Colorado Springs sits in the upper-middle of the national metro range on daycare prices, well below Denver and Boulder but above most southern and Midwestern metros, with Briargate, the Old North End, Broadmoor, Cheyenne Mountain, and Monument setting the top and the Southeast, Fountain, and Widefield setting the floor. Universal Preschool Colorado guarantees 15 free hours per week for every four-year-old regardless of family income, which materially reshapes the cost ladder for families whose children turn four by the October 1 cutoff.
In 2026 dollars, full-time center-based daycare in Colorado Springs runs roughly $1,275 to $1,775 per month for infants and roughly $1,050 to $1,500 per month for preschool-age children. Licensed family child care, regulated under 12 CCR 2509-8 with caps based on home licensing class, typically charges 15 to 25 percent less than centers in the same neighborhood. These ranges come from the National Database of Childcare Prices for El Paso County and Early Childhood Council market-rate work, not single-point averages.
Infant care in Colorado Springs typically prices 20 to 30 percent above preschool-age care because of Colorado's ratio rules. The state sets the center infant ratio at 1:5 for children up to 18 months under 12 CCR 2509-8, stepping to 1:7 for toddlers 18 to 36 months and 1:10 for three-year-olds. Maximum group size for infants is 10. The arithmetic of paying multiple Colorado Shines tier 3 to 5 credentialed teachers across small infant rooms is what makes infant rooms the most expensive line item in any Colorado Springs center's budget.
| Area | Infant, center | Preschool, center | Family child care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briargate, Pine Creek, Wolf Ranch | $1,625–$1,775 / month | $1,375–$1,500 / month | $1,275–$1,400 / month |
| Old North End, downtown, North End | $1,575–$1,725 / month | $1,325–$1,450 / month | $1,225–$1,350 / month |
| Broadmoor, Cheyenne Mountain, Skyway | $1,575–$1,725 / month | $1,325–$1,450 / month | $1,225–$1,350 / month |
| Monument, Black Forest, Tri-Lakes (D-38) | $1,500–$1,675 / month | $1,275–$1,400 / month | $1,175–$1,300 / month |
| Old Colorado City, Westside, Manitou Springs | $1,425–$1,575 / month | $1,200–$1,325 / month | $1,100–$1,225 / month |
| Powers Corridor, Stetson Hills, Indigo Ranch | $1,375–$1,525 / month | $1,175–$1,300 / month | $1,075–$1,200 / month |
| Falcon, Peyton (D-49 east) | $1,325–$1,475 / month | $1,125–$1,250 / month | $1,025–$1,150 / month |
| Central, near Fort Carson (Cimarron Hills) | $1,300–$1,450 / month | $1,100–$1,225 / month | $1,000–$1,125 / month |
| Southeast (Harrison D-2), Fountain Valley | $1,275–$1,400 / month | $1,075–$1,175 / month | $975–$1,075 / month |
| Widefield, Security, Fountain (D-3, D-8) | $1,275–$1,400 / month | $1,050–$1,175 / month | $950–$1,075 / month |
These ranges represent licensed center care and licensed family homes at Colorado Shines tier 2 and above, not unrated providers or pre-K seats funded by Universal Preschool Colorado. Briargate, the Old North End, Broadmoor, Cheyenne Mountain, and Monument sit at the top of the metro range. The Southeast, Fountain, and Widefield sit near the bottom, though still above the Pueblo and southern Colorado rural median in the Early Childhood Council's most recent market-rate work.
If your child turns four by October 1 of the school year, Universal Preschool Colorado materially changes the math regardless of household income. The program, administered by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood since fall 2023 under House Bill 22-1295, pays for 15 hours per week of free pre-K at a participating provider — a school district classroom, a community-based center, a Head Start site, or a licensed family child care home that has opted in. Three-year-olds and four-year-olds in qualifying families (income at or below 270 percent of FPL, English learner, IEP, foster or homeless, or other matrix criteria) qualify for additional hours up to full-day funding.
In Colorado Springs the participating district menu includes Colorado Springs District 11 (Adams Elementary, Bristol Elementary, and dozens of CPP-funded classrooms), Academy District 20 (Antelope Trails, Edith Wolford, Rockrimmon), Falcon District 49 (Stetson Elementary, Springs Ranch), Cheyenne Mountain District 12, Harrison District 2, Widefield District 3, and Lewis-Palmer District 38. Hundreds of community-based providers across the metro also participate, including CPCD Your Community Action Agency (the largest Head Start grantee in El Paso County), Community Partnership Family Resource Center in Teller County, and many independent and faith-based centers. Families apply through the UPK Colorado online portal and rank providers; matches are released in waves through spring.
