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Family Child Care Home

Are you Ready to Start a Child Care Business?

As you begin the journey of opening a Family Child Care Home, there are many things to consider and you may wish to seek legal advice before you decide to use your own home for child care, purchase property or sign a lease agreement. Three documents below provide things to consider:

This information will assist you with the next steps in the process. At any point, you are welcome to contact your licensing specialist for assistance.

Prior to applying for a Family Child Care Home License

  • Once you have complied with all local zoning, building or planning ordinances,  and any Home Owner Association or Community Covenants, the next step is reading the Child Care Rules and Regulations.
  • Read the 7.701 General Rules for Child Care Facilities, 7.707 Rules Regulating Family Child Care Homes, and 7.719 Rules Regulating Special Activities. Click HERE  to go to the Office Of Early Childhood’s website, click on Printer Friendly Rules Regulating Child Care Facilities
  • It’s important to know that as a child care provider, you must meet new and ongoing training requirements. The Office of Early Childhood (OEC) has developed a licensed child care provider required training tool. The OEC is working hard to offer all required training for free online through the Professional Development Information System (PDIS).

  • The Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Council is here to assist you with PDIS when you reach this point.

  • Pre-Licensing training and applying for your Child Care License are the next steps.  Contact your licensing specialist for more information

Application Process for a Family Child Care Home License

The licensing process takes approximately 90 days once an application packet is received by the Division of Early Care and Learning (DECL). The licensing process includes the following steps:

  1. Complete and sign the Family Child Care Home Application and all necessary attachments. Detailed instructions are included in the Licensing Application Packet. The licensing application and rules and regulations can also be downloaded from the State site:
  2. Complete and mail your application materials. The application form and the fees must be submitted together in the envelope provided with your application packet to the Division of Early Care and Learning, CDHS.
    • Licensing Fee Schedule
    • For complete background check information, click here.
    • Due to changes implemented by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) will no longer offer non-criminal fingerprint services to the general public after October 20, 2018. Starting October 25, 2018, fingerprinting will no longer be processed through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). All fingerprinting will be processed through two vendors, IdentoGO and Colorado Fingerprinting. For instructions to help navigate the IdentoGO site, click here. For IdentoGO FAQs, click here.
    • Current health evaluations must be done for ALL those living in the home and must be signed by a licensed physician or licensed nurse practitioner. These forms are included in your licensing packet.  The health forms are NOT mailed into the state.

Mail to:

Application Processing
Division of Early Care and Learning, CDHS
1575 Sherman Street, 1st Floor
Denver, CO 80203-1714

  • Once the licensing package is received and processed, a Licensing Specialist will contact the applicant to schedule an inspection of the home to verify compliance with licensing rules and regulations, and to determine if a license should be issued.
  • Make the necessary preparations
  • Start-up preparations will vary from one individual to another. Allow yourself plenty of time for planning, creating your policies and procedures, contracts, gathering supplies, and setting up your child care environment before your home visit is scheduled with the Colorado State Division of Child Care Licensing Specialist.