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Affordable Daycare in Colorado

Full-time care at a center costs a median of $235 a week for a baby and $202 for a preschooler in the middle Colorado county (2022). Families who qualify can get help paying through the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), and the daycares listed here accept it.

daycares that accept child care assistance listed
2,294
towns
220
towns have their own affordable daycare page
114
of all Colorado daycares
53%

Map of Colorado: each dot is a town with daycares that accept child care assistance, sized by how many are listed

Accepts assistance
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record says it accepts child care subsidies, or it says it accepts child care assistance or vouchers.Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Cost and help paying

What daycare costs in Colorado, and help paying for it

Infant care at a center, per week, in the middle Colorado county (2022)
$235
The median of 62 county medians, from $104 in the lowest county to $430 in the highest.
Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Colorado county (2022)
$202
The median of 62 county medians, from $87 in the lowest county to $372 in the highest.
Head Start or Early Head Start centers in Colorado
156
Free for children from birth to 5 in families who qualify, by income or because they receive public assistance.
How to apply: Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP)Head Start in ColoradoDaycare cost in Colorado, by age and county

County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price).

Colorado

Largest towns for affordable daycare in Colorado

Denver238 accept assistanceAurora228 accept assistanceColorado Springs195 accept assistanceLittleton84 accept assistanceFort Collins76 accept assistanceLakewood60 accept assistanceGrand Junction58 accept assistanceBoulder56 accept assistanceArvada53 accept assistanceThornton52 accept assistanceLongmont51 accept assistanceGreeley46 accept assistance

Programs

Programs in Colorado

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares4,335
Take infants777
Child care centers3,048
Accept subsidy2,294
In-home daycares1,287
Christian & church daycares136
Montessori schools114
Preschools & pre-K2,103
Early morning daycare194
After-school care2,237
Head Start156

The Colorado state record

Colorado Department of Early Childhood licenses daycares in Colorado.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
On some licenses only; elsewhere shown where the daycare gives them
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Colorado state records

Before you enroll

Paying for daycare in Colorado

  1. 1

    Apply for assistance first

    Your state decides who qualifies and how much it pays. Apply through the state's child care assistance office before you choose a daycare.

  2. 2

    Ask about the copayment

    Most families pay a share of the cost. Ask the daycare whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much.

  3. 3

    Ask about open subsidy spots

    Some daycares cap how many children on assistance they take. Ask whether a spot is open now.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

    Open a listing for its state license and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.

Colorado

Cost, inspections and ratios in Colorado

Daycare cost in ColoradoWeekly prices by age and countyStaff-to-child ratios in ColoradoHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 220 Colorado towns with affordable daycare, A to Z

A9 towns
B16 towns
C23 towns
D9 towns
E10 towns
F17 towns
G12 towns
H10 towns
I5 towns
J3 towns
K6 towns
L21 towns
M13 towns
N5 towns
O4 towns
P14 towns
R4 towns
S15 towns
T6 towns
V1 town
  • Vail5 accept assistance
W15 towns
Y2 towns
  • Yampa1 accept assistance
  • Yuma3 accept assistance

Nearby

Nearby states

Oklahoma1,774 accept assistanceNebraska1,559 accept assistanceWyoming231 accept assistanceArizona124 accept assistanceUtah52 accept assistanceNew Mexico46 accept assistanceKansas36 accept assistance

Questions

Questions about affordable daycare in Colorado

How many daycares that accept child care assistance are in Colorado?

2,294 daycares that accept child care assistance are listed in 220 Colorado towns. Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Which Colorado town has the most daycares that accept child care assistance?

Denver, with 238 listed. Next are Aurora (228) and Colorado Springs (195).

How do I apply for child care assistance in Colorado?

Apply through the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), run by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. It is for families that are working, searching for work, in school, homeless, or in substance use disorder treatment, and meet the income limits. Families in the Colorado Works program can also use it. Income limits change each year, so check the current limits on the state's site.

Is there free daycare?

Some families can get it. Head Start and Early Head Start are free for children from families who qualify, and some states waive the family's share of the cost for the lowest incomes. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Does a daycare that accepts assistance cost more?

Not by itself. Accepting assistance means the daycare takes payments from the state program; its own prices vary like any daycare's. Ask whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much you would pay.

How does child care assistance work?

Each state runs a child care assistance program, paid for in part by the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Families who qualify by income, and usually by working, looking for work or going to school, get help paying a daycare that accepts it; the help is often called a voucher or subsidy. Most families pay a share called a copayment, set by the state. Apply through the Colorado child care assistance office.

Can I get free daycare?

Some families can. States may waive the copayment for families with the lowest incomes, and Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Who licenses daycares in Colorado?

Colorado Department of Early Childhood licenses daycares in Colorado. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.