Colorado child care center license: small and large centers under CDEC

One license, two sizes, and who runs your inspection

Colorado’s Child Care Licensing Act is administered by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC). Within CDEC, the Division of Early Learning, Licensing, and Administration (DELLA) licenses both family child care homes and non-home child care facilities, over 5,000 programs that provide less than 24-hour care.⁠³ Rule 8 CCR 1402-1 splits centers into two classes:⁠¹

• A large child care center cares for 16 or more children between 6 weeks and 18 years old.
• A small child care center cares for up to 15 children.

Preschools and school-age programs fall under the same rule and fee schedule. The fee table groups “small child care centers, preschools, school-age child care” together and puts their large versions in the next tier.⁠¹ The size you choose sets your director qualifications, the fee you pay and a few staffing allowances, so decide your capacity before you hire a director.

Your licensing specialist may not be a CDEC employee. As of October 2026, CDEC contracts out licensing in six counties. Child Care Innovations covers Jefferson, Clear Creek and Gilpin counties. The Institute for Racial Equity & Excellence covers Arapahoe, El Paso and Pueblo counties. Adams, Larimer and Weld moved back to CDEC staff.⁠³ CDEC posts a caseload assignment list that shows who handles your area.⁠³

If your care happens in your own home, read the Colorado family child care home license guide instead. A center may operate in a private residence, but only if the rooms children use are reserved for child care during operating hours or are separate from the family’s living quarters. No other business may run in those rooms during care hours.⁠¹

Do you need a license at all?

The rule is blunt: “A license must be obtained before care begins unless such care is exempt.”⁠¹ The exemptions in section 2.112 that matter most for center-style programs are narrower than many founders assume:⁠¹

• Religious instruction only. A class that teaches religion is exempt. A faith-based program that mixes religious instruction with early childhood education or child care as part of the daily routine must be licensed.
• Single-skill programs. A class teaching one subject, such as a sport or music, is exempt only if it has no nap periods or overnight care. Once you add activities beyond that one skill, you need a license. Meals and snacks are allowed.
• On-site care while parents are on the premises. A church, shopping center or business can run drop-in care for no more than three hours in any 24-hour period. It must be on the premises, and only for children whose parents are attending services, shopping or working there.
• Occasional care that is infrequent and irregular, with no pattern.
• Programs approved, certified or licensed by another state or federal agency that sets standards for the program and inspects it.

The center rules apply to programs caring for five or more children, with or without pay.⁠¹ A family care home that serves up to four children, related or unrelated, is also exempt, with no more than two under age 2 at a time. That exemption is for homes, so a program in rented commercial space does not fit it.⁠¹ If you are unsure, CDEC’s licensing line is 1-800-799-5876.⁠³

The director: qualify this person first

DELLA does not license a center that has no qualified director. The governing body must appoint one, and the director must be on site at least 60% of every day the center is open.⁠¹ The qualifications depend on the size of your center.

Large center director

Before starting the job, a large center director must hold either a director qualifications letter issued by the Department or an early childhood professional credential at level III or higher in the Professional Development Information System (PDIS). The Department evaluates official college transcripts.⁠¹ The education can be met in one of three ways:⁠¹

1. A qualifying degree

   A bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate in child development, child psychology, early childhood education, early childhood special education, educational leadership and administration, elementary education, family and human development, family studies or special education.

2. Ten specific courses

   Ten 3-semester-credit courses (30 credits) covering introduction to ECE, ECE techniques, guidance strategies, health/nutrition/safety, ECE administration, human relations or introduction to business, curriculum, child growth and development, the exceptional child, and infant/toddler theory. Some of these courses can be replaced by the Colorado Pyramid Model or Expanding Quality in Infant Toddler Care certificates.

3. An approved course of training

   A Department-approved course that covers the same content and experience.

