NEW TO DENVER
Denver is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and families are a big part of that growth. If you just got here, you don't have a neighbor to ask which daycare is actually good, which waitlists are real, or what the CO CDHS inspection records say. Here's what local parents already know.
Get the Denver childcare starter guide.
Costs, waitlist timelines, neighborhood breakdowns, and what to do first.
Pricing reality
Infant care in Denver runs $1,200–$2,400/month. Cherry Creek and Wash Park trend higher. Home daycares cost 20–30% less than centers. Toddler and preschool rates drop, but not as much as you'd expect.
Waitlist truth
Capitol Hill, Wash Park, and Highland are the most competitive neighborhoods, with 1–6 month waitlists for infant spots. Denver's growth means new centers open regularly. Toddler spots turn over faster, especially mid-year when families move.
Where to look
Capitol Hill, Wash Park, Highland, and Cherry Creek have the highest concentration of providers. Central Park (formerly Stapleton) is family-dense with many newer programs.
Provider types
Denver has large centers, home daycares (up to 16 kids with waivers), Montessori, co-ops, and preschools. Denver has a strong outdoor/nature-based preschool scene that takes advantage of 300 days of sunshine.
State licensing
Colorado's Department of Human Services (CDHS) licenses and inspects all providers. Inspection records are public but hard to find and harder to read. Shortlist pulls them and summarizes findings in plain English.
The application trap
Many Denver programs charge $50–$200 application fees. Applying to 8–10 programs (common for infant care) adds up fast. Research first, apply selectively.
Tools & Guides
Start your search with these—no account needed.
New
Answer 4 questions and find out which type of childcare fits your family best. 2 minutes.
Calculator
Two programs charging the same tuition can cost wildly different amounts per hour of actual care.
Most Popular
Enter your home and work addresses. See which neighborhoods make sense for your search.
Reference
Most families spend $1,000+ on application fees alone. A research-first approach cuts that to $300.
Checklist
20 questions to ask at every tour so you actually compare programs instead of just vibing.
Decision Guide
The real cost comparison, flexibility trade-offs, and developmental differences.
Don't search blind.
Get the starter guide with Denver-specific costs, timelines, and neighborhood breakdowns.
Send them this page—it's the cheat sheet they don't know they need.
Every Denver daycare, preschool, and home childcare—researched, scored, and compared.
Denver providers →