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DENVER, CO - The House Health & Human Services Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Jenny Willford and Lorena Garcia that would improve price transparency and allow Colorado families to request refunds on waitlist fees, application fees, and deposits if they don’t enroll their child in a child care center. SB25-004 passed by a vote of 9-4.
“Child care waitlist fees and deposits can cost families thousands of dollars, and if a family is not offered admission to a child care center, they should get their money back,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “Parents and guardians want the best for their children, and sometimes that means paying waitlist fees for multiple child care centers. As a mom, I know how quickly these child care fees can add up, and the legislation we’re bringing today makes it easier for Colorado families to shop around without losing out on thousands of hard-earned dollars.”
“Child care is necessary for parents who want to reenter the workforce, and they deserve transparency in the process of finding the child care center that best fits their needs,” said Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Unincorporated Adams County. “There are many reasons why parents would want to join multiple waitlists, and they deserve to know what the true costs they can expect when determining where to enroll their child. Colorado families already face many barriers to affordable child care, and improving price transparency and requiring waitlist and deposit refunds from child care centers that their child did not end up attending will reduce the cost of enrolling in child care for hardworking Colorado parents.”
SB25-004 would require child care centers to provide a transparent fee schedule upon registration, when joining a waitlist, or at the request of a family. The bill would also require application fees, waitlist fees, or deposits to be refundable after six months if a child is not admitted and remains on the waitlist.
A center may charge a deposit, but if admitted, the deposit must go towards the tuition of child care.