THE GODDARD SCHOOL

Center · Aurora · 23905 E Arapahoe Rd

What kind of place is this?

Size 137 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.

Who runs it

Chain The Goddard School
Owner Sycamore Partners Franchisor (Goddard Systems) acquired by private-equity firm Sycamore Partners in June 2022. Individual schools are franchisee-owned; the brand/franchisor is PE-owned. prnewswire.com

The Goddard School runs 24 licensed locations in Denver.

Will it fit our family?

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

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Colorado Shines Level 2
License status Active

State record — Colorado Department of Early Childhood

Last visit
May 15, 2026
On file
3 visits since July 2024 · 2 complaint investigations
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was June 15, 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.

May 2026 Supervisory visit 1 finding

Supervisory visit · May 15, 2026

2.237.B · Correction due June 15, 2026

At the time of the visit observed peeling paint above the kitchen play area in the Zebra 1 Year classroom.

Required correction: Immediately, 5/15/2026 Buildings must be kept in good repair and maintained in a safe condition. Submit a written statement of compliance by 6/15/2026. Correct by 06/15/2026

State records file

Jul 2025 Supervisory visit report not read State records file
Jul 2024 Supervisory visit 5 findings

Supervisory visit · July 29, 2024

2.223.C.5 · Correction due July 29, 2024

At the time of visit, in the Infant classroom, the finish of the top bar of several cribs were chipped and peeling.

Required correction: Immediately, all sleep/rest equipment must be safe, sturdy and free of hazards. Submit photo documentation and a written statement of compliance by 8/29/2024. Correct by 07/29/2024

2.229.C

At the time of visit, in Toddler 2, the cabinet under the sink was unlocked and a bottle of glass cleaner labeled 'keep out of reach of children' was accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately, all items labeled 'keep out of reach of children' must be inaccessible to children at all times. Corrected at time of visit, the teacher locked the cabinet making the glass cleaner inaccessible. No response needed.

2.229.G · Correction due July 29, 2024

At the time of visit, in Toddler 2, the cabinet under the sink was unlocked and 2 rolls of loose plastic bags were accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately, all loose plastic bags must be inaccessible to children at all times. Corrected at time of visit, the cabinet was locked making the bags inaccessible. No response needed. Correct by 07/29/2024

2.230.B · Correction due July 29, 2024

At the time of visit, in Toddler 1, the finish on the top of the changing table was chipped and peeling. In Preschool 1, the cord to the light table was dangling underneath creating a strangulation hazard.

Required correction: Immediately, all indoor equipment must be sturdy, safe, and free of hazards at all times. Submit photo documentation and a written statement of compliance by 8/29/2024. Correct by 07/29/2024

2.237.B · Correction due July 29, 2024

At the time of visit, paint on several walls and door frames was chipped and peeling throughout the facility. In Toddler 1, the baseboard was peeling away from the wall near the playground door.

Required correction: Immediately, buildings must be kept in good repair and maintained in a safe condition. Submit photo documentation and a written statement of compliance by 8/29/2024. Correct by 07/29/2024

State records file

Oct 2023 Complaint 3 findings

Complaint · October 24, 2023

7.702.71.C · Correction due October 24, 2023

At the time of visit, in the Zebras classroom, Clorox cleaning spray and bottles of sanitizer labeled 'keep out of reach of children' were in a low unlocked cabinet that was accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately, all items labeled 'keep out of reach of children' must be inaccessible to children at all times. Corrected at time of visit, the classroom teacher locked the cabinet making the items inaccessible to children. Submit a written statement of future compliance by 10/31/2023. Correct by 10/24/2023

7.702.41.A

At the time of incident, and confirmed through staff statements, the staff willfully and deliberately chose to restrain a child, showing a lack of judgment and concern for the proper care and well-being of the child.

7.702.64.A · Correction due October 24, 2023

At the time of the incident, and confirmed through staff statements, a child was restrained as a form of guidance for up to 35 minutes, which is not age or developmentally appropriate and does not promote self-regulation and problem-solving.

Required correction: Immediately, guidance used at the center must be appropriate to the development of the child at all times and used as an opportunity to teach children social-emotional skills. Submit a written statement of compliance by 10/31/2023. Correct by 10/24/2023

State records file

Oct 2023 Complaint Founded

Complaint · October 24, 2023

Founded

The state lists this complaint on the provider’s record and publishes an investigation report for it. Shortlist has not read that report, so this row includes no citation detail.

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 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.

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 THE GODDARD SCHOOL’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.

Before you tour

THE GODDARD SCHOOL 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, teaching approach.

Who runs it

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 THE GODDARD 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.