South West Ymca

Center · Denver · 5181 W Kenyon Ave

What kind of place is this?

Size 21 children licensed Smaller than the middle half of Denver centers, where the middle half licenses 40–113. Measured across 1,156 Denver centers, 2026-08-17.
Approach faith-based

In the program’s own words

“The mission of the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.” denverymca.org, July 2026

Who will be with our child?

Preschool 1 teacher to 12 children
School age 1 teacher to 15 children
All ages 1 teacher to 10 children

Will it fit our family?

Ages served ages 4-16
Hours 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Schedule before, after, drop-in, early release and full day out care
Holiday closures New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day + day after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve (early closure)

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Colorado Shines Level 1
License status Active
Website denverymca.org

State record — Colorado Department of Early Childhood

Last visit
December 15, 2025
On file
3 visits since February 2024 — 1 cited nothing
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was January 14, 2026. 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.

Dec 2025 Supervisory visit 6 findings

Supervisory visit · December 15, 2025

2.120.J · Correction due December 15, 2025

Reviewed 1 staff file and observed that 1 staff member was missing documentation of the completed abuse and neglect inquiry background check results.

Required correction: Immediately, all individuals requiring a background check must review Navigating the Background Check Investigation Unit's (BIU) Webpage powerpoint. Submit verification that staff members have reviewed the powerpoint within 24 hours. Submit documentation of TRAILS for staff members with written response to the Specialist. Correct by 12/15/2025

2.121.D

Reveiwed 1 staff file and observed that 1 staff member was missing documentation of the completed FBI and CBI background check results.

2.213.G · Correction due December 15, 2025

Reviewed 1 staff file and observed that 1 staff member was missing documentation of a current abuse prevention training.

Required correction: Immediately, all employees and regular volunteers must complete the abuse prevention training within 30 days of employment and must be renewed annually. Submit documentation and a written statement of compliance to the Licensing Specialist. Correct by 12/15/2025

2.213.H · Correction due January 14, 2026

Reviewed 1 staff file and observed that 1 staff member was missing documentation of an Introduction to the Early Intervention and Preschool Education Programs.

Required correction: Within 30 days, all staff required to register with PDIS must complete the Introduction to the Early Intervention and Preschool Education Programs within 90 days of employment. Submit documentation and a written statement of compliance to the Licensing Specialist. Correct by 01/14/2026

2.230.B · Correction due December 15, 2025

On the playground, observed the metal bar that is part of the climbing structure located at the top was broken exposing sharp edges posing a safety hazard.

Required correction: Immediately, indoor and outdoor equipment, materials, and furnishings must be sturdy, safe, and free of hazards. Submit a written statement of compliance to the Licensing Specialist. Correct by 12/15/2025

2.230.C.1.a · Correction due December 15, 2025

On the playground, observed the wood chip resilient materials measured as low as 2 inches throughout the playground and under the climbing structure.

Required correction: Immediately, climbing equipment 18 inches or higher must have resilient surfacing of at least 6 inches in the use zone surrounding the equipment. Submit a written statement of compliance to the Licensing Specialist. Correct by 12/15/2025

State records file

Jan 2025 Supervisory visit nothing cited State records file
Feb 2024 Supervisory visit 4 findings

Supervisory visit · February 15, 2024

2.217.A.9 · Correction due February 15, 2024

Cori has completed the 4 hour department approved medication administration training, however the certificate is not valid because part 2 has not been completed by indicating the staff member has been trained on the 1 hour face to face portion of the training.

Required correction: Immediately 2/15/2024 ensure there is a staff member on duty at all times with current medication administration training. Submit a written statement of compliance by 3/14/2024. Correct by 02/15/2024

2.205.D · Correction due February 15, 2024

Cori is the only staff member present in the licensed program from 7:00 am to 6 pm daily. At the time of inspection, there was no other staff present to allow Cori to attend to the duties of a director.

Required correction: Immediately by 2/15/2024 ensure there are adequate staff to allow Cori to attend to other duties as they arise. Submit a written statement of compliance by 3/14/2024. Correct by 02/15/2024

2.217.C.4 · Correction due March 14, 2024

There is no record of a monthly nurse consultation maintained at the center for the months of June and July 2023.

Required correction: Maintain a record of monthly nurse consultations for all visits at the center. Submit a written statement of compliance by 3/14/2024. Correct by 03/14/2024

2.219.B.2 · Correction due March 14, 2024

Three children's files lacking a health statement within 30 days of admission to the program.

Required correction: Obtain a physical exam to be maintained in each child's file. Submit a statement of compliance by 3/14/2024. Correct by 03/14/2024

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 South West Ymca’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.

Before you tour

South West Ymca hasn’t published

Cost.

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.

Who will be with our child

Not yet reported: who teaches here.

Will it fit our family

Not yet reported: days / week.

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 South West Ymca? 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.