The Acorn School For Early Childhood Dev.
A child care center in Boulder, Colorado 80301
2845 Wilderness PL, Boulder, Colorado 80301.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. Colorado’s own record is on coloradoshines.com.
The short answer
Record last released by Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) on Nov 2, 2026.
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean5
- Inspection (survey)
- A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
- Deficiency, citation, violation
- What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
- Quality rating
- Many states rate child care in a quality rating system that goes past the licensing rules, such as Texas Rising Star or Kentucky All STARS. Taking part is often voluntary, so a program with no rating hasn’t been rated low. Source: Each state’s quality rating system.
- Licence status
- Whether the state’s licence lets the place operate now, in the state’s own words: licensed, on probation (allowed to keep operating on conditions, after problems), provisional, pending or expired. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
- Capacity
- The most people the licence or certification lets the place care for at once: residents, children, beds or apartments, as the state counts them. It isn’t how many are there now. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
What did inspectors find?
CDEC’s file lists 19 inspections, investigations and complaints from Jan 1, 2023 to Oct 27, 2026, the latest on Oct 7, 2026 (Follow-up).
14 citations in all, 1 of them from complaints and Stage II investigations.
Where Colorado posts its reports: Colorado Shines.
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Data request 2026-967, delivered Oct 28, 2026 and each month since: licensing inspections, complaints and Stage II investigations from Jan 1, 2023. Released Oct 28, 2026. CDEC sends the previous month’s records in the first week of each month; a person saves each file and loads it.
When those citations happened
14 citations in 7 months of the last 46. Last cited Oct 2026. The last 4 years, to Nov 5, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.
Each citation, in its source’s words
Grouped by visit, newest first, with the level its source gave it.
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Data request 2026-967, delivered Oct 28, 2026 and each month since: licensing inspections, complaints and Stage II investigations from Jan 1, 2023. Released Oct 28, 2026. CDEC sends the previous month’s records in the first week of each month; a person saves each file and loads it.
Oct 7, 2026: follow-up (case 279381)2 citations
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All children must be under the direct supervision at all times of a qualified adult who has been assigned the responsibility to supervise
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The time a child arrives and leaves the center each day must be recorded. Staff members must complete written attendance verification periodically throughout the day, including during transitions.
Jun 16, 2026: stage II (case 274541)1 citation
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Cots or pads must be spaced at least two (2) feet apart on all sides during rest time. Children must have a safe area in which to rest that is easily supervised, out of the path of traffic, and free of hazards.
Aug 11, 2025: supervisory (case 244806)1 citation
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Within thirty (30) calendar days of employment, all employees and regular volunteers must be trained using a Department-approved training about child abuse prevention, which includes common symptoms and signs of child abuse, how to report, where to report, and when to report suspected or known child abuse or neglect. This training must be renewed annually.
Jul 10, 2025: injury (case 258786)1 citation
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All staff at the center must demonstrate knowledgeable decision-making, judgment, and concern for the proper care and well-being of children.
Apr 16, 2025: follow-up (case 255434)1 citation
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All children must be under the direct supervision at all times of a qualified adult who has been assigned the responsibility to supervise
Jun 3, 2024: follow-up (case 223817)1 citation
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All children must be under the direct supervision at all times of a qualified adult who has been assigned the responsibility to supervise
Oct 5, 2023: supervisory (case 189977)5 citations
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The admission record must include: A health history, including any health care plans, which indicates communicable diseases and chronic illnesses or injuries the individual has had, any known drug reactions and allergies, medications being taken, any necessary health procedures or special diets, and immunization record.
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Any unexpired routine medication, prescription or non-prescription (over the counter), must be administered only with a current written order of a health care provider with prescriptive authority and with written parental consent. home remedies, homeopathic medication, vitamins, and supplements must not be administered to children in childcare.
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Indoor and outdoor equipment, materials, and furnishings must be sturdy, safe, and free of hazards.
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All climbing equipment eighteen (18) inches or higher must have resilient surfacing of at least six (6) inches in the use zone surrounding the equipment.
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Toddler climbing equipment must have a three (3) foot use zone surrounding the equipment. Toddler slides require a six (6) foot use zone extending out from the base of the slide.
Oct 5, 2023: injury (case 209542)1 citation
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All children must be under the direct supervision at all times of a qualified adult who has been assigned the responsibility to supervise
Oct 5, 2023: follow-up (case 210643)1 citation
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Guidance used at the center must be appropriate to the development of the child and is used as an opportunity to teach children social-emotional skills, such as self-regulation, problem-solving, and empathy for others.
