The Goddard School runs 24 licensed locations in Denver.
Not yet reported: ages served, hours, days / week, schedule, holiday closures.
This provider does not publish pricing.
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 · April 22, 2026
2.220.D · Correction due April 22, 2026
Reviewed medications for 7 children and observed 3 children's over the counter medication lacking the child's first and last name.
Required correction: Immediately (4/22/26) ensure that all over-the-counter medications are labeled with each child's first and last name. Corrected at time of inspection provider wrote the 3 missing names on the over the counter medications. NO RESPONSE REQUIRED Correct by 04/22/2026
2.229.C
Baby wipes labeled "keep out of reach of children" accessible to children on top of the paper towel dispensers in the Giraffe's and Jungle Cat classroom.
Required correction: Immediately (4/22/26) ensure all items labeled "Keep out of reach of children" are in accessible to children at
2.229.L · Correction due April 22, 2026
Small frogs in bin on a low shelf accessible to children less than three years of age in the Pandas classroom posing a potential choking hazard.
Required correction: Immediately (4/22/26) ensure that all items that pose a potential choking hazard are in accessible to children less than 3 years of age at all time. Corrected at time of inspection provider moved the bin to the locked closet. NO RESPONSE REQUIRED Correct by 04/22/2026
2.121.J.1 · Correction due April 22, 2026
Reviewed 31 staff files and observed 1 staff (SM #11) to have lived out of Colorado in the past 5 years and lacking documentation of a completed out of state back ground 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 Out of State background Clearance Letters for all staff member listed above with written response to Specialist. Correct by 04/22/2026
Complaint · October 15, 2025
2.233.A.3 · Correction due October 15, 2025
Identified through staff statements and review of enrollment records that CH1 was attending in a toddler classroom (eager elephants) prior to being 12 months of age. Eager elephants classroom is licensed for children ages 12-36 months. Also identified through reveiw of classroom rosters that the Playful Panda classroom has 2 students enrolled that are less than 2.5 years of age. The Playful Panda classroom is licensed for children age 2.5-6years.
Required correction: Immediately (10/15/25) ensure that the program does not care for children in rooms that are not licensed for the specific ages without written approval from the department. Provide a written plan of action along with a statement of compliance within the overall response. Correct by 10/15/2025 Complaint Allegation : RP states that there are children under two years old in the Two's classroom with 14 children and 2 staff members. - FOUNDED
2.217.A.15 · Correction due October 15, 2025
Identified through staff statements that there are 11 children ages 1.11 years to 2.5 years currently enrolled in the Flying Frogs classroom. Exceeding the maximum group size for the ages of children enrolled in the classroom.
Required correction: Immediately (10/15/25) ensure the maximun group sizes for children is maintained according to the ages of the children within the group. Provide a written plan of action along with a written statement of compliance within the overall response. Correct by 10/15/2025
Identified through staff statements that there are 11 children ages 1.11 years to 2.5 years currently enrolled in the Flying Frogs classroom. Exceeding the maximum staff to child ratio for the ages of children enrolled in the
2.229.L · Correction due October 15, 2025
Observed small sea shells and small pom poms accessible to children less than 3 years of age in the Jungle Cats classroom, posing a possible choking hazard.
Required correction: Immediately (10/15/25) ensure that all items that are accessible to children less than 3 years of age do not pose a possible choking hazard. Provider removed the items from the classroom at the time of the inspection making them inaccessible. NO RESPONSE REQUIRED. Correct by 10/15/2025
2.204.B.4 · Correction due October 15, 2025
Identified through staff statements and review of enrollment records that CH1 was enrolled in a toddler classroom (eager elephants) prior to being 12 months of age.
Required correction: Immediately (10/15/25) ensure that the program does not enroll children in the toddler classrooms prior to the child being 12 months of age. Provide a written plan of action along with a statement of compliance within the overall response. Correct by 10/15/2025
Complaint · October 15, 2025
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.
Complaint · May 29, 2025
Unfounded
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.
Supervisory visit · July 10, 2024
2.218.B.3 · Correction due July 10, 2024
Reviewed 6 medications and observed 1 child's medications to have an empty broken bottle of Benadryl.
Required correction: Immediately (7/10/24) ensure that all applicable medications available for use per child's health care plan. Correct by 07/10/2024
2.219.B.2
Reviewed 12 children's files and observed 1 child lacking documentation of a current medical statement signed by a health care provider.
Licensing visit
2.230.B · Correction due May 29, 2025
Books in multiple classroom with ripped and torn pages posing a possible hazard.
Required correction: Immediately (5/29/25) ensure all indoor and outdoor equipment, materials, and furnishings are sturdy, safe, and free of hazards. Provide a written statement of compliance within the overall response. Correct by 05/29/2025
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 Goddard School (Lakewood)’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.
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.
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, teaching approach.
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 (Lakewood)? 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.