What is UPK

 UPK Policies

To support your child's healthy development, our program [offers/coordinates access to/provides information on] voluntary developmental screening services. Please speak to Theresa Kepple, Tonia Paben or Delaney Peterson or email Littleblessingspdo@gmail.com for information on obtaining any of the following:

• Developmental or Health Screenings
• Vision, Hearing, or Dental Screenings
• Social-emotional, Cognitive, or Language Screenings
• Mental Health or Special Education Referrals
• Translation Services

We believe you are your child’s first and most important teacher. Our program is committed to partnering with you in the following ways:

• Language Support: We provide opportunities to utilize interpreters or other language resources as needed to ensure clear communication.
• Cultural Sharing: We invite and encourage you to share your home’s cultural and social practices within our classroom community.
• Goal Setting: We will partner with you to set individual learning and development goals for your child.
• Program Decision-Making: We offer opportunities for families and community partners to engage in our program's operational decision-making processes.
• Transitions: We will actively involve you in your child’s transitions between classrooms or when moving to a new school.
• Feedback: We value your perspective and provide opportunities for you to give feedback on the quality of program-family and program-staff interactions.

Each spring, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) conducts an annual family survey. You will be notified of the opportunity to participate and share your experiences regarding your meaningful and culturally appropriate involvement in our program, as well as the healthy development supports provided.What's something exciting your business offers? Say it here.

  Important to Know 

Little Blessings would like to connect our families to community resources. We partner with parents to find resources to accommodate their child’s specific needs. An observation-based assessment in the first 45 days of attendance will be conducted to screen for any developmental delays and ongoing assessments will be conducted throughout the year following the Colorado Early Learning Developmental Guidelines. Results will be discussed during parent teacher conferences which will be conducted in the fall and again in the spring. If staff believes further assessment is needed, the parents will receive information for a referral agency. Parents may choose (and are encouraged) to contact outside agencies/organizations for programs or services. Parents can receive resources from the Little Blessings office. Little Blessings staff is willing to work with parents and their community providers to design learning activities that aid in meeting outcomes, goals of individual family services, Individual Education Plans, School Readiness Plans, Individual Learning Plans, and/or other individual plans. Little Blessings welcomes your child’s treatment team to work with us at any time to ensure the best care for your child. 

For children age 3-5 please reach out to DCSD directly:

Child Find Information Line: 720-433-0020

Child Find Fax Number: 720-433-0021

Email: Child_Find_Intake@dcsdk12.org  Website: DCSD Child Find  Appointment Request & Intake Form: HERE

Child Find Coordinator: Annika Barton

• To refer a child under age 3, go to the Early Intervention Colorado Centralized Referral System or call 1-888-777-4041.
• Developmental Pathways offers free screening to children under the age of 3.  www.dpcolo.org/

Mental Health Resources

• AllHealth Network, a non-profit mental health system in Castle Rock. AllHealth Network is a nonprofit mental health organization providing counseling, psychiatry, crisis services, substance use treatment, and more. We accept Medicaid and commercial insurance plans. www.allhealthnetwork.org/

Local Resources 

• Douglas All Health Network
• Douglas Catholic Charities of Central Co
• Douglas Denver Indian Family Resource Center
• Douglas Douglas County ECC
• Douglas Douglas County Human Services
• Douglas Douglas School District
• Douglas Families Forward
• Douglas Grace Chapel (Englewood)
• Douglas Help & Hope Center / Douglas / Elbert Task Force
• Douglas Manna Family Resource Center
• Douglas Parker Task Force
• Douglas SECORCares
• Douglas Shiloh House

To file an official complaint about the facility, contact: 

The Colorado Department of Human Services 

Division of Child Care 

1575 Sherman Street, Denver, Colorado 80203-1714 

303-866-5958 or 1-800-799-5876

To report suspected child abuse, contact:

Douglas County Health & Human Services 101 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104 303-688-4825

Information of Communicable Diseases

-For a list of communicable diseases and information go to:

https://cdphe.colorado.gov/ or go to https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dcphr/communicable-disease-manual

 How UPK Hours Work

Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) provides eligible children with a certain number of preschool hours that are funded through the UPK program.

At Little Blessings, families may choose from the UPK schedule options that are available at our school. The number of UPK hours your child receives is based on the UPK seat your family selects and is separate from the total number of hours your child may attend Little Blessings.

For example, a child may have a UPK seat that provides 10 hours per week. Those 10 hours are the hours that are covered through the child's UPK funding.

A family may choose to have their child attend Little Blessings for additional hours beyond the UPK-funded hours. Any additional hours are not covered by the UPK seat and may be subject to Little Blessings' regular tuition and fees.

At Little Blessings, our UPK options may include:

• 10-hour UPK seat: 2 days per week
• 15-hour UPK seat: 3 days per week

The specific days and schedule are based on the UPK placement and the availability of the classroom.

At this time, Little Blessings is not able to offer or accept a 30-hour UPK funding seat.

Our current full-time schedule provides 5.5 hours of care per day, five days per week, for a maximum of 27.5 hours per week. Therefore, the maximum number of UPK-funded hours that Little Blessings can accommodate within our current schedule is 27.5 hours per week.

We are unable to provide a 30-hour UPK seat because our current operating schedule does not provide 30 hours of care per week.

We appreciate your understanding and are happy to discuss the UPK options and schedules that are currently available at Little Blessings 

At Little Blessings, we understand that life is filled with both joys and challenges. Families may experience difficult circumstances such as the loss of a loved one, illness, divorce, financial hardship, natural disasters, or other unexpected events. These experiences can have a significant impact on both children and adults.

Our staff desires to be part of your community of support during these difficult times by offering compassion, understanding, and encouragement whenever possible. As followers of Christ, we believe we are called to care for one another, bear one another's burdens, and walk alongside families with love and grace. We are committed to fostering the emotional, social, spiritual, and physical well-being of every child and family in our program.

Children experience and express trauma in many different ways. Some children may become withdrawn or anxious, while others may display changes in behavior, difficulty concentrating, increased emotional reactions, sleep disturbances, regression to earlier developmental behaviors, or physical complaints such as headaches or stomachaches. Every child's response is unique, and there is no "right" way to process difficult experiences.

Our staff members strive to provide a safe, predictable, and nurturing environment where children feel secure, valued, and loved. We use developmentally appropriate practices that promote emotional regulation, positive relationships, and resilience. When a child is experiencing a difficult situation, our teachers will respond with patience, empathy, and consistency while maintaining routines that help children feel safe.

We encourage families to communicate with us about significant life events or changes that may affect their child. While you are never required to share personal details, knowing that a child is experiencing a difficult season allows us to provide additional understanding and support throughout the school day. All information shared with staff will be treated with respect and handled as confidentially as possible, with consideration for the child's safety and well-being.

Although Little Blessings is not a counseling or mental health service, we are committed to partnering with families and, when appropriate, can provide information about community resources that may offer additional support. We believe that working together with families creates the strongest foundation for helping children heal, grow, and thrive.

Above all, we want every child and family who enters our doors to know they are welcomed, cared for, and deeply valued. Through God's love, supportive relationships, and a caring community, we hope to provide a place where children can continue to learn, grow, and experience hope even during life's most challenging moments.What's a product or service you'd like to show.