Heads up. Universal Preschool Colorado covers 15 hours per week — about three hours per day, five days a week, or a half-day schedule — not full-time wrap care. Working families using a full-day program still pay for the wrap hours beyond the 15 funded hours. The state's expansion to full-day for three-year-olds in qualifying families closed a gap; the gap for non-qualifying families who need 40+ hours of care remains. Budget the wrap line item explicitly.
For infants, toddlers, and families who need full-time care beyond the UPK funded hours, Colorado's Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) is the federal Child Care and Development Fund subsidy. CCCAP in El Paso County covers a portion of licensed center or family child care for working families up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level at entry. Co-payments are sliding-scale and statutorily capped at no more than 10 percent of family income. Families apply through El Paso County Department of Human Services. Approved families must use a CCCAP-enrolled provider, typically a Colorado Shines tier 2 or higher site.
Colorado Shines, the state QRIS, runs five levels — Level 1 (licensing baseline) through Level 5 (national accreditation, typically NAEYC or NECPA). UPK Colorado, CCCAP reimbursement, and the Department of Defense Fee Assistance Program all reference Colorado Shines tier. When you tour a Briargate, Broadmoor, or Stetson Hills center, the Colorado Shines tier is the single most useful quality signal published by the state. The Early Childhood Council of El Paso County and Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families publish searchable provider lists and tier ratings.
Active-duty military families at Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and the U.S. Air Force Academy can use on-base Child Development Centers, Family Child Care homes, and School Age Centers operated by each installation's Child and Youth Services (CYS). On-base fees are set by the Department of Defense as a sliding-scale schedule by Total Family Income. Families who cannot get an on-base spot can apply for the DoD Fee Assistance Program (administered by Child Care Aware of America in partnership with Mile High United Way for Colorado) to reduce costs at participating off-base providers — Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) and MCCYN-PLUS programs cap parent fees at the on-base CDC equivalent.
Colorado has a flat individual income tax at 4.40 percent in 2026 and offers several stackable state credits that are unusually generous for child care families: the Colorado Child Care Expenses Credit (50 percent of the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit for AGI under $25,000, with reduced rates up to $60,000), the Colorado Child Tax Credit (refundable, with rates from 5 to 60 percent of the federal credit by income tier), and the Family Affordability Tax Credit added in 2024 (up to $3,200 per child under six and $2,400 per child six to sixteen for the lowest-income families). Three federal tools stack on top: the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit on IRS Form 2441, the Dependent Care FSA at most employers (up to $5,000 per family per year of pre-tax savings), and the federal Child Tax Credit. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, UCHealth, Children's Hospital Colorado, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and most major Colorado Springs civilian employers offer a Dependent Care FSA.
A two-earner Colorado Springs household typically recovers the full $5,000 Dependent Care FSA benefit, which works out to roughly $1,200 to $1,500 in federal tax savings depending on marginal rate. The federal Child and Dependent Care Credit recovers an additional $600 to $1,200 of qualifying expenses on top, and the federal and state Child Tax Credits stack on each qualifying child under 17.
A two-income Briargate family with a one-year-old in full-time licensed center care spends roughly $1,625 to $1,775 per month, or $19,500 to $21,300 per year, per the National Database of Childcare Prices for El Paso County and Early Childhood Council market-rate work.
If the family qualifies for CCCAP — household income at or below 185 percent of FPL with both parents working or in school — the sliding-scale co-payment is capped at 10 percent of family income, typically $180 to $390 per month, with CCCAP covering the balance at the provider's Colorado Shines reimbursement rate.
If the family is over the CCCAP ceiling, the full private rate stands. A Dependent Care FSA recovers $5,000 in pre-tax savings, the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit recovers an additional $600 to $1,200, the federal Child Tax Credit applies for each qualifying child under 17, and Colorado-resident families layer on the Colorado Child Tax Credit and (at lower incomes) the Family Affordability Tax Credit on their state return.
Walk through the cost calculator to model your own Colorado Springs year with UPK Colorado, CCCAP, FSA, and the federal and Colorado credits factored in. Use the comparison checklist and tour questions when you start visiting centers. Read the Universal Preschool Colorado explainer, our subsidized daycare guide, the Colorado state cost overview, and the broader cost pillar.
For neighborhood and listing detail, see daycare in Colorado Springs overall and the editorial best daycares in Colorado Springs roundup. Briargate, Old North End, Broadmoor, Monument, and Powers Corridor neighborhood guides are in progress.
Neighborhoods, listings, military programs, and the full Colorado Springs early-learning landscape.
Read → Pre-KHow UPK Colorado works, who qualifies for full-day matrix hours, and how to apply for your four-year-old.
Read → ToolModel your Colorado Springs daycare year with CCCAP, FSA, and the federal and Colorado credits factored in.
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