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Quick Tips for Quality Care
Contact your desired child care provider as soon as you know you will need child care, even if your child is not yet born. Many programs have long waitlists, especially for infant care.
15-20 minutes up front can save hours of searching. Larimer Child Care Connect utilizes your specific child care needs to search a database of licensed child care providers. You will receive a customized list of providers that matches your family's needs.
Take your time interviewing child care providers. Visit child care providers and decide who will be the best caregiver for your child or children. Trust your instincts.
Always ask for references and be sure to call them. All reputable child care providers will offer names and phone numbers of client families. Ask detailed questions, especially whether they were satisfied and if they would use the provider again.
Before enrolling, check for complaints or licensing violations. Visit Colorado Shines to get access to background information. You may also ask the provider to see their most recent licensing inspection report.
Larimer Child Care Connect (LC3)
ECCLC maintains a local child care referral website, called Larimer Child Care Connect, to help you find the care you need. With just a few clicks you can receive personalized search results of child care and preschool programs near you! You can filter results by financial aid options, quality ratings, and available spots. Referrals are not recommendations. It is your responsibility to screen child care providers and decide who will best meet your family’s needs.
When you visit Larimer Child Care Connect, you will:
– Enter your name and email address
– Receive an email with a personalized login link
– Enter information about your child(ren) in need of care and your desired location
– Get your personalized search results tailored to your needs
When you find a program that meets your needs, click on a program’s customized profile to show you available spots, hours of operation, program highlights, financial aid options, and more! With hundreds of vacant child care spots updated weekly, you can search for programs close to home, school, work, or anywhere in between.
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If you’d like to search child care options in multiple counties, or prefer to receive referrals over the phone or via live chat, you can contact the team at Colorado Shines Child Care Referral at Mile High United Way, or by calling 1-877-338-2273.
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Colorado Shines
Colorado Shines is the State of Colorado’s Quality Rating Improvement System for licensed child care and preschool programs. It is not a mandatory system but is an indicator of a program’s commitment to providing quality care.
Participating providers are rated on a scale from Level 1 to Level 5 (5 being the highest). All licensed programs are automatically a Level 1 until they decide to participate in Colorado Shines and can move up to a Level 2 and above.
School-age-specific programs are not involved in the Colorado Shines system. If you come across a highly rated program, it is still important to interview them and utilize your instincts and available resources to make the best decision for you and your family.