Denver · Licensed center
South West Ymca
- Small faith-based center, licensed for 21 children.
What the state has found
The state lists 3 visits below. Shortlist has not read the reports behind them, so there is no share of visits that cited something to set beside other providers yet.
State record — Colorado Department of Early Childhood
- Last visit
- December 15, 2025
- On file
- 3 visits since February 2024
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was January 14, 2026. Colorado Department of Early Childhood does not publish whether it was made.
- Most serious
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood does not publish a severity level for a citation, so there is no most-serious to name.
Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood lists each program’s complaints on its Colorado Shines page, with the department’s verdict on each and a report behind it, going back about three years. Older complaints are released only on request. The department does not rank complaints by severity in either place.
Dec 2025 Supervisory visit 6 findings
Supervisory visit · December 15, 2025
2.120.J · Correction due December 15, 2025
Reviewed 1 staff file and observed that 1 staff member was missing documentation of the completed abuse and neglect inquiry background check results.
Required correction: Immediately, all individuals requiring a background check must review Navigating the Background Check Investigation Unit's (BIU) Webpage powerpoint. Submit verification that staff members have reviewed the powerpoint within 24 hours. Submit documentation of TRAILS for staff members with written response to the Specialist. Correct by 12/15/2025
2.121.D
Reveiwed 1 staff file and observed that 1 staff member was missing documentation of the completed FBI and CBI background check results.
2.213.G · Correction due December 15, 2025
Reviewed 1 staff file and observed that 1 staff member was missing documentation of a current abuse prevention training.
Required correction: Immediately, all employees and regular volunteers must complete the abuse prevention training within 30 days of employment and must be renewed annually. Submit documentation and a written statement of compliance to the Licensing Specialist. Correct by 12/15/2025
2.213.H · Correction due January 14, 2026
Reviewed 1 staff file and observed that 1 staff member was missing documentation of an Introduction to the Early Intervention and Preschool Education Programs.
Required correction: Within 30 days, all staff required to register with PDIS must complete the Introduction to the Early Intervention and Preschool Education Programs within 90 days of employment. Submit documentation and a written statement of compliance to the Licensing Specialist. Correct by 01/14/2026
2.230.B · Correction due December 15, 2025
On the playground, observed the metal bar that is part of the climbing structure located at the top was broken exposing sharp edges posing a safety hazard.
Required correction: Immediately, indoor and outdoor equipment, materials, and furnishings must be sturdy, safe, and free of hazards. Submit a written statement of compliance to the Licensing Specialist. Correct by 12/15/2025
2.230.C.1.a · Correction due December 15, 2025
On the playground, observed the wood chip resilient materials measured as low as 2 inches throughout the playground and under the climbing structure.
Required correction: Immediately, climbing equipment 18 inches or higher must have resilient surfacing of at least 6 inches in the use zone surrounding the equipment. Submit a written statement of compliance to the Licensing Specialist. Correct by 12/15/2025
Feb 2024 Supervisory visit 4 findings
Supervisory visit · February 15, 2024
2.217.A.9 · Correction due February 15, 2024
C. has completed the 4 hour department approved medication administration training, however the certificate is not valid because part 2 has not been completed by indicating the staff member has been trained on the 1 hour face to face portion of the training.
Required correction: Immediately 2/15/2024 ensure there is a staff member on duty at all times with current medication administration training. Submit a written statement of compliance by 3/14/2024. Correct by 02/15/2024
2.205.D · Correction due February 15, 2024
C. is the only staff member present in the licensed program from 7:00 am to 6 pm daily. At the time of inspection, there was no other staff present to allow C. to attend to the duties of a director.
Required correction: Immediately by 2/15/2024 ensure there are adequate staff to allow C. to attend to other duties as they arise. Submit a written statement of compliance by 3/14/2024. Correct by 02/15/2024
2.217.C.4 · Correction due March 14, 2024
There is no record of a monthly nurse consultation maintained at the center for the months of June and July 2023.
Required correction: Maintain a record of monthly nurse consultations for all visits at the center. Submit a written statement of compliance by 3/14/2024. Correct by 03/14/2024
2.219.B.2 · Correction due March 14, 2024
Three children's files lacking a health statement within 30 days of admission to the program.
Required correction: Obtain a physical exam to be maintained in each child's file. Submit a statement of compliance by 3/14/2024. Correct by 03/14/2024
Where this record comes from
The Department of Early Childhood keeps about three years of complaints on a program’s public page. Anything older is released only on request, as a single file covering the whole state. Shortlist asked for that file under the Colorado Open Records Act and renews it yearly; it is what this page shows for complaints older than the department’s own window.
The file this page is built from arrived on October 10, 2026 and covers complaints the department publishes today, and complaints back to January 2023 obtained by records request. The next request goes in October 2027.
The department publishes a report for each of these visits. Shortlist has not read those reports yet, so this page shows when the state came and not what it found.
Ask for this program’s record now
The department will also review one program’s complete file on request, which is more than either source above contains. Leave your email and Shortlist will ask for South West Ymca’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.
Shortlist replaces people’s names in the state’s text with initials. This is done by rule, not by hand, so it can miss a name or shorten a word that isn’t one. The state’s report, linked on each row, has the original.
Openings, child care subsidies, cost, and ratios and staff aren’t on this page.
How they teach
Faith-based
“The mission of the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.”
A day here
- Hours
- 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM
- Meals
- School-year snack provided; parent/guardian must supply AM/PM snacks and a non-perishable lunch for Full Day Out and Summer Day Camp programs (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
- Outdoors
- Children go outside daily; stay indoors only if temperature drops below 32°F or rises above 97°F (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
- Screens
- Screen time only via occasional program-scheduled movies (G-rated, or PG with written parent approval); capped at 2.5 hours/month, no other screen time allowed (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
- Schedule
- before, after, drop-in, early release and full day out care (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
- Closed
- 11 holidays and breaks a year
Dates
New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day + day after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve (early closure) (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
Policies
- When a child is sick
- Children with fever over 100.4°F, diarrhea/vomiting, undiagnosed rash, or a diagnosed contagious disease must be excluded/picked up; must be symptom-free (or on antibiotics) for 24 hours before returning (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
- Special needs
- Reviews disclosed special circumstances case-by-case to determine accommodations; notes limitations from the 1:15 ratio and nonspecific staff knowledge of certain disabilities (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
Details
- Website
- denverymca.org
- Address
- 5181 W Kenyon Ave
- License
- 1524918, active
- Quality program
- Colorado Shines Level 2
- Ages they serve
- ages 4-16
Run South West Ymca? Correct or add anything here, free.
Add what is missingSources and dates
Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.
How they teach
- Approach — Checked July 2026 denverymca.org/…/Parent Handbook 2024- Updated 8.2024.pdf
A day here
- Meals, Outdoors, Screens, Hours, Closed — Checked July 2026 denverymca.org/…/Parent Handbook 2024- Updated 8.2024.pdf
- Schedule — Checked July 2026 denverymca.org
Policies
- When a child is sick, Special needs — Checked July 2026 denverymca.org/…/Parent Handbook 2024- Updated 8.2024.pdf
Details
- Website — Checked July 2026 denverymca.org
- Address, License — Checked July 2026 data.colorado.gov
- Quality program — Checked October 2026 data.colorado.gov
- Ages they serve — Checked July 2026 denverymca.org/…/Parent Handbook 2024- Updated 8.2024.pdf
Small means the smallest quarter of Denver-area’s 1,147 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 10 to 40 children. Medium is 41 to 114; large is 115 to 402.