How to start a home daycare in Colorado.
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) oversees home daycares in Colorado. These are the kinds it allows and the steps, each with the state's own page.
Steps checked on the state's own pages, November 4, 2026.
The kinds of home daycare Colorado allows
Infant/toddler family child care home
Up to 4 children with one provider
No more than 2 may be under 12 months, counting your own children.
Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and RegulationsRegular family child care home
Up to 6 children
No more than 2 of them may be under 18 months old.
Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and RegulationsExperienced family child care provider
Up to 9 children
The ages allowed depend on which option the home runs under.
Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and RegulationsLarge family child care home
Up to 12 children
Your own children under 10 count toward the 12.
Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and Regulations
Starting a home daycare in Colorado, step by step
Attend the free orientation
Sign up for a free one-hour orientation run by the Department of Early Childhood.
Source: Child Care Licensing and AdministrationTake the 15-hour training
Finish a 15-hour pre-licensing training before you get a license or care for children.
Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and RegulationsGet zoning approval
Before your license is issued, send CDEC written approval from your local zoning department.
Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and RegulationsGet fingerprinted
Book your fingerprint appointment with IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting.
Source: Background ChecksApply in the Provider Hub
Make a username and password in the Provider Hub. You send your application online there.
Source: Child Care Licensing and AdministrationApply 60 to 90 days ahead
Send your application 60 to 90 days before you plan to start care.
Source: Child Care Licensing and AdministrationPass the licensing inspection
A licensing inspection and background checks must be done before you open.
Source: Child Care Licensing and Administration
At a glance
- Who oversees home daycares
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Division of Early Learning Licensing and Administration (DELLA). Licenses family child care homes in Colorado.Source: Child Care Licensing and Administration
- No license needed for
- 4 or fewer children, with no more than 2 under age 2Source: Legal Exemption from Child Care Licensing
- Your own children without a license
- They count toward the limit of 4Source: Legal Exemption from Child Care Licensing
- Your own children with a license
- Those 10 and older do not count toward capacitySource: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and Regulations
- Colorado Shines
- Required for licensed homes that enroll children 5 or youngerSource: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and Regulations
Good to know
- In Jefferson, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Arapahoe, El Paso and Pueblo counties, a contractor gives licensing services.Source: Child Care Licensing and Administration
- To take part in the Colorado Universal Preschool Program, a child care facility must be licensed.Source: Legal Exemption from Child Care Licensing
- Lived outside Colorado in the last five years? Request background checks from each state you lived in.Source: Background Checks
- A regular family child care home may also care for up to 2 more school-age children.Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and Regulations
- An infant/toddler home with two qualified providers may care for up to 8 children under age 3.Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and Regulations
- Caring for 3 children under 18 months takes a separate license. You need 2 years as a licensed home first.Source: 8 CCR 1402-1 Child Care Facility Licensing Rules and Regulations
Run a program in Colorado? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works
Plan your program
- How to start a daycare in Colorado
Opening a child care center: the steps and the agency.
- Colorado licensing guide
Ratios, trainings and the checklist the state asks for.
- Child care grants in Colorado
Grants the state runs for providers.
- Daycare startup costs in Colorado
Revenue, staff pay and rent from your own numbers.
- Daycare business plan
How to write a plan for funding and licensing.
- Tuition calculator
Typical rates by state and age group.
- Ratio calculator
Staff needed for each age group, by state.
Questions, answered
How do I start a home daycare in Colorado?
The first step: Attend the free orientation. All 7 steps are on this page, each with the state's own link.
Who oversees home daycares in Colorado?
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Division of Early Learning Licensing and Administration (DELLA). Licenses family child care homes in Colorado.
How many children can a home daycare in Colorado care for?
Infant/toddler family child care home: Up to 4 children with one provider. Regular family child care home: Up to 6 children. Experienced family child care provider: Up to 9 children. Large family child care home: Up to 12 children.
About this page
Steps checked on the state's own pages, November 4, 2026.
This page is a summary of the state's own pages. It is not legal advice, and rules change.
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