Washington Park Early Learning Center

Center · Denver · 326 E Colorado Ave

What kind of place is this?

Size 40 children licensed In the middle half for Denver centers, where the middle half licenses 40–113. Measured across 1,156 Denver centers, 2026-08-17.
Approach developmental, play-based

In the program’s own words

“Our teachers provide a developmentally appropriate curriculum full of experiential and hands-on learning opportunities.” wpelc.org, July 2026
“At WPELC we believe children learn best through play with an emphasis on social-emotional development.” wpelc.org, July 2026

Will it fit our family?

Schedule half-day, part-week
Holiday closures Closed for Labor Day, Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, MLK Day, Presidents' Day, and Spring Break
Accepts subsidy Yes

What will it cost us?

Application fee $65

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Colorado Shines Level 4
License status Active
Website wpelc.org

State record — Colorado Department of Early Childhood

Last visit
December 9, 2025
On file
3 visits since March 2024 — 1 cited nothing
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was December 9, 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.

Dec 2025 Supervisory visit 3 findings

Supervisory visit · December 9, 2025

2.229.C · Correction due December 9, 2025

The following items labeled "keep out of reach of children" and accessible to children: Dish soap on the sink, baby wipes in the restroom in the Preschool classroom and shaving cream on a low shelf, dish soap on the sink in the Extended day classroom.

Required correction: Immediately (12/9/25) ensure all items labeled "Keep out of reach of children" are in accessible to children at all times. Director moved all items list above to an area inaccessible to children at the time of the inspection. NO RESPONSE REQUIRED. Correct by 12/09/2025

2.229.L

Small paper flowers in the dramatic play area of the Early Learners classroom accessible to children less than 3 years of age and posing a potential choking hazard.

Required correction: Immediately (12/9/25) ensure that all items accessible to children less than 3 years of age do not pose a potential choking hazard. Director removed the paper flowers from the classroom at the time of the inspection making

2.120.I · Correction due December 9, 2025

Reviewed staff files for 6 staff members and observed 1 staff member (SM4) lacking documentation of a current TRAILS background check (Expired 10/20/25).

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 current TRAILS clearance letter for staff listed above with written response to Specialist. Correct by 12/09/2025

State records file

Jan 2025 Original Change of Location/Type visit nothing cited State records file
Mar 2024 Supervisory visit 1 finding

Supervisory visit · March 13, 2024

2.229.C · Correction due March 13, 2024

Preschool room to have the following "keep out of reach of children" items on craft shelf by door accessible to children: 7 cans of shaving cream.

Required correction: All "keep out of reach of children items" must be inaccessible to children at all times. Correct immediately. Corrected at time of visit. Lead teacher placed all items on a shelf inaccessibled to children. No further action needed at this time. Correct by 03/13/2024

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 Washington Park Early Learning Center’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.

Before you tour

Washington Park Early Learning Center hasn’t published

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

  • Schedule — Checked July 2026 · wpelc.org
  • Holiday closures — Checked July 2026 · wpelc.org
  • Accepts subsidy — Checked July 2026 · wpelc.org

Not yet reported: ages served, hours, 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 Washington Park Early Learning Center? 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.