Non- Home Child Care Providers

• Before You Get Started

  Familiarize Yourself with Licensing Rules

  A child care license is required when five or more children are in care at any given time. Colorado’s Child Care Licensing Act allows certain child care facilities to be exempt from licensing requirements. Please visit the Legal Exemption from Child Care page on the Office of Early Childhood website for additional information.
  
  ALL non-home child care facilities must be familiar with the following:

  • General Rules Regulating Child Care Facilities (7.701)
  • Rules Regulating Special Activities (7.719) (not applicable to Neighborhood Youth Organizations)
  • Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) - for providers who accept CCCAP

  There are multiple types of non-home child care licenses.  Each non-home child care license has own licensing rules, therefore, you must also familiarize yourselves with the licensing rules that apply to your specific license type (listed below).

  • Child Care Centers (less than 24 hours)
  • School-Age Child Care Centers
  • Resident Camps
  • Neighborhood Youth Organizations
  • Day Treatment Centers (24-hour facility)

   

   
• Apply for a Non-Home Child Care License
  For detailed instructions on how to submit an original non-home child care application, see the Non-Home Child Care Application Submission Guide.
  
  Make a copy of your completed application prior to submitting and keep in your files. Mail your completed application and payment to:
  
  Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS)
  Office of Early Childhood (OEC)
  Attn: License Processing
  1575 Sherman Street, First Floor
  Denver, CO 80203-1714
   
• Required Application Materials
  • Non-Home Original Child Care Application
  • Child Care Licensing Fees
• You Submitted Your Application - Next Steps

  Complete Required Training

  • Applicants must complete all training requirements prior to being licensed. It does not need to be completed prior to submitting an application.
  • Training requirements include, but are not limited to Pre-Licensing Training, First Aid/CPR Certification, Standard Precautions and Medication Administration training. View all required trainings.

  Complete Criminal Background Checks and Fingerprinting

  The Background Check Submission Guide (coming soon!) provides the information you need to complete the two separate background check processes required to become licensed to provide child care in Colorado OR to work as an employee or volunteer of a child care facility.

  Schedule Your Licensing Inspection

  • Once the Office of Early Childhood receives a complete application packet and you are assigned a License Number, a licensing specialist will contact you to schedule an original licensing inspection. If you have not been contacted by a licensing specialist within 45 days of receiving your License Number, please call the Office of Early Childhood at 1.800.799.5876.
  • Original licensing inspections are completed to determine if a license should be issued. At the inspection the licensing specialist will verify compliance with licensing rules and regulations, review required training certificates and review health statements.