All 19 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2026 | Follow-up (case 279381) | 2 citations; cleared Oct 26, 2026. |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Supervisory (case 261320) | No citations; cleared Jul 13, 2026. |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Injury (case 275303) | No citations; cleared Jul 13, 2026. |
| Jun 16, 2026 | Stage II (case 274541) | Outcome, in CDEC’s words: Founded; 1 citation; cleared Jun 25, 2026. |
| Jun 3, 2026 | Injury (case 274191) | No citations; cleared Jul 2, 2026. |
| Oct 20, 2025 | Injury (case 264535) | No citations; cleared Oct 28, 2025. |
| Aug 11, 2025 | Supervisory (case 244806) | 1 citation; cleared Aug 20, 2025. |
| Jul 10, 2025 | Injury (case 258786) | 1 citation; cleared Oct 28, 2025. |
| Apr 16, 2025 | Follow-up (case 255434) | 1 citation; cleared Jul 3, 2025. |
| Mar 5, 2025 | Injury (case 252366) | No citations; cleared Mar 25, 2025. |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Injury (case 247642) | No citations; cleared Jan 31, 2025. |
| Oct 23, 2024 | Injury (case 244807) | No citations; cleared Jan 31, 2025. |
| Sep 19, 2024 | Supervisory (case 210793) | No citations; cleared Jan 31, 2025. |
| Jun 3, 2024 | Follow-up (case 223817) | 1 citation; cleared Jul 17, 2024. |
| Jan 9, 2024 | Injury (case 214765) | No citations; cleared Feb 8, 2024. |
| Dec 7, 2023 | Injury (case 213683) | No citations; cleared Jan 11, 2024. |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Supervisory (case 189977) | 5 citations; cleared Jan 11, 2024. |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Injury (case 209542) | 1 citation; cleared Jan 11, 2024. |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Follow-up (case 210643) | 1 citation; cleared Jan 11, 2024. |
Is it licensed?
- Colorado’s service type: Child Care Center; licensed by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.
- Licensed for 135 children: 20 infants, 34 toddlers, 81 preschool and school-age children.
- Colorado’s licence number: 96303.
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Colorado Licensed Child Care Facilities Report. Released Nov 2, 2026. Updated monthly.
What did complaints and investigations find?
- CDEC’s file lists 1 complaint or Stage II investigation from Jan 1, 2023 to Oct 27, 2026. Outcomes, in CDEC’s words: Founded (1).
- Neither CDEC’s roster nor its file of inspections lists enforcement actions, such as fines or the revocation of a licence.
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Data request 2026-967, delivered Oct 28, 2026 and each month since: licensing inspections, complaints and Stage II investigations from Jan 1, 2023. Released Oct 28, 2026. CDEC sends the previous month’s records in the first week of each month; a person saves each file and loads it.
| Received | Case and outcome, in CDEC’s words | In CDEC’s file |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2026 | Stage II: Founded | Received Jun 4, 2026; CDEC contacted the provider Jun 16, 2026; 1 citation; cleared Jun 25, 2026; case 274541. |
Who does the caring?
- Colorado doesn’t publish staffing levels for individual programs in this dataset.
Who owns it?
- Colorado’s dataset lists its governing body as NA.
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Colorado Licensed Child Care Facilities Report. Released Nov 2, 2026. Updated monthly.
How is it rated?
- Colorado Shines: Level 5 of five, as Colorado rates it (awarded May 31, 2025, valid until May 31, 2028).
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Colorado Licensed Child Care Facilities Report. Released Nov 2, 2026. Updated monthly.
How does it compare nearby?
- Programs aren’t compared with each other here: CDEC’s file doesn’t grade its citations by how serious they are.
| Place | |
|---|---|
| The Acorn School For Early Childhood Dev. This child care provider | Not given |
What the record doesn’t say
- Inspections, investigations and complaints are from the file CDEC sent for a data request, from Jan 1, 2023, and the file it sends each month since. CDEC says its file may miss a program licensed during that time that is no longer licensed, and that its records may change as they are updated or finalized.
- CDEC’s file gives each rule cited, its category, and the days set to correct it and to clear the case, but not what the inspector wrote: Colorado Shines has each monitoring report. CDEC doesn’t grade citations by how serious they are.
- This page is built from the dataset of licensed child care facilities CDEC publishes monthly on data.colorado.gov, so a program licensed or closed since may be missing or still shown. It leaves out 24-hour licence types and care that is exempt from licensing.
- Colorado’s roster carries no enforcement actions, hours or staffing levels.
Sources
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Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Colorado Licensed Child Care Facilities Report (data.colorado.gov, a9rr-k8mu).
Released Nov 2, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Open Data Commons Public Domain Dedication and License (PDDL). data.colorado.gov’s terms ask for this disclaimer: “The data made available here has been modified for use from its original source, which is the State of Colorado. THE STATE OF COLORADO MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTY AS TO THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, OR CONTENT OF ANY DATA MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS SITE. THE STATE OF COLORADO EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The data is subject to change as modifications and updates are complete. It is understood that the information contained in the Web feed is being used at one’s own risk.” Facts are extracted; monitoring reports are not republished.
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Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Data request 2026-967, delivered Oct 28, 2026 and each month since: licensing inspections, complaints and Stage II investigations from Jan 1, 2023.
Released Oct 28, 2026 and checked Oct 29, 2026. CDEC sends the previous month’s records in the first week of each month; a person saves each file and loads it. No licence stated: CDEC sent this file for a data request that said it would be shown on a free public website. Its disclaimer says the data “is now subject to open records law”. Shown free, never sold.
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC). Colorado’s own record is on coloradoshines.com. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.
This copy of the record was made on Nov 5, 2026.
From the provider
The public record above comes first. Anything the provider adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.
Replies
None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the provider will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.
Paid listing
None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the provider”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.