Colorado’s universal preschool program is running into trouble behind the scenes. Providers say the state’s early childhood department has become too slow to answer them after 32 local preschool help offices were shut down, leaving a summer backlog of more than 900 help tickets. For one small-town childcare centre, that has meant months of unanswered emails while it tries to register as a universal preschool site.
What providers reported
The story, reported by The Colorado Sun on 26 October 2026, centres on Gina Wallick, who took over a childcare centre earlier this year in Wellington, a town of more than 12,000 people north of Fort Collins. Wallick wanted to preserve the centre so that as more young families move to the area, they have a reliable, quality place to send their children. Her Bee Curious Early Learning Center has been up and running since August, with children learning to pronounce the letter “K” and colouring Halloween-themed worksheets.
But one major and unexpected challenge has strained the business in its first few months. Despite sending more than 50 emails to the state’s early childhood department to register Bee Curious as a universal preschool site, Wallick said she has received no paperwork from the department. Nor has she received anything more than an automatic email reply confirming the help desk received her inquiry and saying staff will be in contact within five business days.
Providers across the state describe the same pattern: a department that is too slow and too controlling, following a summer backlog of more than 900 help tickets after the closure of 32 preschool help offices.
Why it matters
Universal preschool only works if providers can actually join it. When a centre cannot complete registration, families in its town cannot use their universal preschool place there, and the centre cannot plan staffing, places or funding with any certainty. In a town like Wellington, where childcare options are already few, a single delayed registration is not a paperwork problem — it is a missing classroom.
The backlog also matters because the first months of a new centre are the hardest. Rent, wages and supplies must be paid whether or not the registration paperwork has arrived. A provider spending months chasing a help desk is a provider with less time and money for the children already in her rooms.
What this means for parents and teachers
If you are a Colorado parent, the practical lesson is to check registration early and in writing. Ask any preschool you are considering whether it is registered as a universal preschool site for the current year, and keep a copy of everything you submit. If a place you love is still waiting on paperwork, ask what that means for your child’s place and for fees.
For teachers and providers, Wallick’s experience is a reminder to document every contact: dates, ticket numbers and the exact reply received. A paper trail turns a frustrating delay into evidence that can be raised with a district, a local representative or a provider association.
Whatever state you live in, the same advice holds for early learning at home. While a preschool place is sorted out, short daily practice keeps a child moving forward. Our free name tracing generator builds a personalised 10-page workbook around your child’s own name, and our sight words generator turns Dolch and Fry lists into printable practice pages: https://bookandpencil.com/name-tracing-generator/ and https://bookandpencil.com/sight-words-for-kindergarten/
How Colorado’s system got here
Colorado’s universal preschool program promises families a place for their young children, but a promise is only as good as its administration. Closing 32 local help offices removed the people providers used to call when something went wrong, and a centralised help desk has evidently not absorbed the volume: more than 900 tickets piled up over the summer. Local offices did more than answer phones; they knew the providers, the towns and the quirks of each application. Replacing that local knowledge with an inbox is a common cost-saving move, and this backlog is what it looks like when it goes wrong.
Other states watching Colorado should take note. Expanding access on paper while shrinking the support that makes access real creates a gap that falls hardest on small, rural and newly opened centres — exactly the places with the fewest alternatives.
What happens next
The key questions now are whether the department clears the ticket backlog, restores any local support, and gives providers a realistic timeline for registration. Providers will be watching for three things: a falling ticket count, a named contact rather than an auto-reply, and paperwork actually arriving. Until then, centres like Bee Curious are operating in limbo, and families in towns like Wellington wait with them.
We will keep following this story as the department responds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Colorado’s universal preschool program?
It is the state’s program that gives families access to preschool places for young children through participating providers, including centres like Bee Curious Early Learning Center.
Why are providers complaining?
Providers say the state’s early childhood department is too slow to respond after 32 local preschool help offices were closed, leaving a summer backlog of more than 900 help tickets.
How long has Bee Curious been waiting?
Owner Gina Wallick said she has sent more than 50 emails to register the centre as a universal preschool site and has received no paperwork, only an automatic reply promising contact within five business days.
Does this affect families outside Colorado?
Directly, no — but the pattern matters everywhere. When preschool administration slows down, families lose places and providers lose income, so parents in any state should confirm a preschool’s registration status in writing.
What can parents do while waiting for a preschool place?
Keep practising at home with short, playful activities: letter tracing, name writing and sight word games. Our free tools at bookandpencil.com can help — try the name tracing generator and the sight words generator linked above.
Source: The Colorado Sun via Rocky Mountain Voice, 26 October 2026: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2026/10/26/colorado-shut-down-32-preschool-help-offices-providers-say-the-backlog-followed/
