Providers | Early Childhood Network

Child Care Providers

Child care providers and early childhood teachers nurture the future. We prefer to call it child care instead of day care since it’s the child that is being looked after.

Becoming a Child Care Provider

Each type of child care facility (center, family child care home, 24-Hour Residential Facilities including Therapeutic Residential Child Care Facility, Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, Shelter, Homeless Youth Shelter, etc.) has its own licensing rules, specific procedures, and what the fee would be for becoming licensed.

Licensing and Regulations

Each type of child care facility has its own licensing rules, specific procedures, and fees.

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The Licensing Application Process

Individuals interested in applying for a child care center or family care home license to provide care in a child care center or their home may download, view, and print the Child Care Center License Application and Affidavit from the Colorado Department of Human Resources website.

A completed application package and Licensing Fee must be submitted to the Division of Child Care at least 90 days prior to the proposed opening date of the facility. After approval of the application package, a licensing specialist schedules an inspection of the facility, and determines whether or not a license should be issued.

Applicants, owners, employees, and residents of licensed child care facilities must also submit fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for a Criminal Background Check, and their names must be checked against the Central Registry of Child Protection.

Community of Help

Learn about the benefits of becoming an Early Learning Ventures Alliance Member. Early Learning Ventures (ELV) Alliances are community-based networks comprised of small early care and education businesses (nonprofit or for profit) that work together to deliver services in a more streamlined and efficient way. The ELV Alliance model ensures fiscal stability and superior business operations, which are the foundation for delivering high quality early learning services.

Early Learning Ventures Alliance

Helping You Offer High Quality Child Care Services

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How Does an ELV Alliance Work?

The ELV Alliance model is based on a shared services model that brings child care providers together to obtain economies of scale, increase operational efficiencies, and allow providers to offer higher quality at a lower cost. Central to the ELV Alliance model is a unique technological platform called Alliance CORE which streamlines a host of business functions and allows the Alliance to help manage the administrative operations of the provider. To learn more about CORE, visit earlylearningventures.org.

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A Focus on Quality

If you are an independent nonprofit or for-profit child care provider, free yourself up to do what you do best – care for and educate children and families – and let us do the rest, such as:

Enrollment
Tuition and Fee Collection
Compliance and Licensing
Employee Training
Marketing and Communications

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An Alliance Membership Offers You:

More Time – Through streamlined administration activities utilizing a unique, custom technology tool for all ECE functions including Licensing, Billing, Food Program Management, Child, Parent, and Staff Tracking
More Money – Shared purchasing power, training resources and quality improvement activities free up cash
A Link to Licensing and CCCAP – No other system offers the streamlined workflow and connection with these critical entities
Return on Investment – A typical child care center can expect an $8.08 return for every dollar invested culminating in up to $114,400 in five years.
Increased access to Quality Improvement Funds – Our ELV Alliance acts as a conduit to attract large grant distribution on behalf of its partners
A Larger Community – Share with and support other ECE providers as all work toward continual quality improvement
Opportunity to Amplify Your Voice – Become part of the collective voice making changes for Colorado’s early care and education with local and state policies

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How Do I Get Involved?

Our ELV Alliance members:

Demonstrate a commitment to quality improvement programs and practices
Have internet access – Time and money recaptured by partners is fueled by an internet-based system
Are willing to implement best practices utilizing technology tools
Commit to monthly meetings to inform, create, and improve the Alliance

If your organization would like to become an Alliance member, please contact Kelly at referral@earlychildhoodnet.org for the simple application and send it to kelly@earlychildhoodnet.org