Searching for child care or preschool programs can be daunting but there are plenty of helpful resources available to help you through your search and make a choice you can feel comfortable with.
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.
- Tip Sheet – Finding the Right Care
- Steps to Finding Quality Care in Your Community
- A Guide to Finding Licensed, Quality Child Care
We strongly recommend parents review each child care program’s background summary either by calling the Colorado Division of Early Care and Learning at 1-800-799-5876 or 303-866-5958 or by reviewing the summaries online by following the directions below.
Check background summaries here.
Background summaries include:
- Complaints filed against the program
- Licensing violations
- Child Abuse investigations conducted first by the County and then by the local Licensing Specialist as well as the outcome of the investigation.