Colorado Daycare Ratios: Staff-to-Child Ratios and Group Sizes by Age
Colorado daycare staff-to-child ratios run from 1 adult for every 5 infants to 1 adult for every 15 children aged 5 and older, with maximum group sizes from 10 to 30 children; formal kindergarten sessions are staffed at 1 to 25 instead.
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) sets the ratios and group sizes by age band under 8 CCR 1402-1, the Child Care Facility Licensing Rules.
This page gives the full Colorado ratio table, the mixed-age and nap-time exceptions, who counts in ratio, home daycare capacity, and a worked staffing example for a typical center.
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At a glance
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Division of Early Learning, Licensing, and Administration, under 8 CCR 1402-1.
One staff member to five infants aged 6 weeks through 18 months, with a maximum group size of 10 children.
One staff member to five toddlers aged 12 to 36 months with a maximum group of 10 children; the 24 to 36 month band is 1:7 with a group cap of 14 children.
One staff member to 10 children aged 3 to 4 years, with a maximum group size of 20 children.
One staff member to 12 children aged 4 to 5 years, with a maximum group size of 24 children.
One staff member to 15 children aged 5 years and older, with a maximum group size of 30 children.
Colorado caps group sizes at 10 infants, 10 toddlers, 14 children from 24 to 36 months, 16 children from 2½ to 3 years, 20 children from 3 to 4 years, 24 children from 4 to 5 years, and 30 children aged 5 years and older.
Colorado center ratios and group sizes by age
| Age group | Staff-to-child ratio | Maximum group size |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks–18 months (infants) | 1:5 | 10 |
| 12–36 months (toddlers) | 1:5 | 10 |
| 24–36 months | 1:7 | 14 |
| 2½ years–3 years | 1:8 | 16 |
| 3 years–4 years | 1:10 | 20 |
| 4 years–5 years | 1:12 | 24 |
| 5 years and older | 1:15 | 30 |
| Mixed 2½ years–6 years | 1:10 | 20 |
Rows use the rule's own age bands, which overlap; Colorado sets toddler group ratios by the youngest child in the group.
What are the daycare ratios in Colorado?
Colorado centers staff each group of children to the ratio for its age band, under the Child Care Facility Licensing Rules, 8 CCR 1402-1, which the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) administers.
The bands run 1:5 for infants 6 weeks to 18 months, 1:5 for toddlers 12 to 36 months, 1:7 for children 24 to 36 months, 1:8 for children 2½ to 3 years, 1:10 for children 3 to 4 years, 1:12 for children 4 to 5 years, 1:15 for children 5 years and older and 1:10 for a mixed group of 2½ to 6 year olds.
Formal kindergarten sessions are the exception: they may run with one staff member for each 25 or fewer children in attendance, while the 1:15 ratio applies at other times of day.
The table below pairs each ratio with its maximum group size.
“3 years to 4 years 1 staff member to 10 children 4 years to 5 years 1 staff member to 12 children 5 years and older 1 staff member to 15 children”
Maximum group sizes by age
Colorado caps both sides of a classroom: the staff-to-child ratio sets how many children each staff member supervises, and the maximum group size caps how many children a single group can include (8 CCR 1402-1 §2.217(A)(15)).
Groups of infants are capped at 10 children, and groups of toddlers 12 to 36 months at the same 10 children.
Groups of children 24 to 36 months are capped at 14 children, groups of 2½ to 3 year olds at 16 children, and groups of 3 to 4 year olds at 20 children.
The cap rises to 24 children at 4 to 5 years and 30 children at 5 years and older, while a mixed group of 2½ to 6 year olds is capped at 20 children.
Mixed-age and nap-time rules in Colorado
Colorado's rulebook gives mixed-age groups and nap time their own allowances.
A group that mixes 2½ to 6 year olds runs at 1:10 with a maximum group size of 20 children.
At nap time, a preschool classroom's ratio may be doubled for children 2½ years of age and older when at least half of the group is sleeping, the group size cap is not exceeded, and the supervising staff member is a qualified teacher or assistant teacher.
When ages mix within the preschool bands, the youngest child's ratio applies if more than 20% of the group is composed of younger children, and toddler group ratios are always based on the youngest child.
“the staff ratio for the youngest child must be utilized if more than twenty percent (20%) of the group is composed of younger children.”
Who can count in ratio
Colorado counts only staff members and volunteers who are qualified under the early childhood teacher rule and who work directly with the children toward its staff-child ratios.
