childhood educators and shall support career pathways for high school students earning college credits toward becoming early childhood educators, including concurrent enrollment, career and technical education, the ASCENT program, and other career pathways.     History. Source: L. 2020: Entire section added,(HB 20-1053), ch. 249, p. 1214, § 2, effective July 8.