From Insight to Action: DPP’s 2024-2025 DPP Impact Report

Denver Preschool Program’s 2025 Impact Report is LIVE! Dive into the data and stories that illustrate our impact during the 2024-2025 program year. The theme of the 2025 report is “From Insight to Action,” which captures our approach and commitment to unearthing deeper, more authentic understandings about what Denver families and early childhood educators need in order to foster meaningful early childhood experiences for all children. These insights have inspired program improvements, new pilot initiatives and innovative solutions for Denver families today while proactively creating strong foundations for tomorrow. 

In the words of our President and CEO Elsa Holguín:

“Last year presented a new challenge: to stand strong while the ground shifted beneath our feet. 

That steadiness was essential as we supported Denver families navigating rising home costs and unpredictable policy shifts that affect their everyday lives. We engaged with early childhood educators who were feeling new levels of stress inside the classroom, in addition to increased pressures at home. We stood alongside community partners to champion values and policies at the heart of our mission. 

And yet, as Denver Preschool Program (DPP) has done for nearly 20 years, we remained steady in our vision of helping Denver’s youngest learners succeed.”

Here are a few highlights of this year’s report:

• We awarded approximately $23 million in tuition credits to 4,864 young learners across Denver. The most common tuition amount totaled $871 per month.
• Preschool for 3s, now in its fourth year, distributed almost $4 million in tuition credits to eligible three-year-olds, with priority going to families facing the most financial barriers. 
• We awarded more than $2.6 million in DPP Scholarships to 403 recipients, ensuring these families pay zero for preschool tuition. 
• We invested $3.6 million in quality improvement initiatives across 264 providers, making the preschool experience stronger for educators, young learners and their families. 
• Community outreach efforts reached over 1.2 million people across 68 local events. 

ECE Workforce and Community Research Insights

For DPP, understanding the lived experiences of the early childhood education workforce is an essential part of our commitment to the Denver community. Last year, we dedicated significant resources to improving our awareness of educators’ working conditions, career paths and well-being. Here are a few notable findings from that report:

• Diversity — The early childhood education workforce is notably diverse across race, ethnicity and languages spoken. The highest percentage (38%) identify as Hispanic, Latino or Spanish and, of the full population surveyed, 77% speak Spanish.  
• Longevity and Passion — Half of the educators had 10 or more years in the field, and 64% felt that this was their chosen profession, noting a variety of heartfelt and personal motivations for pursuing this career. 
• Compensation Challenges — One of the most essential components of a healthy early childhood education landscape is adequate compensation. This study further identified the daily struggles of educators to afford basic needs. This is a systemic issue that we have championed for years and will continue to advocate for. 
• Healthcare Access — While many educators are offered healthcare through their work, many cannot afford it and utilize public assistance programs like Medicaid and SNAP to meet their family’s basic needs. 

Part of DPP’s response to these needs was an increase in Workforce Stipend Grants. This year, we awarded over $670,000 to educators, strengthening classroom quality across the city. Additionally, a core part of our Strategic Plan is to support the early childhood education workforce by advocating for pay parity with K-12 educators and improving retention and professional development opportunities. We know educators are the heart and soul of the preschool experience, and they will remain at the center of our mission moving forward. 

Transformational Shifts for Tomorrow

As you will see in the report, in the past year, we gave equal weight to the small moments of joy we see in the classroom and the large, transformational shifts that are needed to serve families in the future. We are humbled and grateful for the continued support of the Denver community, our incredible partnerships with providers and community leaders and, of course, the trust of families to support young learners to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. 

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