About ECC Enrollment
The Early Childhood Center enrolls children starting at 6 weeks of age until they are eligible to go to kindergarten. We have one classroom serving infants, two classrooms serving toddlers, two classrooms for young preschool and one older preschool classroom. Older preschool consists of children eligible for Universal Pre-K. Enrollment for the older preschool classroom takes place through the Universal Pre-K portal and children are matched with our center by our local coordinating agency.
The ECC is open year round to children and families Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Our calendar closely follows the CSU holiday schedule. We are closed for two weeks each December/January for winter break. Families sign a 12-month (August through July) contract.
The ECC accepts enrollment waitlist applications from CSU students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of the surrounding Fort Collins area.
Enrollment for 2023-2024
Recent updates
If your child will be four years of age on 10/1/2023 [date of birth on or between 10/2/2018 and 10/1/19] they will be eligible for Universal Pre-K. In order to be considered for placement at the ECC for 2023-24 – you will need to apply through the Universal Pre-K portal upk.colorado.gov rather than via the ECC website.
It is important to keep in mind, the ECC will not have autonomy over placement for our 4-year-old classroom. Students will be assigned by the UPK Local Coordinating Organization – The Early Childhood Council of Larimer County. In the UPK portal, you can select the ECC as your top choice, but we do encourage you to select other centers as well. As it currently stands, our four year old classroom for next year is at maximum capacity. Unless one of our families withdraws from our program, we may only have enough Universal Pre-K openings to serve currently enrolled children.
Enrollment information
Enrollment waitlist applications are reviewed and prioritized based on numerous factors including (but not limited to) CSU affiliation, sibling of current enrollee, the age of the child, date submitted, and schedule requested.
When it is determined that there is a spot available for your child, you will receive a phone call or email from ECC administration with an enrollment offer.
After you have accepted the enrollment offer, ECC administrative staff and your child’s teacher will work to prepare you and your child for attending the ECC. You will receive an enrollment contract and intake forms which must be completed and returned to the ECC Operations Manager before your child’s first day of attendance. There is also a nonrefundable $250 annual enrollment fee.
The ECC complies with all federal and Colorado laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding affirmative action requirements. We reserve the right to terminate a child from the program if there are on-going and irresolvable discipline and/or safety issues. The ECC provides for children with special needs in compliance with ADA.
Information about accepting applications on a rolling basis
This means if you choose to submit an application and there is not currently a spot for your child at the ECC, your child’s application will remain active in the pool until:
- your child is enrolled in our program
- he or she ages out of the system
- you request to have your enrollment waitlist application removed from the pool
- you fail to respond to an enrollment offer, or
- you fail to respond to the ECC’s request for confirmation that you want to keep your application active in the pool
As openings come up at the ECC during a school year, we refer to the active enrollment pool to fill the spot.
Virtual Tour
Get acquainted with the Early Childhood Center with this virtual tour that provides an in-depth at each of our classrooms, and how each space provides insight into our philosophy.