Waitlist FAQs

We're thrilled that you're considering Riverhouse for your child's early education journey! Our families consistently tell us how much they love being part of our community, and we look forward to the possibility of welcoming you too.

Is your waitlist open?

Yes, our waitlist is open for all age groups!

How early should I get on your waitlist?

As soon as possible! Being on the waitlist does not guarantee a spot. We will need to have an opening at the time you would like to begin attending. It comes down to timing and what openings we have available for your child's age.

What to expect: Based on our recent enrollment patterns, families typically wait approximately 1-2 years before being offered a placement, though this timeline can vary. Many families join our waitlist during pregnancy or shortly after birth, which speaks to the quality care and early education we provide.

Riverhouse is one of the only infant childcare centers (under 18 months) in Durango. Our infant waitlist fills quickly as our infant room has limited capacity. As soon as you know you will need childcare, we recommend getting on the waitlist. If you're offered a spot, you can tour the center at that time and decide whether to accept.

Many infant parents find it challenging to secure childcare when returning to work simply due to availability and timing factors. Early application gives you the best chance of finding care when you need it.

When do you bring new kids into the center?

We typically bring new children in during classroom shifts, which creates openings. Our biggest classroom shift occurs in late August/September, aligning with Durango's 9R school district's calendar when our oldest Eagles classroom moves to Kindergarten.

Classroom shifts also occur in our Chickadee and Hummingbird classrooms as children age out of infancy based on their birthdays.

We also welcome new children when another child leaves Riverhouse during the school year. Children generally stay at Riverhouse throughout their early childhood.

Can you predict what future openings you'll have?

Predicting future openings is surprisingly challenging! On paper, it seems straightforward, but several factors affect availability:

State licensing restrictions around birth dates and classroom numbers
Classroom transitions for current children

For these reasons, we often don't know exactly what openings we'll have until closer to classroom transition times.

Openings may be based on birthdate to align with existing classroom changes.

Can we do a tour?

We offer tours when we have an opening and are offering spots to families. At that time, you'll see the specific classroom your child would join and meet their future teachers.

We aren't able to offer tours outside of this process for several reasons, including staff bandwidth and reducing the risk of outside germs entering the center. We occasionally host Open Houses, which are great opportunities for waitlisted families to tour our facility.

What is your pricing?

The rates below are effective for families joining the center as of November 25, 2024. Please note that tuition increases of at least 5% per school year will be assessed to account for rising costs.

Classroom | Ages | Full Time: 5 days/wk M-F

Chickadees | 6weeks-10months | $2,000
Hummingbirds | 10-18months | $1,843
Sparrows | 18mo-2.5yrs | $1,631
Blue Jays | 2-3yrs | $1,560
Falcons | 3-5yrs | $1,418
Eagles | 4-5yrs | $1,418

There are state Tuition Assistance programs designed to help families who need childcare assistance, such as:

Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP)
Colorado Preschool Program (CPP)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Universal Pre-K (UPK), which all Colorado-resident 4-5 year olds qualify for

What are your childcare hours?

We are currently open Monday - Friday from 7:30am-5:00pm.

Early drop-offs and late pick-ups are not offered due to staffing constraints. Parents who arrive late for pickup will incur a fee charged by the minute.

What schedules do you offer?

Monday - Friday (Full Time only)

As of August 2025, Riverhouse offers only Full Time spots and no longer provides any Part Time schedules.

We made this change to enhance our services and better meet the needs of our families. By moving to full time, we provide greater stability for children, resulting in more consistent group dynamics and fostering stronger connections between children and teachers. As a non-profit, this approach helps us plan and allocate resources more effectively. We believe it also helps minimize germ exposure and contributes to a more secure environment.

For families who may need financial assistance, Riverhouse offers subsidies to help with childcare costs.

Riverhouse does not offer half days or custom schedules.

Do I have to pay a waitlist fee if I am CCCAP?

Yes. We are unable to verify CCCAP eligibility until you are accepted into the center. At that point, we would work with social services for verification. For families that qualify for CCCAP, our Registration fee will be waived. We may limit our number of CCCAP families at any time based on capacity.

Why don't you share waitlist position numbers?

We've improved our waitlist communication approach to provide more reliable and meaningful information to families. After careful analysis of our enrollment patterns, we no longer share specific waitlist position numbers for several important reasons:

Numbers didn't reflect actual wait times: Our data shows that a waitlist position number was often not a reliable indicator of when a family might be offered a spot. For example, a family at position #1 might wait anywhere from one month to three years depending on their child's age, our classroom configurations, and other enrollment factors. By analyzing our actual enrollment patterns instead, we can now share that most families typically wait approximately 1-2 years before being offered a placement.
Our dual organization system: We manage our waitlist using two parallel approaches:
- By Kinder-year: Children are grouped based on when they would start kindergarten (spanning a 12-month period)
- By classroom age requirements: When a spot opens, we look at the specific age range needed for that classroom (some as narrow as 8 months)
This means that while a child might be "next in line" in their kinder-year group, they might not fit the age requirements for available openings. For example, if we have an opening in our Chickadee room (6 weeks-10 months), we can only offer it to a child within that specific age range, even if there are children higher on the waitlist who are older.
Constantly shifting positions: Waitlist positions change frequently as:
- Children age (moving them into or out of eligibility for certain classrooms)
- Current families welcome new babies (who receive priority placement)
- Families decline spots or are removed for non-response
Over the past year alone, we've had 8 current families welcome new babies, which significantly impacted waitlist positions for many families.
Focus on quality care: Tracking, updating, and communicating individual spot numbers requires significant administrative time. Many families would ask for spot updates frequently when there had been little to no change.

