COVID In Denver: Tuition Support Continues For Preschoolers
DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Preschool Program is a nonprofit that helps families send their children to preschool, no matter their income. DPP offers tuition support to nearly 60% of all 4 year olds in Denver thanks to a 0.15% dedicated sales tax, which was first approved by voters in 2006 and has been extended through 2026.
As you can imagine, the coronavirus pandemic has caused a drop in the city's sales tax revenue. Despite that drop, the DPP just announced it will continue to offer tuition support through the 2021-2022 school year. For some families, that support adds up to nearly $1,000 a month.
Elsa Holguín is the president and CEO of the Denver Preschool Program. She says the program has become even more crucial during the pandemic, not only for families, but also for the early education centers that rely on students in order to stay open.
"It has been very important that we continue to support our families financially, but it has been just as important that we continue to help the childcare providers financially because they are also struggling to survive and many of them are now closing," said Holguín. "Many of our centers are small businesses or nonprofit organizations that survive year after year from tuition support."
The DPP has already distributed $100,000 in emergency grants to preschools since the pandemic started. It also waived attendance requirements so preschools could continue to receive funding even if their students were unable to attend.
Holguín says it is crucial early education centers stay open and remain an option for families.
"Early education is effective at not only getting children ready for school academically, but even more importantly, it gets children socially and emotionally ready for school," said Holguín.
A typical family can expect to receive at least $788 a month in tuition savings for the 2021-2022 school year through the Denver Preschool Program. Parents who are interested in exploring their preschool options are encouraged to visit the Denver Preschool Program's website.