By: Mirel Herrera, Senior Policy Analyst
After spending much of 2025 planning and organizing Early Edge’s Early Learning Tour, I had the opportunity to see firsthand how Colorado is advancing Early Learning and Care. A key lesson that stood out: local communities can drive real and impactful change.
On the tour we heard directly from Elsa Holguin, President and CEO of the Denver Preschool Program (DPP) and what happens when communities invest in young children. In 2006, after years of advocacy and planning, Denver voters approved a ballot measure creating a dedicated funding stream for universal preschool. That voter-approved investment has helped make preschool attainable for Denver’s three- and four-year-olds for nearly 20 years. The Denver Preschool Program operates as a mixed-delivery system, allowing families to use tuition credits at community-based providers, family child care homes, or public schools, giving parents real choice to select the setting that best fits their child and their family’s needs. Since its inception, the Denver Preschool Program has distributed $184 million in tuition credits and supported more than 78,000 children. Over time, DPP’s success also helped inform and shape Colorado’s statewide Universal Preschool Program—demonstrating how local initiatives can improve outcomes for children and families while laying the groundwork for statewide policy change.
So, how is this relevant for California? Because the challenges that Denver faced such as, high costs for families, unstable funding for providers, and an underpaid Early Learning and Care workforce are the same challenges facing communities across California. And just like in Denver, California localities have the ability to prioritize access to programs that are vital for California’s working families.
We are already seeing this happen. San Francisco recently announced steps to make child care more affordable for families, using local funding to reduce or eliminate costs. Although no action has been taken yet, Los Angeles County’s Blueprint for Infants and Toddlers includes a recommendation to explore an ongoing revenue source. Across the country, leaders are rolling out programs to expand free Early Learning and Care opportunities, showing that local and state governments can take meaningful steps even amid federal budget uncertainty.
Speaking directly with Elsa Holguin and hearing the story of the Denver Preschool Program reinforced for me the importance of local leadership, the impact of investing in young children, families, and the early learning workforce, and the power of advocacy. It reminded me that when communities commit resources and make early learning a priority, policy ideas become real opportunities that expand access and provide support to families. These investments also strengthen the workforce, ensuring educators and providers can earn a just and livable wage and can thrive in their careers. The lessons from Denver, combined with the recent commitment in San Francisco, show that meaningful change starts at the local level and that bold, intentional action can set the stage for a stronger future for all children.
If you want to learn more about the Denver Preschool Program you can visit their website, review their most recent annual report, or dive into the years of research on the success of their program.
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Mirel Herrera is a Senior Policy Analyst at Early Edge and helps co-lead the development and execution of Early Edge California’s local, state, and federal advocacy agenda. Additionally, Mirel leads Early Edge’s work related to infants and toddlers and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) implementation.