How much experience you need depends on your education. Experience means caring for four or more unrelated children under age 8:⁠¹

Experience in a school-age center counts for no more than half of the hours. Family child care experience counts only if the applicant was the licensee of a Colorado home. Every course must have a grade of C or better.⁠¹

A renewed director letter expires five years after the renewal is approved. In a center open more than six hours a day, a director without a level III credential must complete one 3-credit college course related to center operations every five years, and the letter is invalid if not renewed before it expires.⁠¹

If the director cannot be on site for 60% of a day, an assistant director must be on site and act as director. An assistant director can cover a vacancy or absence for no more than 12 weeks per calendar year. The assistant director must be at least 18, have 1,365 hours as an early childhood teacher, and hold either a bachelor’s degree or half the director coursework, including both administration courses.⁠¹

Small center director

A small center director, or substitute director, can meet the large center standard or any one of these:⁠¹

• A Colorado Department of Education teaching license with an elementary, early childhood, early childhood special education or principal endorsement
• A PDIS credential at level II or higher
• A valid Child Development Associate (CDA) credential
• 5,005 hours of experience plus two 3-credit ECE courses
• 1,365 hours of experience, an associate’s degree and two ECE courses
• 455 hours of experience and an associate’s degree in child development or ECE with two qualifying courses

When a small center director is absent, only someone who meets small or large center director qualifications may substitute.⁠¹ A small center that serves infants or toddlers has two options. The director can meet the large center standard. Otherwise, the director can meet the small center standard and also have an infant program supervisor or one of four infant/toddler experience routes. The small center director may also serve as the infant program supervisor.⁠¹

Staffing, ratios and group size

Only staff who meet the teacher qualifications in section 2.216(A) and work directly with children count toward the ratio. Children of staff who attend the center count against your licensed capacity.⁠¹

Other staffing rules that shape your schedule:⁠¹

• Mixed preschool groups. If more than 20% of a mixed preschool group is younger children, use the ratio and group size for the youngest child. Toddler groups always use the youngest child’s ratio and group size, and must be separated by permanent or portable dividers.
• Low attendance. When eight or fewer children are present during the first and last hour, one teacher or assistant teacher may work with them if a second staff member is on site. No more than two of those children may be under age 2. Once nine children are present, two staff must be on duty.
• Assistant teachers. An assistant early childhood teacher may be alone with a group for the first two hours of the day, up to one hour at nap time and the last two hours before closing.
• Nap time. For children 2½ and older in preschool rooms, the ratio may double if at least half are asleep, another staff member is immediately available, and group size and room capacity are not exceeded.
• Kindergarten. Formal kindergarten sessions run at 1:25, and 1:15 at other times of the day.
• Infant program. A qualified infant program supervisor must be present 60% of the infant program’s hours. You need one supervisor for every 20 infants and a supervisor or infant teacher for every group of 10 or fewer. Infant staff aides must be at least 18. Other staff aides can be 16.
• Medication. At least one staff member with Department-approved medication administration training and delegation must be on duty at all times.
• Child Care Health Consultant. Staff must meet monthly with a Department-approved Child Care Health Consultant. The consultant must be a registered nurse with maternal and child health experience, a pediatric or family nurse practitioner, or a physician with pediatric or maternal and child health experience. At least quarterly visits must be on site, and the center keeps a record of each consultation for three years.

A small center may combine children from 6 weeks to 3 years in one classroom at 1:5, with a maximum group of 10. That combined room needs 50 square feet per child.⁠¹

Teacher qualifications

An early childhood teacher must be at least 18 and meet one of nine routes in section 2.216(A). The routes range from an ECE bachelor’s degree to 3,185 hours of experience plus a PDIS level I credential or two ECE courses. A CDA, a level II credential or an ECE associate’s degree also qualifies.⁠¹ An infant program supervisor can qualify as a registered nurse with 455 hours of infant experience, a licensed practical nurse with 1,365 hours, or through a 30-credit infant/toddler certificate, among other routes.⁠¹

Training before and after day one

Some training must be done before a staff member works with children. Other training has a 30- or 90-day deadline:⁠¹

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

For every 30 children in attendance, at least one staff member with full First Aid and CPR certification must be with the children. Infant rooms need a certified person at all times, and toddler programs need one for every 15 toddlers.⁠¹ Each year, staff complete 15 clock hours of professional development, including at least 3 hours on social-emotional development. Hours do not carry over, and one semester credit counts as 15 hours.⁠¹

Background checks for owners and staff

Colorado runs two separate checks: a fingerprint-based criminal check and a child abuse and neglect check.⁠⁴

