The Denver Preschool Program (DPP) will increase the tuition support offered to Denver families with a 4-year-old enrolled in any of its affiliated preschool programs by 10 percent beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. Funding is provided by a dedicated 0.15 percent sales tax first approved by Denver voters in 2006 and reauthorized in 2014 to extend to 2026.
“We’re excited to make preschool more affordable for even more Denver families,” Susan Steele, executive director of the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation and DPP Board Treasurer said. “Not only have we increased support overall, but we’ve also made several updates to our sliding scale to allocate more funds to those who need it most.”
Tuition support is available to all families that reside within the City and County of Denver and have a 4-year-old enrolled in a participating preschool program in the year before kindergarten. The amount of support a family receives is based on the family’s income, the quality rating of the preschool the child attends and the length of day a child attends. Preschools are rated for quality on a scale from one to five, with level five representing the highest quality. Family income is represented in five tiers and is determined by household size and annual earnings.“Tuition support is a valuable benefit for all families,” Jennifer Landrum, president and CEO of the Denver Preschool Program said. “It increases the likelihood of a family taking advantage of early childhood education opportunities within their local community, which gives their child a chance to learn, grow and ultimately have a brighter future.”
The Denver Preschool Program accepts tuition support applications year-round; however, parents are encouraged to explore their preschool options for next year now using DPP’s Find a Preschool Tool.