Child Care Resource & Referral

Things to keep in mind when looking for child care

1. Start as Early as Possible – Finding the right child care for you and your child is a process. It takes time to make calls and set up visits and then to be offered an opening in a program that is a “good fit” for your family. If you can start looking 6-8 months in advance you have a good chance at finding an opening in the child care program you want. For infants and toddlers starting even earlier is advised as demand is high and supply is low.
2. Educate & Call – Remember it is important to be an educated consumer when examining your child care options. The steps to finding quality care in your community will walk you through the things you need to know to make an informed decision and find a child care program that is a “good fit” for you and your child.
3. Ask Questions – Once you have obtained a list of child care providers from the Colorado Shines Child Care Referral it’s time to start the interview process. Call providers in your area to narrow down your options. If providers are full, ask if they keep a wait list and if there is a fee to be placed on the wait list. It is recommended if you find a program that you like to go on the wait list. This way you may be offered a spot when an opening to occurs.
4. What is the Colorado Shines Rating? Quality rating is a system to help parents identify high quality child care programs. To learn more about the Colorado Shines Rating please see the Give Your Child a Strong Start With Colorado Shines document.
5. Schedule a Visit – After you have narrowed your choices, visit several child care facilities or family child care programs. Meet with the home child care provider or center director and tour the facility. Remember, programs can vary greatly from one another, the more programs you visit, the better perspective you will have on what is best for your child and your family. Reference [Colorado Adult to Child Ratios] for information about maximum group size and adult child ratios allowed by Colorado State law.
6. Investigate – We highly encourage you to ask for and to check references. Never leave your child in any center or home if you are told that parents are not welcome to drop in at any time, unannounced. Never leave your child anywhere without having spent some time with the prospective child care provider. While you are there ask to see the most recent “Report of Inspection”. This should be posted in a visible place for parents to review.
7. Check the licensing information – Before making a final decision or signing a contract review licensing records on the providers you are considering. Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood provides access to these records that includes licensed capacity by age, licensing inspection history, information about past complaints or investigations and any restrictions to the license. Click for Child Care Look Up.Many providers have few if any complaints or violations however, if you find something that concerns you a more detailed report may be requested specific to a given complaint number or inspection date. To request these licensing reports, first write down the complaint number/s or the licensing inspection date/s you want to investigate, then “Save” the Summary Report. Under “Saved Provider Summaries” click “Continue” then “Continue” again. From this screen you will be able to request the full “Report of Inspection” about specific complaints or inspections. Fill out the File Review Request form and submit. It may take a few weeks to receive the requested file/s by email. Another way to obtain provider files is to call 303-866-6029 or send an email to cdhs_oec_pbfr@state.co.us
8. Enroll – Once you have chosen a program you will need to provide the enrollment paperwork and forms before your child can begin attending. The provider should walk you through this process. If you haven’t already done so, arrange to take your child for a visit before you leave him or her for care. This will make for a happier first day for everyone.
9. Stay Involved – Once your child is enrolled in the program of your choice, it is important to stay involved. You now need to become a partner with your child’s teacher or provider. Make it a habit to communicate on a regular basis. Find out how your child is doing during the day, what they are learning about and how you can continue that learning process at home. Be sure to share information about your child to help the teacher or care giver better understand him or her. Remember you are the expert on your child.