This amendment sets a deadline of December 31, 2028, for the new grant program to raise at least $900,000 in donations or face cancellation and return of funds.
Colorado2026Enacted
SB26-080
Cradle to Career Grant Program Act
Last scannedAug 24, 2026, 8:22 AM
In one sentence
This law creates a grant program in Colorado's Department of Human Services that gives money to local groups to help children, youth, and families move out of poverty through education, health services, and workforce opportunities.
What it does
- Creates the Cradle to Career Grant Program within the State Department (CDHS).
- Provides grants to eligible organizations for programs that connect youth with high-quality educational programming and families with key health and social services.
- Establishes an advisory council to approve or disapprove grant recipients and help develop program guidelines and criteria.
- Requires applicants to submit a needs assessment, identify community partners, and include input from local individuals and organizations in their plans.
- Limits any single grant award to no more than 49% of the total money available for the program.
Who it affects
- Local governments, schools, colleges, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and community-based nonprofit or not-for-profit organizations that apply for grants.
- Children (as defined by state law) and youth under age twenty-five living in areas with high poverty rates.
- Families seeking access to housing, child care, nutrition, health care, workforce readiness programs, and wealth-building opportunities.
Limits and unknowns
- The program must receive at least $900,000 in gifts and donations by December 31, 2028, or it will end.
- Colorado cannot use general state tax money to run this grant program; it relies on outside funding sources like gifts and grants.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Eligible Entity
- A local government, school district or charter school, state college, Indian tribe or tribal organization, or community-based nonprofit that can apply for a grant under this law.
- Designated Service Area
- A specific geographic area where at least 30% of households with children have an annual income at or below twice the federal poverty line.
- High-Quality
- Programs or services that are based on evidence showing they work effectively (evidence-based) or informed by such evidence (evidence-informed).
Official record
Sources
Official summary
The act creates the cradle to career grant program (grant program) in the department of human services (CDHS) to provide grants to a local government, local education provider, state institution of higher education, Indian tribe or tribal organization, or community-based nonprofit or not-for-profit organization (eligible entity) to promote coordinated community-based supports and services that open opportunities for economic mobility from poverty. The grant program must connect children and youth with high-quality educational and extracurricular programming and families with key health and social services in order to improve prenatal and early childhood outcomes, student achievement, workforce readiness, and wealth-building opportunities. The act creates the cradle to career advisory council (council) to approve or disapprove CDHS's potential grant recipients and to collaborate with CDHS to develop grant program guidelines and criteria for awarding grants. Council members must be Colorado residents and must not provide financial support for the grant program. To receive a grant, an eligible entity must submit an application that includes an economic mobility needs assessment and a comprehensive proposal to address the needs within its designated service area. The application must identify prospective community partners and subcontractors. The act caps the amount that CDHS may award in connection with a single grant application at 49% of available grant program money. A grant recipient must comply with various health and safety, financial responsibility, and anti-discrimination safeguards. Each grant recipient must annually report to CDHS addressing the recipient's progress using a set of performance indicators to assess the economic mobility outcomes and impacts associated with the grant award. CDHS must make a related report to the health and human services committees of the general assembly and the governor each year. CDHS may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for grant-program-related purposes. If CDHS does not receive $900,000 for those purposes on or before December 31, 2028, the grant program is repealed. The general assembly shall not appropriate general fund dollars for grant program operations. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Official activity
Bill history
- Governor SignedGovernor
- Sent to the GovernorGovernor
- Signed by the Speaker of the HouseHouse
- Signed by the President of the SenateSenate
- Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - RepassSenate
- House Third Reading Passed - No AmendmentsHouse
- House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - CommitteeHouse
- House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the WholeHouse
- House Committee on Appropriations Postpone IndefinitelyHouse
- House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to AppropriationsHouse
- House Committee on Education Refer Unamended to FinanceHouse
- House Committee on Education Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion OnlyHouse
- Introduced In House - Assigned to EducationHouse
- Senate Third Reading Passed - No AmendmentsSenate
- Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, FloorSenate
- Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the WholeSenate
- Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Refer Amended to AppropriationsSenate
- Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government & HousingSenate
Changes
Amendments
11 stored
This amendment defines what counts as a high-quality program, adds new rules for who can get grants based on their experience and impact, changes the name of required funding to 'matching', limits how much money one group can receive at once, and requires grant recipients to have strong community connections.
This amendment changes the rules for who can serve on the advisory council by adding new required members and setting limits to prevent conflicts of interest.
This amendment adds rules to ensure that local schools cannot use grant money for their regular school programs and must partner with another organization when applying.
This amendment stops the state legislature from using general tax money to fund the new Cradle to Career Grant Program.
This amendment adds a rule that the new grant program can only start and operate if at least $900,000 is available in its fund.
This amendment adds new rules for organizations receiving grants to ensure safety, fairness, and proper oversight while changing who sits on the program's advisory board.
This amendment changes the name of the group overseeing the grant program from a 'board' to an advisory 'council', updates how often they must meet, and adjusts when their first meeting happens.
This amendment requires the state to report specific details about grants given to non-public groups, including how much money they received and their staff qualifications.
This amendment updates the bill to officially include goals for building wealth, reducing financial gaps between people, and helping families achieve long-term security through assets like homes and businesses.
This amendment moves the Cradle to Career Grant Program from a new section of state law under Health Services to an existing part of state law managed by Local Affairs.