Child Care/Preschool Options

Unlicensed Child Care

Many families choose an unlicensed child care option, which goes by many names such as:

  • family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care
  • nanny or babysitter
  • kith and kin care

    • The advantages of FFN care include the fact that you or someone close to you likely knows the caregiver well, one-on-one attention, and often, care is either in or very close to your home.

    You should not feel alone if you are a family who chooses FFN care, or if you are a FFN caregiver. Child care research in this area is increasing rapidly, and current resources exist to help. Go to the National Alliance for Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care, or this summary of FFN strategies and resources compiled by the federal Administration for Children and Families, or these tip-sheets for FFN providers from Zero-to-Three. This information sheet describes the need for support for FFN providers who want to help prepare children for school.

    Licensed Child Care

    In general, licensed child care and early learning settings will fall into one of the following types of programs*:

    - Early Head Start (pregnancy through age 3) and Head Start (age 3-5)

    Early Head Start and Head Start are income-eligible programs. If your family's income-level is below federal poverty guidelines or if you have a child with a diagnosed disability, your child may be eligible. Each program is different, and usually child care services are considered just one part of the family support they provide. click here to know more about early head start (pregnancy through age 3) and Head Start (age 3-5)

    - Child Care Family Homes (6 weeks through school age before and after care).

    Many families like the idea of having their child cared for in a person's home, rather than a center-based location. Child care homes are also required to be licensed. click here to know more about Child Care Family Homes (6 weeks through school age before and after care).

    - Center-Based Private Child Care (6 weeks through school age before and after care)

    Most center-based facilities fall into this category, and are either stand-alone centers or locations of child care chains. Many, though not all, private child care centers use curricula or have other approaches to preparing children for school. Like any other child care option, the only way to make a final decision about whether a center is right for your child is to visit, ask questions, and ask other parents questions.

    - Public Preschools (ages 2 1/2 - 5)

    School districts in Colorado have preschool programs - some full-day and some part-day, that are designed to provide child care as well as prepare children to enter the K-12 system. Some public preschools are located within elementary school buildings, and some have stand-alone buildings. The teachers in public preschools have a higher average level of education than the teachers in private centers. Although public preschools will come up in any search of licensed facilities , it is easy to find public preschools directly through each county's public schools website such as Denver , Jefferson County , and Aurora. Google "________ County Public Schools" to find your county's public preschools.

    - Before and after school care (grades K-6)

    Once children reach school age, their school day often does not coordinate perfectly with the schedules of working parents, and therefore child care may be needed before and/or after school. Before/after care programs vary a lot in format and standards, and are only recently becoming the focus of research and policy efforts to improve their quality. Before/after school programs are licensed child care facilities and generally have licenses that allow them to care for children from age 5-12. You can do a search for a licensed facility and narrow to school-age programs, or, your child's elementary school will often have a listing of the programs that serve the school, either on site or with a bus service.

    *Please note that the age ranges listed are limits set by licensing rules. Each location may choose to serve a smaller range of ages (e.g., not all private centers serve infants). Check with each facility to make sure they serve your age child.