Health and Safety Committee Meeting – October 21, 2026

The Denver City Council Health and Safety Committee met on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 10:30 AM. Chair Darrell Watson presided. Present were Councilmembers Diana Romero Campbell, Paul Kashmann, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Jamie Torres, and Vice Chair Amanda Sandoval; Kevin Flynn was absent. The committee heard the annual Denver Preschool Program (DPP) update (Council Presentation 26-1538) and approved three consent resolutions.

Briefing: Denver Preschool Program Annual Update

• DPP's President and CEO and Vice President of Communications presented the annual update. DPP was created by a 2006 ballot initiative, originally for four-year-olds, later expanded to three-year-olds, and was permanently reauthorized in 2023 with 78% voter approval. The program celebrated its 20th anniversary on November 6, 2026.
• Reported outcomes include: $272 million in tuition support, $41 million for child-care quality improvements, $20 million for the three-year-old expansion, and 83,150 students funded. The provider network grew from 41 to 267 high-quality providers; about 60% of students attend Denver Public Schools and the rest attend community-based, nonprofit, for-profit, religiously affiliated, or home-based providers.
• On quality, 70% of DPP providers are rated Level 4 and 10% Level 5 under Colorado Shines, compared with 25% Level 4 and 5% Level 5 statewide. DPP has spent $3.5 million on quality improvements and $1.4 million in direct grants to providers. The current provider mix is 85 DPS providers, 175 child-care centers, and 7 family child-care homes.
• DPP reported a net return on investment as high as $14 per dollar invested, 95% parent satisfaction, $42.3 million in citywide savings over four years, and one of the largest early-childhood longitudinal data systems in the country, behind only Head Start.
• On affordability, DPP cited an estimated average monthly Denver tuition cost of $1,640 for a four-year-old, an average DPP tuition credit of $518, and an average UPK contribution of $627, leaving an unmet need for many families. DPP also brought about $45 million in state universal preschool funding to Denver last year as a local coordinating organization.
• DPP's board has decided to expand from a preschool program to a zero-to-five organization over the next three to five years. An infant-toddler pilot at Blossom House, operated by Mahai Early Learning, has a waitlist of nearly 70 families. DPP also added a family navigation service called 'My Friend Ben.'
• The CEO described demographic changes in Denver, including 1,000 fewer four-year-olds than before the pandemic, families leaving due to housing costs, and some families returning to Denver to apply for DPP because the state child-care assistance program is frozen. She said DPP is working to support family, friend, and neighbor caregivers without requiring them to become licensed small businesses.
• Councilmembers asked about changing demographics, universal child care, and support for families experiencing homelessness. The CEO said DPP's three-year-old program is free up to 270% of the federal poverty level and that DPP follows families even if they move near or beyond Denver's borders. Councilmembers praised the program's 20-year record and expressed support for a more holistic, coordinated early-childhood system.
• Jess Ridgway, Executive Director of the Office of Children's Affairs, described the office's close administrative relationship with DPP and said the city will retain 1% of special revenue funds to support oversight, including new program and fiscal administrator positions shared with the Prosperity Denver Fund.

Consent Calendar

• Council Resolution 26-1510 was approved by consent: a contract with Metro Caring for $747,718.98, ending July 31, 2029, for food and food-based education funding for youth through the Healthy Food for Denver's Kid Initiative, citywide.
• Council Resolution 26-1512 was approved by consent: a $675,000 contract with Denver Health & Hospital Authority, ending May 15, 2028, to renovate and expand the Denver CARES facility into a coordinated recovery and stabilization hub meeting future Level 3.5 Residential Treatment standards, citywide.
• Council Resolution 26-1513 was approved by consent: an amendment with the Mental Health Center of Denver adding $3,670,867 for a new total of $27,079,152, extending the contract 11.5 months to August 15, 2027, to operate the Behavioral Health Solutions Center, citywide.

Key Outcomes

• The committee heard and discussed Council Presentation 26-1538; no vote was required for the briefing.
• All three consent resolutions were approved by consent.
• DPP will continue planning its zero-to-five expansion and an upcoming 20th anniversary celebration; follow-up contract changes are expected later in the year.