“The Applewood School believes that play is a very important element that provides the foundation for children's development... Play is fundamental to early brain and language development.” applewoodschool.com, July 2026
“We also prioritize outside time and nature based play.” applewoodschool.com, July 2026
Colorado Department of Early Childhood cited something at 4 of the 4 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.
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.
Supervisory visit · August 18, 2026
2.229.G · Correction due August 18, 2026
One loose plastic gallon sized plastic bag, one trash bag, one plastic shopping bag on the YE playground in an unlocked cabinet. Observed 2 open boxes of gallon sized ziplock bags in a box on a lower shelf in the GM2 classroom. All bags were accessible to children.
Required correction: Loose plastic bags must be stored in areas inaccessible to children. Correct by 8/18/26. Staff removed all the loose plastic bags and placed then in the office area where children are not allowed. Corrected at the time of inspection. No response necessary. Correct by 08/18/2026
2.230.C.8
A brown broken plastic toy container with sharp edges on GM playground posing a potential safety risk.
2.209.A.7 · Correction due August 18, 2026
Licensing Specialist reviewed 8 child files and observed one child to have an expired emergency medical authorization.
Required correction: Obtain a current medical emergency medical authorization. Correct by 8/18/26. Document compliance to Specialist by 9/18/26. Correct by 08/18/2026
2.209.B.4 · Correction due September 18, 2026
Licensing Specialist reviewed 8 child files and observed one child to have an expired health statement.
Required correction: Obtain a current health statement. Correct by 8/18/26. Document compliance to Specialist by 9/18/26. Correct by 09/18/2026
2.217.A.14
Two staff members in the YE2 classroom with 11 children. The YE2 classrom serves children ages 24-36 months of age.
Supervisory visit · October 7, 2025
2.122.A · Correction due October 7, 2025
The center to be missing a compliant health inspection.
Required correction: Obtain a compliant health inspection. Correct by 10/7/25. Document compliance to Licensing Specialist by 10/14/25. Correct by 10/07/2025
2.229.G · Correction due October 7, 2025
One roll of loose plastic trash bags, accessible to children, in an unlocked lower cupboard in GM2 classroom.
Required correction: Loose plastic bags must be stored in areas inaccessible to children. Staff moved the roll of loose plastic trash bags to a locked cupboard. Correct by 10/7/25. Corrected at the time of inspection. No response necessary. Correct by 10/07/2025
Supervisory visit · December 2, 2024
2.120.I · Correction due December 2, 2024
Reviewed 8 staff files and observed Clarissa S. to have an expired 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 staff member Clarissa S. has reviewed the powerpoint within 24 hours. Submit documentation of TRAILS for staff member Clarissa S. with written response to the Specialist. Correct by 12/2/24. Document compliance to Specialist by 1/2/24. Correct by 12/02/2024
2.121.D.5
Reviewed 8 staff files and observed Clarissa S. to have an expired FBI and CBI background check.
2.230.C.1.a · Correction due December 2, 2024
On the Preschool playground the climbing wall and the area below the ladder of the main climbing structure to have less than 6 inches of resilient surfacing. Each area had less that 4 inches of wood chips and the equipment is over 18 inches in height.
Required correction: All climbing equipment eighteen (18) inches or higher must have resilient surfacing of at least six (6) inches in the use zone surrounding the equipment. Correct by 12/2/24. Document compliance to Specialist by 1/2/24. Correct by 12/02/2024
2.213.D · Correction due December 2, 2024
Reviewed 8 staff files and observed Mindy G. to have an expired Prevention of Shaken Baby training.
Required correction: Staff working with children less than three (3) years of age must complete a Department-approved prevention of shaken baby/abusive head trauma training prior to working with children less than three (3) years of age. This training must be renewed every two (2) years. Correct by 12/2/24. Document compliance to Specialist by 1/2/24. Correct by 12/02/2024
2.209.B.4 · Correction due January 2, 2025
Reviewed 8 child files and observed 1 child to be missing a health statement completed by a health care provider.
Required correction: The center must maintain and update annually and upon changes, a record on each child that includes: A copy of the child’s health statement completed by a health care provider. Correct by 1/2/24. Document compliance to Specialist by 1/2/24. Correct by 01/02/2025
Supervisory visit · January 10, 2024
2.209.A.7 · Correction due January 10, 2024
Reviewed 8 child files and observed one child to be missing current emergency medical authorization.
Required correction: Obtain current emergency medical authorization. Correct by 1/10/24. Document compliance to Specialist by 2/10/24. Correct by 01/10/2024
A broken toy bin, accessible to children, with sharp edges posing a potential safety hazard on the Great
2.213.N · Correction due February 10, 2024
Reviewed 9 staff files and observed no staff member to have a current CDPHE Immunization course.
Required correction: All staff responsible for the collection, review and maintenance of the child immunization records must complete the CDPHE immunization course. Correct by 2/10/24. Document compliance to Specialist by 2/10/24. Correct by 02/10/2024
2.229.L · Correction due January 10, 2024
A container of small pom poms in the Young Explorers 2 classroom on a shelf accessible to children. The Young Explorers classroom has children under age 3.
Required correction: Any area of the facility accessible to children less than 3 years of age must be free of any choke or inhalation hazards. Correct by 1/10/24. Assistant Director removed the pom poms from the classroom. Corrected at the time of inspection. No response necessary. Correct by 01/10/2024
2.230.C.3.c
A climbing wall on the Great Minds playground to be within 3 feet of a fence on one side.
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.
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 The Applewood School’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.
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.
Not yet reported: who teaches here.
Not yet reported: schedule.
Pricing per provider website, checked July 2026.
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 The Applewood School? 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.