This approach aligns with best practices used by other quality childcare centers throughout Colorado and allows us to focus on what matters most: preparing to welcome your child when the right opening becomes available.

We kindly ask that you refrain from calling or emailing specifically about waitlist numbers. Instead, we encourage you to use our semi-annual verification process to confirm your continued interest and update any changes to your information. We remain fully committed to contacting you promptly as soon as a spot becomes available for your child.

How do you organize your waitlist?

Our waitlist organization uses a dual approach to balance consistency with our operational needs:

Primary Organization: Kinder-year We organize our waitlist by Kinder-year, which means the year a child would start Kindergarten. For example, for babies born between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026, the kinder-year in Colorado is 2031 (when they turn 5 years old). This helps us maintain a consistent organizational structure over time.

Secondary Filter: Classroom Age Requirements When we have an opening, we must look at the specific age requirements for that classroom. Our six classrooms serve different age ranges, some as narrow as 8 months:

Chickadees: 6 weeks-10 months
Hummingbirds: 10-18 months
Sparrows: 18 months-2.5 years
Blue Jays: 2-3 years
Falcons: 3-5 years
Eagles: 4-5 years

This means that when filling an opening, we first identify which children on our waitlist fit the age requirements for that specific classroom, and then consider their position within that filtered group.

Our classroom ages are licensed by the state, and our ability to offer spots is strictly governed by these licensing requirements. This is why our actual enrollment opportunities may not directly correlate with a simple numbered waitlist position.

This dual approach allows us to maintain an organized system while meeting the complex requirements of early childhood education licensing and providing the best possible learning environment for children of different developmental stages.

How long do I stay on the waitlist?

You can remain on our waitlist until your child reaches Kindergarten age (age 5). We verify continued interest at least semi-annually. A response is required to stay on our waitlist. If you don't respond to our verification requests, you will be removed to ensure our waitlist remains accurate for everyone.

If we contact you to offer an open spot and you don't respond, you will be removed from the waitlist. If you're offered a spot but decline, you're welcome to stay on our waitlist as long as you respond to our communications. However, as mentioned earlier, you will move to the bottom of our current list to give other families an opportunity, and future availability is not guaranteed.

How easy is it to switch from Part Time to Full Time?

As of August 2025, Riverhouse offers only Full Time spots and no longer provides any Part Time schedules.

When will my child get in?

Many factors determine when you might be offered a spot:

Timing and openings: We typically have openings during classroom shifts or when another child leaves Riverhouse. Openings will be based on available schedules to align with our state licensing capacity. Regardless of your desired start date, you will be offered a spot based on our availability. (You can decide if that timing works for you or if you'd like to remain on our waitlist.)
Waitlist position and responses: When we have an opening, we contact families in order based on their place on our waitlist and whether they fit the age requirements for the available opening. If the families ahead of you decline, don't fit our classroom needs, prefer to start later, or don't respond promptly, we will reach out to the next family to offer the opening.

Waitlists can be long. Should I even bother getting on a waitlist?

Yes! While immediate placement might not be realistic based on availability and timing factors, there may be an opening for you in the future. And sometimes we do have immediate openings! Don't be discouraged by the wait time — we have had to call quite far down our list for openings before, as families' situations change. Sometimes those on the list have moved away, found other childcare, are no longer interested, or simply don't respond promptly. Your family or childcare situation may change in the future as well.

Getting on our waitlist as early as possible gives you the best chance of securing a spot when you need it.

How likely is it that my multiple children will get in at the same time?

If your children are all the same age (twins, triplets, etc.) and were registered at the same time, we would need to have that number of spots available simultaneously to offer them to you.

If your children are different ages, they will be on different classroom waitlists with different positions. This means we would need to have spots available in multiple classrooms at the same time to offer them to you simultaneously. While certainly possible, it's unlikely both would be offered spots at the same time.

If you accept a spot for one child, your other child(ren) immediately receive sibling priority on our waitlist, improving their position. All siblings/alumni receive waitlist priority when we have a future opening in your other child's classroom.

How will I be notified of an opening?

When a spot becomes available for your child, we will contact you in two ways:

We will send an email with detailed information about the classroom opening, including a start date. Our Assistant Director will be included on the email to coordinate tours, answer questions, and provide enrollment information.
We will call the cell phone numbers that were provided on your application. If we don't reach you, we'll leave a voicemail.

If you do not respond within 24 hours or 1 business day, we will offer the opening to the next eligible family on our waitlist. You are not required to accept within that time, we simply need to know if you’d like to learn more. After a tour or discussion, you will have 72 hours to decide whether or not you will accept or decline the spot.

