Opening Your Own Child Care

If you are thinking about joining the wonderful world of licensed child care, this is the place to start.

Child care providers in the state of Colorado must be licensed by the Colorado Division of Early Care and Learning if you plan to care for more than one family's children.  Children First can help!  

Here are some things you need to think about.

• Are you the right person for this job?
• Are you warm, loving, responsive?
• Do you handle stress well in your life?
• Are you willing to attend trainings to learn more about child development?
• Is your home a place where children feel safe and welcome?
• Do you value play and learning, even if it is messy learning?

The benefits of becoming a licensed provider include:

• Owning your own business, earn money at home
• Stay at home with your own children
• Improve your community by providing a valuable service
• No commute!

Steps to becoming a licensed provider:

1. Check with your landlord if you are renting your home.  See if they are willing to let you have a child care business on their property.
2. Call your local zoning department to find out if you can have a small business in your home.
3. You may have to follow zoning and covenant rules too, depending on where you live.
4. You will have to complete an application, a background check, a health exam, a home safety inspection, and trainings.
5. Required trainings include:
   - Pre-licensing
   - Standard Precautions
   - Medication Administration
   - CPR and First Aid, Child Care and Preschool Immunization
   - Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response
   - Prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome & Use of Safe Sleeping Practices
   - Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma
   - Recognition and Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect
   
   We can help you find classes and some required trainings are available for free on the Professional Development Information System (PDIS) website. Fees vary depending on the trainer.
6. Sign-up for the next pre-licensing class through Children First, we will include a Standard Precautions class at no additional charge
7. Visit the Colorado Department of Early Childhood website for additional resources or to view the Rules and Regulations for all licensed programs..

If this sounds interesting to you, contact childrenfirst@pueblocc.edu.

Interested in starting a child care center?

We can help with that too! We are happy to assist everyone in the licensing process.