• Fingerprints (CBI and FBI). Each applicant for an original center license has fingerprints taken at a vendor approved by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and so does any adult living in the center. The person being checked pays.⁠¹ CDEC directs licensed facilities to IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting.⁠⁴ Staff must be fingerprinted within five working days of starting, and the check must be complete before they care for children or have unsupervised access.⁠¹
• Trails child abuse and neglect check. This check must also be complete before someone cares for children.⁠¹ The employer submits it through the Provider Hub, and the fee is $30 per applicant as published on 2026-10-12.⁠⁴ A person with a completed CBI or FBI check may work for up to 90 days while the other checks are pending, but must be supervised the whole time by someone who has cleared every check.⁠¹
• National Sex Offender Registry. This check must also be complete before the person cares for children.⁠¹
• Out-of-state checks. Anyone who lived outside Colorado in the past five years needs a child abuse registry check from each of those states. They also need a criminal history check from each state that does not take part in the National Fingerprint File program. The CBI and FBI fingerprints must be done first.⁠⁴

FBI and Trails checks must be renewed every five years.⁠¹ A center may not employ anyone convicted of child abuse, a crime of violence or an offense involving unlawful sexual behavior, among other listed convictions, including a drug-related or assault felony within the five years before the application.⁠¹

The building: space, separation and toilets

If you are building new or remodeling, Colorado requires your architectural plans to be approved by the Department, the local fire department and the local building department before construction starts.⁠¹

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Space counts only if children can reach it and use it. Rooms also have caps: no more than 10 infants, 20 toddlers aged 12 to 36 months, or 28 toddlers aged 24 to 36 months in one room.⁠¹

Outdoor requirements are often the hardest to meet at urban sites:⁠¹

• Preschool and older. Provide 75 square feet per child using the area at one time. The total area must hold at least 33% of your licensed preschool-and-older capacity, or measure at least 1,500 square feet, whichever is larger.
• Infants. Infants need at least 400 square feet, and no other group may use the area while infants are outside.
• Toddlers. Toddlers need 750 square feet if you are licensed for 10, or 1,050 square feet for 14 or more. Alternatively, provide 75 square feet per child in the largest group.
• Fencing and shade. Fencing or natural barriers must be at least 4 feet high. The fenced area needs at least 150 square feet of shade year-round.
• No yard. If you cannot meet outdoor requirements at the site, you can submit a site-specific hardship plan for approval. The plan must identify an alternate outdoor space within half a mile and show how children will get there safely.

Infant and toddler rooms must be separated from other ages by walls at least 8 feet high and full doors.⁠¹ Infant or toddler rooms on a floor that does not exit directly outside need an alternate location plan before licensure. The plan needs fire and building department approval, an evacuation plan with areas of refuge, and a description of the special equipment and staffing you will use.⁠¹ You need one piece of sturdy mobile evacuation equipment for every five licensed infants.⁠¹

You need one sink and one flush toilet for every 15 children. Children’s toilets must be on the same floor as the indoor play area, and toddler toilets must be inside the toddler classroom. Staff toilets must be separate, or partitioned off, except in centers licensed for 30 or fewer children or with programs of four hours or less. New construction, or a change of governing body, requires separately built staff and children’s toilets.⁠¹ The center also needs office space apart from children’s areas. Firearms are banned on the premises and in vehicles that transport children.⁠¹

Fire drills are monthly. Tornado drills are monthly from March through October. Emergency, lockdown and active shooter drills are at least quarterly. Install a carbon monoxide detector where children sleep. Fire alarms and sprinklers follow your locally adopted fire code.⁠¹

Approvals you need before CDEC issues the license

Section 2.122 requires these documents before an original license is issued:⁠¹

1. Zoning approval in writing

   The approval must list the facility address and the ages and number of children. You need a new approval if you move, increase capacity or add age groups.

2. An approving health inspection report

   It comes from your local health department or the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

3. An approving fire inspection report

   from the local fire department.

Health and fire inspections are repeated after any renovation that affects licensing and at least every two years.⁠¹

The governing body must be identified by its legal name. You must disclose the names and addresses of the people who hold primary financial control and of the officers. If the Department asks, you must show enough money to run the center.⁠¹

You must also have written policies ready to give to every family at enrollment, and get each family’s signature acknowledging receipt. Section 2.206 lists at least 32 required items, including an itemized fee schedule, a positive guidance policy, emergency and disaster procedures, medication handling, safe sleep, how to file a complaint and how you report abuse.⁠¹

Applying through the Provider Hub, in order

1. Fix the site and capacity

   Calculate your capacity from indoor space, outdoor space, toilets and room caps. Then get local zoning approval for that number and those ages.⁠¹