What if I am offered a spot in September, but would like to start in January?

If you are offered a spot but wish to start at a later date, you will be required to pay monthly tuition to hold that spot until your desired start date. We cannot hold or reserve spots without payment.

If you decline a spot, you will move to the bottom of the current waitlist to give other families an opportunity. Based on this policy and the length of our waitlist, it is unlikely you will be offered another spot in time for your preferred future date. Moving to the bottom of our list may delay being offered a spot another 1 to 3 years.

With childcare being difficult to find in Durango, we recommend accepting an offered spot even if it doesn't align perfectly with your timeframe. Future openings are not guaranteed, and you may risk not finding care when you eventually need it.

I need childcare ASAP! Help!

We understand the urgency of childcare needs! Be sure to get on our waitlist, and we will reach out as soon as we have a spot for you. Finding immediate childcare in Durango can be challenging. We recommend applying to multiple waitlists to increase your chances of securing a spot sooner.

Resources to find care include:

Colorado Shines: ColoradoShines.com
Local Facebook groups that may be helpful in finding nanny childcare

I won't need childcare for over a year. Should I get on your waitlist now?

Absolutely yes! It may seem far away, but time passes quickly. You will not be removed from our waitlist (unless non-responsive), so we will reach out when we have availability, which may indeed be 1-2 years.

Many of our families join our waitlist during pregnancy or shortly after birth, which speaks to both the quality of care we provide and the reality of childcare availability in Durango. Sometimes, it can take many months, possibly over a year, to get in. Early application gives you the best chance of securing care when you need it.

We're excited about the possibility of having your family join our community, even if it's a bit further down the road!

Why should I apply to Riverhouse Children's Center?

Welcome to the Riverhouse Family! We're thrilled you're considering joining our vibrant community of families who consistently tell us how much they love and value the Riverhouse experience. For over two decades, we've been nurturing Durango's children in an environment where they truly thrive.

Our mission is to build the foundation for a lifetime of success through quality early childhood education. Families enthusiastically recommend Riverhouse to friends and neighbors.

What makes Riverhouse special:

A warm, joyful atmosphere where children are excited to arrive each morning
Dedicated, passionate teachers who build meaningful connections with each child
A comprehensive food program providing healthy morning snacks and nutritious lunches prepared on-site
Enriching specialty programs including yoga, music lessons, outdoor exploration, and arts
Thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor spaces that inspire creativity and discovery
A play-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum that prepares children for future academic success while honoring childhood
Regular family events that build a strong sense of community
A long-standing reputation as Durango's premier early childhood center

Parents regularly share how their children blossom at Riverhouse, developing confidence, curiosity, and a genuine love of learning. We're proud that many of our families stay with us from infancy through pre-K, and that siblings follow in each other's footsteps through our program.

We'd be delighted to welcome your family to experience the Riverhouse difference! Visit the rest of our website to learn more about our philosophy, programs, and the wonderful community we've built together.

How does Riverhouse work with Universal Pre-K (UPK)?

Universal Pre-K (UPK) began in Colorado in Fall 2023 and offers 15 hours of state-funded childcare for 4-year-olds from August through May. The program performs mutual matching over 3 application rounds and continues year-round to accommodate families who move. Parents and providers accept or reject their matches individually. To be matched, both the parent and provider must accept each other.

Riverhouse proudly participates in UPK. Children already at Riverhouse who choose to stay for UPK will be confirmed, allowing us to determine the number of new openings available. We will reach out to families on our waitlist to offer spots and encourage you to mark Riverhouse as a selected provider.

Important: To ensure you receive a spot if one is offered, you must request Riverhouse in your UPK application. If you are on our waitlist and offered a spot but have not requested Riverhouse in UPK, you will not receive a spot. This is beyond our control, as UPK spot allocation must be coordinated with the state. Each matching round allows families to match and re-select programs, so it may take multiple rounds until our pre-K classroom is finalized.

Please sign up or edit your UPK application to request Riverhouse as one of your providers here (https://upk.colorado.gov/). You can match and accept another provider in the first round to ensure you have UPK. Then, if Riverhouse is your ideal provider and we have openings after first-round matches, we will contact you to help you re-match to our program and secure an opening.

We'd love to share some benefits of Riverhouse vs. 9R

We do not have early-release Mondays and are open from 7:30am-5:00pm, eliminating the need for after-school care arrangements
We offer summer care until your child moves to Kindergarten (summer care is not covered by UPK, so you would be guaranteed a spot but need to pay full tuition)
We provide nutritious morning snacks and lunch daily
We focus on Kindergarten-readiness curriculum for our Pre-K children, preparing them thoroughly for the transition to elementary school
Our smaller class sizes allow for more individualized attention
Consistent caregivers throughout the day provide stability and stronger relationships

This info may change as we work to make Riverhouse even better! We will aim to keep this page updated (last updated May 2025 by Waitlist Committee Chair), but please check with us for any changes or if you think something might be out-of-date.