Child care health regulations
We establish and enforce sanitary standards for child care facilities. An approving health inspection is required for before a child care license can be issued by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood or the Colorado Department of Human Services. After the initial inspection, inspections of child care facilities are required every two years but may be conducted more frequently based on an assessment of risk.
We enforce the regulations in Clear Creek, Dolores, Gilpin, Moffat, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, and San Juan counties. Local health agencies inspect child care facilities in all other counties.
Questions about child care licenses should be directed to:
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood for child care centers, preschools, school age child care centers, and children’s resident camps.
The Colorado Department of Human Services for 24-hour child care facilities.
Regulations
- Rules and regulations governing health and sanitation in child care facilities (official Secretary of State version).
- National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education’s Standard 4.3.1.4, Feeding Human Milk to Another Mother’s Child (2020), Caring for Our Children, incorporated by reference.
- Application for variance.
Regulation Revision Information
CDPHE completed a stakeholder process to update 6 CCR 1010-7, Health and Sanitation of Child Care Facilities in the State of Colorado. The proposed changes were adopted by the Board of Health on February 19, 2025 and will go into effect on April 14, 2025. The updated regulation will be posted on April 14th. In the meantime, please reference the redline version of the current regulation to view the changes that were made.
- Updates to 6 CCR 1010-7 slides.
- Updates to 6 CCR 1010-7 meeting recording.
- Notice of adopted regulations.
Food service
- Interpretive Memo - Indirect Drains.
- Indirect draining guidance.
- Multi-use sink plan application.
- Accidental feeding of breast milk to another mother's child.
- Date marking guidance.
Additional food safety resources
Sanitizers and disinfectants
- Sanitizing with bleach.
- Sanitización con lejía (Sanitizing with bleach in Spanish).
- Disinfecting with bleach.
- Desinfección con lejía (Disinfecting with bleach in Spanish).
- List of approved disinfectants.
- Desinfectantes aprobados para su uso en guarderías (List of approved disinfectants in Spanish).
Preventing illness
- How Sick is too Sick.
- Sample Illness Policy.
- Política sobre enfermedades para escuelas y guarderías (Sample Illness Policy in Spanish).
- Illness Surveillance Log.
- Infectious Disease Guidelines.
- Handwashing sign.
- Lávese las manos (Handwashing sign in Spanish).
- Diaper changing sign.
- Procedimiento para cambiar pañales (Diaper changing sign in Spanish).
- Poisonous plant guide.
- Pautas sobre plantas tóxicas (Poisonous plant guide in Spanish).
- Clean up procedure.
- Clean up procedure graphic.
Lead
- Preventing childhood lead poisoning.
- Prevención de la intoxicación por plomo (Preventing childhood lead poisoning in Spanish).
Animals
- IM 25-01: Tarantulas in Child Care Facilities
- IM 25-02: Special Allowance for Animals Prohibited in Section 7.13.1.B.
Radon
Resident camps
Summary of trainings
To register for the course(s), please create a Co.Train account. You will need the course ID to access the training.
- Everything you need to know about cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting: Co.Train course ID 1108635.
Contact
303-692-3645, option #3
cdphe_iepu@state.co.us