Child Care Assistance Program Dates Extended to 2028

Detected March 21st, 2026

Summary

Colorado HB26-1260 proposes to extend the implementation dates for capping family copayments for child care at 7% of family income and for paying child care providers in advance from August 1, 2026, to August 1, 2028. The bill also clarifies that no more than 5% of money allocated to counties for child care assistance may be used for administrative costs.

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What changed

Colorado Bill HB26-1260, currently under consideration, seeks to amend existing law by extending the implementation dates for key provisions of child care assistance programs. Specifically, the bill proposes to push back the deadlines for capping family copayments for child care at 7% of family income and for paying child care providers in advance of service provision from August 1, 2026, to August 1, 2028. Additionally, the bill clarifies that administrative costs for child care assistance programs funded by counties cannot exceed 5% of allocated funds.

This proposed legislation will impact the timeline for implementing these child care assistance policies in Colorado. Compliance officers should monitor the bill's progress through the legislative process. If enacted, entities involved in administering or receiving child care assistance will need to adjust their operational plans to align with the new August 1, 2028, implementation dates. The clarification on administrative cost caps may also require adjustments to county-level budgeting and oversight for child care programs.

What to do next

Monitor the progress of Colorado Bill HB26-1260.
If enacted, adjust child care assistance program implementation timelines to August 1, 2028.
Review county administrative cost allocations for child care assistance programs to ensure compliance with the 5% cap.

Source document (simplified)

HB26-1260

Updates to Child Care Assistance Programs

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) |
Concerning programs for child care assistance.

Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:

Under existing law, the implementation dates for capping family copayments for child care at 7% of family income, for paying child care providers in advance of the provision of services, and for utilizing grants and contracts to improve access to child care for underserved populations is August 1, 2026. The bill extends the implementation dates to August 1, 2028.

The bill clarifies that no more than 5% of money allocated to counties for child care assistance may be used for administrative costs.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Prime Sponsors

Representative

Lorena García
Representative

Jenny Willford
Senator

Lisa Cutter
Senator

Scott Bright

Committees

House

Health & Human Services Appropriations

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Status

Under Consideration

Introduced

Under Consideration

Upcoming Schedule

1 meeting

Tue

Mar 24

House General Orders - Second Reading of Bills

9:00 AM House Chamber

Related Documents & Information

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/19/2026 | Introduced | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 03/13/2026 | PA1 | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 03/16/2026 | First Revised Fiscal Note | PDF |
| 03/06/2026 | Initial Fiscal Note | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 03/18/2026 | SA1 | PDF |

| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer House Bill 26-1260 to the Committee of the Whole. | The motion passed on a vote of 11-0. | Vote summary |
Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF
| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer House Bill 26-1260, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. | The motion passed on a vote of 11-0. | Vote summary |
Committee Report: PDF
| Date | Amendment Number | Committee/ Floor Hearing | Status | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 03/11/2026 | L.001 | HOU Health & Human Services | Passed [*] | PDF |
* Amendments passed in committee are not incorporated into the measure unless adopted by the full House or Senate.

** The status of Second Reading amendments may be subsequently affected by the adoption of an amendment to the Committee of the Whole Report. Refer to the House or Senate Journal for additional information.

| Date | Location | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 03/20/2026 | House | House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole |
| 03/11/2026 | House | House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations |
| 02/19/2026 | House | Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services |
Prime Sponsor

Rep. L. García | Rep. J. Willford

Sen. S. Bright | Sen. L. Cutter

Sponsor

(None) Co-Sponsor

(None)