Colorado Department of Early Childhood cited something at 3 of the 9 visits below. Across Denver centers it cites something at about 55% of visits. Each state decides what gets written up, so this compares Denver with Denver and never with another state.
Not yet reported: ages served, hours, days / week, schedule, holiday closures.
This provider does not publish pricing.
Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood lists each program’s complaints on its Colorado Shines page, with the department’s verdict on each and a report behind it, going back about three years. Older complaints are released only on request. The department does not rank complaints by severity in either place.
Limited Supervisory visit · December 17, 2025
2.229.C · Correction due December 17, 2025
Multiple packs of wipes labeled "keep out of reach of children" stored on a low shelving unit in the toddler bathroom accessible to children.
Required correction: Immediately (12/17/25) ensure that items labeled "keep out of reach of children" are inaccessible to children. Teacher corrected at time of visit by moving wipes to a location above the reach of children. No further response required. Correct by 12/17/2025
Supervisory visit · November 19, 2025
2.121.D
Identified through staff file review SM1 to be missing CBI/FBI background request. Identified through staff file review, SM1 resigned and returned to facility. Facility flag removed SM1 from license and did not resubmit CBI/FBI background request.
Required correction: All individuals requiring a background check must review Navigating the Background Check Investigation Unit's
2.209.A.3 · Correction due November 19, 2025
Identified through child file review all enrollment records to be missing authorized pick-up address.
Required correction: Obtain and update all child files with requried documentation. Correct Immediately. Submit verification of documentation and written compliance to specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
2.121.J.1 · Correction due November 19, 2025
Identified through staff file review that SM 3 and SM11 to have lived out-of-state within the last five years and to be missing out-of-state clearance letters.
Required correction: All individuals requiring a background check must review Navigating the Background Check Investigation Unit's (BIU) Webpage powerpoint on the CDEC website. Submit verification that SM3 and SM11 have reviewed the powerpoint within 24 hours. Submit documentation of (CBI, FBI, TRAILS, Or Out of State background check, Out of State Clearance Letters) for SM3 and SM11 with written response to Specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
2.120.C.1.a.1
Identified through staff file review the following staff members SM3 (DOH 4/24/2022) and SM11 (DOH 6/4/2024) to be working in classrooms over ninety days without successfully completing all background checks.
2.127.D · Correction due November 19, 2025
Observed all classrooms to not have the capacity posted.
Required correction: All rooms must have capacity posted. Correct Immediately. Submit verification of documentation and written compliance to specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
2.209.A.1 · Correction due November 19, 2025
Identified through child file review all enrollment records to be missing date of enrollment.
Required correction: Obtain and update all child files with requried documentation. Correct Immediately. Submit verification of documentation and written compliance to specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
Identified through child file review all enrollment records to be missing parent/guardian work address and
2.120.C.1 · Correction due November 19, 2025
Identified through staff file review SM1 to be missing Trails background request. Identified through staff file review, SM1 resigned and returned to facility. Facility flag removed SM1 from license and did not resubmit Trails background request.
Required correction: All individuals requiring a background check must review Navigating the Background Check Investigation Unit's (BIU) Webpage powerpoint on the CDEC website. Submit verification that SM1 have reviewed the powerpoint within 24 hours. Submit documentation of (CBI, FBI, TRAILS, Or Out of State background check, Out of State Clearance Letters) for SM1 with written response to Specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
2.209.A.5
Identified through child file review all enrollment records to be missing hospital of choice address and phone number.
2.220.A · Correction due November 19, 2025
Reviewed four child files, one child file to have an over-the-counter medication prescribed with a blanket health care form lacking an end date.
Required correction: Obtain and update all child files with requried documentation. Correct Immediately. Submit verification of documentation and written compliance to specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
2.223.C.2.a · Correction due November 19, 2025
Observed multiple cribs to have loose fitting sheets in Bear Cub Cave. No infants were sleeping in cribs at the time.
Required correction: Facility will submit a plan of action for compliance to ensure cribs have properly fitted sheets. Correct Immediately. Submit verification of documentation and written compliance to specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
2.229.C · Correction due November 19, 2025
Observed in Owlet bathroom hand soap labeled 'Keep out of reach of children' on shelf next to sink accessible to children. Observed in Fox Hollow, unlocked draw containing batteries accessible to children.
Required correction: All items labeled 'Keep out of reach of children' must be inaccessible to children at all times. Correct Immediately. Submit verification of documentation and written compliance to specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
Observed in Fox Hollow the following choking hazards accessible to children: small magnets on whiteboard
2.230.C.1.a · Correction due November 19, 2025
Observed a small house with slide over eighteen inches on toddler playground without 6 inches of resilient surfacing in the use zone.
Required correction: All climbing equiptment eighteen inches or higher must have resilient surfacing of at least 6 inches in the use zone. Correct Immediately. Submit verification of documentation and written compliance to specialist. Correct by 11/19/2025
Supervisory visit · December 16, 2024
2.213.G · Correction due December 16, 2024
In a review of 9 staff files, one staff member (Alexa) was found to be missing current department approved training about child abuse prevention.
Required correction: Within thirty calendar days of employement, all employees and regular volunteers must be trained using a Department-approved training about child abuse prevention. This training must be renewed annually. Correct immediately. Submit written verification to licensing specialist when training has been completed and documentation has been placed in employee file. Correct by 12/16/2024
2.213.I · Correction due January 15, 2025
In a review of 9 staff files, one staff member (Katherine) was found to be missing documentation of the Department-approved training on Recognizing the Impact of Bias on Early Childhood Professionals.
Required correction: Within ninety (90) days of employment, all staff required to register with the Colorado Shines Professional Development Information System must complete the Department-approved training on Recognizing the Impact of Bias on Early Childhood Professionals. Submit written verification to licensing specialist when training is complete and place documentation in employee file. Correct by 01/15/2025
The Department of Early Childhood keeps about three years of complaints on a program’s public page. Anything older is released only on request, as a single file covering the whole state. Shortlist asked for that file under the Colorado Open Records Act and renews it yearly; it is what this page shows for complaints older than the department’s own window.
The file this page is built from arrived on September 1, 2026 and covers complaints the department publishes today, and complaints back to January 2023 obtained by records request. The next request goes in September 2027.
The department publishes a report for each of these visits. Shortlist has not read those reports yet, so this page shows when the state came and not what it found.
The department will also review one program’s complete file on request, which is more than either source above contains. Leave your email and Shortlist will ask for Little Explorers Preschool’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.
Cost, hours and late pickup, a typical day, sick and biting policies.
Ask which of these findings were serious, and what changed.Colorado Department of Early Childhood publishes a correction deadline, never whether the work was done or how serious it was.
Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.
Not yet reported: established, teaching approach.
Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.
Do you run Little Explorers Preschool? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.