The qualification rule the ratio rule points to, section 2.216(A), requires an early childhood teacher to be at least 18 years old and to meet one of nine qualification options, including a CDA, a PDIS credential at Level II or higher, an ECE associate degree, or 21 months of verified experience, which the rule counts as 3,185 hours, plus two ECE courses.
Colorado also recognizes staff aides, who must be at least 16 years old and work directly under a director or early childhood teacher; infant staff aides must be at least 18.
“only staff members and/or volunteers qualified under rule section 2.216(A), who work directly with children are counted.”
Home daycare capacity in Colorado
Family child care homes in Colorado are capped by license type rather than by a staff-to-child ratio.
Colorado does not require a license for a family care home that cares for up to four children, related or unrelated, with no more than two children under 2 years of age, or for only related children plus one unrelated sibling group.
A regular family child care home license allows up to six children from birth through 18 years of age, with no more than two children under 18 months, plus up to two additional school-age children.
A large family child care home license allows up to 12 children, including the provider's own children under 10 years of age, again with no more than two children under 18 months.
A separate infant and toddler home license lets one provider who is at least 21 years old care for up to four children under 3 years of age, with no more than two children under 12 months, including the provider's own children.
Staffing example for a typical center
A worked example shows how the two caps combine.
An infant group at its maximum size of 10 children, staffed at the 1:5 infant ratio, needs two qualified staff members on the floor.
A preschool group of 3 year olds at its cap of 20 children, staffed at the 1:10 ratio, also needs two qualified staff members, and a mixed 2½ to 6 year group at its cap of 20 children needs the same.
The nap-time allowance changes the arithmetic in preschool classrooms: once at least half of the 20 children are asleep, the group stays within its cap and the supervising staff member is a qualified teacher or assistant teacher, the doubled ratio can cover the whole group with one staff member.
A group of 30 children aged 5 and older, staffed at the 1:15 ratio, takes two staff members.
This is arithmetic on the published ratios, not a staffing plan the licensing agency has reviewed; a center confirms its own schedule with CDEC.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Colorado licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state staff-to-child ratios series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Division of Early Learning, Licensing, and Administration publishes. For the rest of the picture in Colorado, see daycare teacher requirements in Colorado and daycare licensing steps in Colorado.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the infant teacher-to-child ratio in Colorado?
In a licensed Colorado center, children 6 weeks to 18 months old are staffed at one staff member for every five infants, and an infant group holds at most 10 children.
Toddlers 12 to 36 months are also staffed at 1:5 with a maximum group of 10 children, while children 24 to 36 months are staffed at 1:7 in groups of up to 14 children.
How many toddlers can one caregiver watch in a Colorado daycare?
For children 12 to 36 months old, Colorado sets a 1:5 staff-to-child ratio and a maximum group size of 10 children, so one staff member supervises five toddlers in a group at its cap of 10 children.
For children 24 to 36 months old, the ratio is 1:7 and the group cap is 14 children.
The doubling allowance is written for preschool classrooms with children 2½ years and older.
Does Colorado allow a higher ratio at nap time?
Yes, in preschool classrooms.
The child-to-staff ratio may be doubled for children 2½ years of age and older when at least half of the group is sleeping, the maximum group size is not exceeded, and the staff member supervising is a qualified teacher or assistant teacher.
The allowance appears in section 2.217(A)(10) of the Child Care Facility Licensing Rules, 8 CCR 1402-1.
Can a 16 year old count in ratio in a Colorado daycare?
Colorado counts only staff members and volunteers who are qualified under the early childhood teacher rule, section 2.216(A), and who work directly with children.
Staff aides can be 16 years old and work directly under a director or early childhood teacher, while infant staff aides must be at least 18.
The ratio rule names the teacher qualification section specifically, so a director confirms with CDEC how an aide assignment counts.
How many kids can a licensed home daycare have in Colorado?
A regular family child care home license covers up to six children from birth through 18 years of age, with no more than two under 18 months, plus up to two additional school-age children.
A large family child care home license covers up to 12 children, including the provider's own children under 10 years of age.
Colorado does not require a license for a home that cares for up to four children with no more than two under 2 years of age.
More Colorado Resources
Sources
- Colorado CDEC Child Care Facility Licensing Rules (8 CCR 1402-1) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
Sourced from the documents listed above. Verified October 2026. This is career and employer information, not licensing or legal advice. Confirm current rules with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Division of Early Learning, Licensing, and Administration.