Comprehensive Early Childhood Workforce Plan

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the Early Childhood Leadership Commission, in partnership with Early Milestones Colorado, have finalized an updated and expanded Colorado Comprehensive Early Childhood Workforce Plan! The plan was endorsed by the ECLC in February 2024. Look for opportunities to learn about the new plan and how to get involved in next steps soon!

Pathways to Success: Colorado’s Comprehensive Early Childhood Workforce Plan

The Early Childhood Leadership Commission endorsed the new Workforce Plan in February 2024. The new plan — Pathways to Success: Colorado’s Comprehensive Early Childhood Workforce Plan — celebrates the strides Colorado has made in the past four decades investing in the early childhood workforce and improving outcomes for children and families. It was created to align with the Early Childhood Colorado Framework, which was refreshed in 2023 and recognizes the need to honor the importance of all of the professionals working on behalf of young children and families for the important work they do each day.

The plan has been designed to both address immediate priorities and provide a visionary outlook for future iterations and updates, recognizing the evolving needs of Colorado’s early childhood workforce. It underscores the dynamic nature of the workforce landscape and the need for a “living document” that adapts over time to meet the changing demands of our state’s workforce.

Previous Workforce Plans

Early Childhood Workforce 2020 Plan (2017)

The Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC) endorsed Colorado’s Early Childhood Workforce 2020 Plan, an ambitious roadmap that promotes a qualified and diverse early childhood workforce for Colorado. Created by stakeholders across the state and guided by the ECPD Advisory, the plan has a strong emphasis on recruiting, retaining, compensating, and supporting the early childhood workforce.

The plan was developed as part of Transforming the Early Childhood Workforce in Colorado, a public-private partnership between Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Department of Human Services, and Early Milestones Colorado, with support from Gary Community Investments and Buell Foundation.  

In 2010, the P-3 Professional Development Task Force developed a visionary, ambitious action plan to align Colorado’s efforts to improve the effectiveness of early learning professionals to ensure children are ready for school and are achieving their full potential.

DOWNLOAD THE EARLY LEARNING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM PLAN