Trump, Faith Groups Back Colorado Catholic Preschools

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The Supreme Court is set to decide whether Colorado can shut Catholic families out of its “universal” preschool program. The case has drawn a remarkable show of support for the families, including a brief from President Donald Trump’s own solicitor general. At its heart is a simple question: Does “universal” really mean everyone?

The dispute began when Colorado created a program promising free preschool to every family, then denied that benefit to families who chose Catholic schools. Now, after two losses in lower courts, those families are asking the nation’s highest court to step in. The justices will not hear arguments until their new term this fall, and a decision is not expected until 2027, so this is a fight to watch over the coming year rather than one that will be settled in the days ahead.

A Promise of “Universal” Preschool

In 2023, Colorado launched its Universal Preschool Program, known as UPK. The program offers eligible families about $6,000 a year to cover 15 hours of preschool each week. Parents were told they could use the money at the public, private, or faith-based preschool of their choice.

The program has been popular. The state has extended the benefit to more than 80,000 children across Colorado. For many working families, it made quality preschool affordable for the first time.

Catholic families were eager to take part, just like everyone else. But when they tried to use the benefit at their parish preschools, they discovered the state had quietly closed the door.

Catholic Families Left Out

To join the program, a preschool must sign an agreement promising to enroll families “regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity,” and other categories. Because Catholic schools teach the Church’s beliefs about marriage and sexuality, the state ruled they could not comply. As a result, more than 1,500 children across the Archdiocese of Denver’s preschools were declared ineligible for funding.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed suit on behalf of two parishes and several families. Among them are Dan and Lisa Sheley, Colorado parents raising seven children in the Catholic faith. “Colorado promised preschool for all but then showed Catholic families the door,” the Sheleys said.

The effects have been painful. Since the program began, enrollment at Catholic preschools has dropped sharply, and two Catholic schools have closed, including one that mostly served low-income and minority families. The Archdiocese asked the state for a simple exemption so it could keep its beliefs and still take part, but Colorado refused.

For these families, a Catholic preschool is more than a classroom. It is a community of faith where prayer, religious instruction, and moral formation are woven into everyday learning, and where parents can trust that teachers will reinforce rather than undermine what they teach at home. Asking those schools to set aside their beliefs, the families say, is asking them to stop being Catholic.

A Growing Coalition Steps In

The families lost at both the federal district court and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld Colorado’s rule. In April 2026, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, known as St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy. Since then, support for the families has grown quickly.

This week, a broad coalition filed friend-of-the-court briefs urging the justices to rule for the schools. The U.S. solicitor general, joined by more than 20 states and 43 members of Congress, argued that Colorado’s exclusion of these preschools is unlawful. Faith groups from very different traditions, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, weighed in as well.

In all, 29 briefs were filed on the families’ behalf. Becket attorney Eric Rassbach said the wide range of support shows how far Colorado has strayed from the Constitution. For people of faith, the message was clear: this is not only a Catholic concern, but a warning to every religious family in America.

Colorado’s Losing Streak at the Court

The families point to a string of recent Supreme Court rulings on their side. In cases like Trinity Lutheran, Espinoza, and Carson, the Court held that states cannot exclude religious schools from public benefits simply because they are religious. Colorado’s rule, the families argue, does exactly that.

Colorado also carries a troubled record at the high court. It has suffered repeated First Amendment losses there in recent years, including the Masterpiece Cakeshop, 303 Creative, and Chiles cases. A loss here would mark yet another rebuke of the state’s treatment of religious citizens.

The families also point to a glaring double standard. They note that Colorado allowed some schools with selective enrollment policies into the program, even as it barred Catholic schools for following their faith. In their view, the state is picking winners and losers based on belief.

Colorado sees it differently. The state argues that its rule applies to everyone equally and that the Catholic schools simply do not qualify because they will not enroll LGBTQ families. Lower courts agreed, finding the requirement neutral and lawful. The Supreme Court also noted that it will not use this case to overturn a 1990 precedent that limits religious exemptions, though its ruling could still narrow that rule.

What Comes Next

The Court is expected to hear arguments sometime after its new term begins in October, and a ruling is not likely until the spring or summer of 2027. In other words, this decision is many months away, not days. Until then, Catholic families in Colorado must keep paying out of pocket for the education they believe their children need.

The case reaches far beyond one state. It asks whether the government can offer a benefit to all families and then punish those who choose faith-based schools. That question touches religious freedom, parental rights, and the simple promise that a public program should treat every citizen the same.

For Christians and all people of faith, the stakes are high. A nation that truly values liberty should not force parents to choose between their beliefs and the benefits their own tax dollars help fund. As this case moves forward, it deserves our attention and our prayers. The word “universal,” after all, is supposed to include everyone.

As believers, we are called to pray for our leaders and our nation. Pray for wisdom for those making these decisions, and for safety and dignity for all people affected by them.

That’s where we come in.

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Rooted in the scriptural call to pray “for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1–2), the guide offers a thoughtful framework for interceding on behalf of our leaders: for wisdom in their decisions, integrity in their conduct, protection for them and their families, and a heart for serving the common good.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your personal prayer life or to gather others in praying for our nation, this guide is a meaningful place to start. Download it here: https://millionvoices.org/mv-prayer-guide-pray-for-government-officials/

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