2. Get plan approvals for any construction

   Submit plans to the Department, the fire department and the building department before any work begins.⁠¹

3. Qualify your director

   For a large center, the director qualifications letter or level III PDIS credential must be in place before the person works as director.⁠¹

4. Apply in the Provider Hub

   CDEC asks for the original application 60 to 90 days before you plan to open. The rule sets a minimum of 60 days. The licensing evaluation starts only after CDEC has the complete application and the correct fee. The fee is nonrefundable, and applications are handled in the order received.⁠¹⁠³ Paper applications are still accepted with a check or money order. Card and e-check payments go only through the Provider Hub.⁠³

5. Clear background checks

   Fingerprint, Trails, sex offender registry and out-of-state checks must be done for the applicant and for staff before they care for children.⁠¹⁠⁴

6. Pass the inspections

   You need the health and fire inspection reports, and a licensing inspection by your specialist. CDEC notes that because an inspection and background checks must happen before opening, “the entire licensing process can take up to 90 days.”⁠¹⁠³

7. Open on a provisional license, then go permanent

   A provisional license can be issued only for the first six months. It lets you operate while you finish meeting rules you cannot yet meet, if you show you are working toward compliance. A permanent license is granted once the Department finds you in compliance.⁠¹

Outdoor nature-based preschools have an extra step. Their director and assistant director must complete CDEC’s outdoor nature-based pre-licensing orientation before licensure.⁠³

Fees, as published on 2026-10-12

Section 2.111 of 8 CCR 1402-1 sets the fees. The schedule is labeled “July 1, 2020, and beyond”, and each fee is charged at application and again every year as the continuation fee:⁠¹

Large center fees are capped at $1,800. Applying the formula, a 30-child center pays $265 and a 60-child center pays $480. The first appeal each calendar year is free, the second costs $10 and further appeals cost $25. Waiver requests and emergency appeals are free.⁠¹ Each location and each class of care needs its own application and fee. You cannot hold two licenses of the same class at one address.⁠¹

Fingerprinting is paid by the individual to the vendor. The Trails check is $30 per person.⁠¹⁠⁴

After you open: continuation, changes and reporting

A permanent license has no expiration date. Each year, at least 60 days before your license anniversary, you file a declaration of compliance and notice of continuing operation with the continuation fee. If you skip it, you may be fined or have your license revoked.⁠¹ The continuation form appears in the Provider Hub 90 days before the anniversary.⁠³

The continuation fee can be cut by up to 50% for programs with a Colorado Shines rating of level 3 to 5. To qualify, at least 50% of your enrollment must receive Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) aid, or you must enroll at least 50% of your county’s CCCAP children.⁠¹ Centers that enroll children aged 5 or younger must take part in Colorado Shines, and new programs enter at Level 1.⁠¹⁠³

A change of licensee, owner or governing body, a change in the class of care, or a new address counts as surrendering the license, and you must file a new original application.⁠¹ Critical incidents must be reported to CDEC in writing within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, through the online injury system. Examples are a child’s death or an injury that needs medical attention.⁠¹

What changed and what may change

The version of 8 CCR 1402-1 used here took effect February 14, 2026. It was adopted December 18, 2025, and replaced the version effective February 14, 2025.⁠² Colorado has amended these rules at least once a year since 2024, so check the effective date on the Secretary of State page before relying on a specific number.⁠²

In 2026, Senate Bill 26-020 created a Child Care Licensing Task Force to recommend “a more streamlined child care licensure system.” The task force meets six times between August and December 2026. Public comment is open at its November 17, 2026 meeting, and it must report to the legislature, the Governor and CDEC by January 1, 2027.⁠⁵ Its recommendations do not change any rule yet. Any changes would come through later legislation or rulemaking.

Planning an adult care business too? See the Colorado assisted living residence guide, or compare center licensing across states at /licenses/child-care-center/ and /states/colorado/.

Sources

1. 1
   Colorado Department of Early Childhood, via Colorado Secretary of State, 8 CCR 1402-1, Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and Regulations (effective 02/14/2026) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Colorado Secretary of State, Code of Colorado Regulations, 8 CCR 1402-1 rule history and versions Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Child Care Licensing and Administration Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Background Checks Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Colorado Department of Early Childhood, SB26-20: Child Care Licensing Task Force Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

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