DENVER — State lawmakers have found the funding needed to temporarily circumvent looming cuts to a program that serves children between birth and three years old with developmental delays or disabilities.
However, the funding comes with concern about what happens to the services when a new fiscal year begins in July.
In late February, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) stunned parents and providers with the announcement there would be cuts to the Early Intervention (EI) program as a result of a budget shortfall. Those cuts were paused just days later.
The manager of the EI program explained in an email that the CDEC was working with the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) "to explore potential solutions."
The Follow Up
CO pauses cuts to program that serves babies, toddlers with developmental needs
The CDEC emailed families, providers, and parents on Monday announcing that services will "continue as usual." The update comes after the JBC agreed to provide $2 million of extra funding, while the CDEC worked with partners to "leverage underspent funds" to ensure services will continue without changes.
Many parents and providers feared the cuts would force families to choose what care their children received. Originally, the CDEC's planned cuts meant the state would no longer fund supplemental programs for children on Medicaid, and only Medicaid-covered services would continue.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), early intervention services can "change a child’s developmental path and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities," allowing families to better meet the needs of their children.
In Monday's email, the CDEC said it will continue working with the JBC to protect "vital services" in the next year and ensure the sustainability of the program.
"We're all very excited that we get to continue to serve families and keep our jobs until the end of June," said Katelyn Knox, an occupational therapist. "Starting July 1, there's a new fiscal year, there's a new budget, and nothing is promised. We don't know if we're going to be able to continue on."
Knox said the funding announcement confused many families, who assumed the cuts also impacted the next fiscal year.
"How can we make sure that the funding being allocated for early intervention is truly going to support the families around the state?" Knox asked. "I really worry about where these families are going to go. There's not the support system in place for these families to just go to a clinic to receive these services. Those clinics already have waitlists that are months long. That's just not realistic."
Colorado lawmakers on the JBC are working this week to balance the state's budget, which faces a deficit of nearly $1 billion.
"It's a painful year. We're making really tough cuts," said State Senator Jeff Bridges, who is the chair of the JBC.
Still, Bridges said the committee was stunned to learn about the proposed cuts to the EI program.
"We were not told about that beforehand. So, they had known for about a month," Bridges said. "(CDEC) had come up with ways to handle that budget shortfall internally without asking us for more funds. And a big part of how they were going to handle that is just cuts to services for kids. We were understandably pretty upset when that happened."
Bridges said his son was born prematurely and qualifies for EI services, so he knows just how important the program is.
"Every dollar we spend in Early Intervention saves us so much money later on," Bridges said. "This is just so clearly so good for these kids, so good for these families, and really just life-changing."
The JBC worked with CDEC to cover the shortfall for this fiscal year, but Bridges is concerned about what happens in the next fiscal year. He's determined to continue working with the state department to ensure cuts to services that directly impact vulnerable children will not be affected.
"How do we make sure that the kids who need services are getting the services that they need?" said Bridges. "Really, in the same way that we're approaching the billion dollars that we have to cut out of the budget, they will be approaching the EI budget with the same thoughtfulness and carefulness."
In a statement, a spokesperson said the CDEC is "committed to ensuring families continue receiving vital Early Intervention (EI) services" and families will "see no changes."
- Full statement below
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) is committed to ensuring families continue receiving vital Early Intervention (EI) services. On March 13, 2025, the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) approved to draft legislation for $2 million in additional funding. CDEC also worked with partners to utilize current underspent funds so services could continue without any changes.
Families will see no changes, and providers will continue receiving full reimbursements, including stipends, mileage, and training payments. CDEC appreciates the JBC’s collaboration and remains focused on long-term sustainability while minimizing impacts on families and providers.
Virtual work sessions for families and providers are scheduled to continue the conversation surrounding concerns about the EI program. According to the CDEC email correspondence, those dates are as follows:
Upcoming Family Sessions via Google Meet.
- Tuesday, March 18, 2025 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- Monday, March 24, 2025 5:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. (Listening session Spanish Only)
- Tuesday, March 25, 2025 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Upcoming Provider Sessions via Google Meet.
- Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 26, 2025 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 2, 2025 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
- Wednesday, April 9, 2025 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 16, 2025 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
