Ricks Center For Gifted Children

Center · Denver · 2040 S York St

What kind of place is this?

Size 180 children licensed Larger than the middle half of Denver centers, where the middle half licenses 40–113. Measured across 1,156 Denver centers, 2026-08-17.
Approach play-based

In the program’s own words

“We deliver our comprehensive curriculum within a play-based format.” du.edu, July 2026

Will it fit our family?

Ages served preschool through eighth grade
Accepts subsidy Yes

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Colorado Shines Level 4
License status Active
Website du.edu

State record — Colorado Department of Early Childhood

Last visit
October 20, 2025
On file
3 visits since January 2024 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was October 20, 2025. Colorado Department of Early Childhood does not publish whether it was made.
Most serious
Colorado Department of Early Childhood does not publish a severity level for a citation, so there is no most-serious to name.

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.

Oct 2025 Supervisory visit 2 findings

Supervisory visit · October 20, 2025

2.229.C · Correction due October 20, 2025

The follow items labled "keep out of reach of children" and accessible to children; a bottle of hand soap on the counter in classroom 163 and a container of clorox wipes on the counter in room 111.

Required correction: Immediately (10/20/25) ensure all items labeled "Keep out of reach of children" are in accessible to children at all times. Provider removed the above listed items at the time of the inspeciton making them inaccessible. NO RESPONSE REQUIRED Correct by 10/20/2025

SM10 supervising a group of children in classroom 163 and lacking documentation of a current early childhood teacher qualifications.

State records file

Nov 2024 Supervisory visit 3 findings

Supervisory visit · November 20, 2024

2.218.B.3

Reviewed medications in Classroom 164 and observed 1 child lacking a medication listed on their health care plan.

Required correction: Immediately (11/20/24), ensure any-approved health care plan authorized by the child’s health care provider and parent(s)/guardian(s) defining the interventions needed to care for a child who has an identified health or developmental condition and the program obtains all applicable medications, supplies, and/or medical equipment must be available to the staff prior to the child’s first day of care. The staff working with a child with a health care plan must be informed, trained, and delegated responsibility for carrying out the health care plan by the Department-approved child care

2.213.B · Correction due November 20, 2024

Reviewed 9 staff files and observed 1 staff (Nicole E.) lacking documentation of a current department approved standard precautions training.

Required correction: Immediately (11/20/24) ensure that the program obtains and maintains documentation of a current standard precautions training for all staff to include the above listed staff. Provide a written statement of compliance within the overall response. Correct by 11/20/2024

2.213.G · Correction due November 20, 2024

Reviewed 9 staff files and observed 1 staff (Nicole E.) lacking documentation of a current department approved child abuse prevention training.

Required correction: Immediately (11/20/24) ensure that the program obtains and maintains current documentation of the Mandated reporter (Child Abuse Preventions and reporting) training to include the above listed staff. Provide a written statement of compliance within the overall response. Correct by 11/20/2024

State records file

Jan 2024 Supervisory visit 9 findings

Supervisory visit · January 4, 2024

2.120.I · Correction due January 4, 2024

Reviewed 8 staff files and observed 3 staff (Jessica K., Sarah H. and Elizabeth R.) lacking documentation of a current TRAILS background check.

Required correction: All individuals requiring a background check must review Navigating the Background Check Investigation Unit's (BIU) Webpage powerpoint. Submit verification that the above listed staff have reviewed the powerpoint within 24 hours. Submit documentation of updated TRAILS clearance letters for staff members listed above with written response to Specialist. Correct by 01/04/2024

2.213.F

Reviewed 8 staff files and observed 1 staff (Nicole E.) lacking documentation of a current First Aid/CPR module training.

2.213.J · Correction due February 4, 2024

Reviewed 8 staff files and observed 1 staff (Jessica K.) lacking documentation of the Department-approved training: Working with an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant.

Required correction: Provide a written statement of compliance within the overall response ensuring the above listed staff have completed the Department-approved training: Working with an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant. Correct by 02/04/2024

2.213.K · Correction due February 4, 2024

Reviewed 8 staff files and observed 1 staff (Jessica K.) lacking the Department-approved training for Introduction to Child Health Consultation.

Required correction: Provide a written statement of compliance ensuring that the above listed staff have completed the Department-approved training: Introduction to Child Health Consultation. Correct by 02/04/2024

2.213.N

Program lacking documentation of the current completed Department approved CDPHE immunization course for all staff who are responsible for the collection, review, and maintenance of children's immunization records.

2.217.A.9 · Correction due January 4, 2024

Reviewed 8 staff files and observed the program lacking documentation of at least one staff member who is on duty at all times with a current Medication Administration certification and delegation from the program's Child Care health Consultant.

Required correction: Immediately (1/4/24) ensure that there is a least one person on duty at all times with a current Medication Administration certification and current delegation from the program's Child Care Health Consultant. Provide a written statement of compliance within the overall response. Correct by 01/04/2024

2.229.C · Correction due January 4, 2024

A bottle of hand sanitizer accessible to children on the counter near the sink in classroom 160 posing a possible hazard.

Required correction: Immediately (1/4/24) ensure all items labeled Keep out of reach are inaccessible to children at all times. Staff moved the bottle of sanitizer a locked cabinet above the sink at the time of the inspection, making it inaccessible. NO RESPONSE REQUIRED. Correct by 01/04/2024

2.213.B

Reviewed 8 staff files and observed 1 staff (Mary F.) to be lacking documentation of a current Standard Precautions training.

2.212.G · Correction due February 4, 2024

Reviewed 8 staff files and observed 1 staff (Morgan F.) lacking documentation of a medical exam signed by a medical provider dated with in 6 months of the hire date.

Required correction: Provide a written statement of compliance ensuring that all staff members submit to the center a medical statement, signed and dated by a physician or other health care provider that is dated no more than six months prior to employment or within thirty calendar days after the first date of employment. Subsequent self-reported health histories must be submitted annually. Correct by 02/04/2024

State records file

Where this record comes from

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 13, 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.

Ask for this program’s record now

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 Ricks Center For Gifted Children’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.

Before you tour

Ricks Center For Gifted Children hasn’t published

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.

Sources and dates

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.

What kind of place is this

Not yet reported: established.

Will it fit our family

  • Ages served, Accepts subsidy — Checked July 2026 · du.edu

Not yet reported: hours, days / week, schedule, holiday closures.

Licensing and contact

State record

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 Ricks Center For Gifted Children? 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.