After-School Care in Colorado Springs
What to Look for and Why Inclusive Programs Give Every Child More
The school bell rings at 3:15. And for working parents across Colorado Springs, what happens next matters just as much as what happened before it.
After-school hours are prime time for children’s development — but only if they’re spent in the right environment. The wrong setting can mean hours of screen time, missed homework, and lost opportunities to build the skills children need to thrive. The right one keeps kids engaged, growing, and ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
At Zach’s Place at the Laurie Hillyard Family Center, we offer before- and after-school care for children of all abilities — structured, enriching, and staffed by a team that genuinely cares about every child in the room.
Why After-School Care Quality Matters More Than Most Parents Realize
Research consistently shows that children who participate in high-quality after-school programs demonstrate better academic performance, stronger social skills, and fewer behavioral challenges than peers who spend those hours in unstructured settings.
But not all after-school programs are created equal. The difference between a program that simply supervises children and one that actively supports their growth comes down to three things: structure, staff, and intentionality.
Structure
Children — especially those with diverse learning needs — thrive when they know what to expect. A predictable after-school routine that balances homework time, physical activity, creative expression, and social interaction gives children the framework to decompress from the school day and re-engage on their own terms.
Staff
The adults in the room make all the difference. At Zach’s Place, every staff member is trained to support children across a range of developmental needs — not just children with disabilities, but all children. That means your neurotypical child benefits from the same thoughtful, individualized approach that our families with special needs have relied on for more than 25 years.
Intentionality
Great after-school programs don’t fill time — they use it. Whether that’s reinforcing academic concepts, building life skills, developing social connections, or simply giving a child a safe space to be themselves, every hour at Zach’s Place has purpose behind it.
What After-School Care Looks Like at Zach’s Place
Our after-school program runs Monday through Friday as part of our full-day schedule, with doors open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Children can arrive before school, after school, or both — and scheduling is flexible enough to work with most family routines.
Homework and Academic Support
We provide a quiet, structured environment for homework completion, with staff available to assist. Children leave with their assignments done and their backpacks ready — one less thing for busy parents to chase down after dinner.
Life Skills in Action
After-school hours at Zach’s Place aren’t passive. Children practice real-world skills: preparing snacks, cleaning up after activities, managing their belongings, and working cooperatively with peers. These aren’t extras — they’re the foundational skills that shape how children move through the world.
Creative and Physical Activities
Art projects, music, movement, and outdoor time are built into every afternoon. Our Gardens Grow therapeutic gardening program, available to all children, adds a hands-on connection to nature that supports focus, calm, and curiosity. Community outings to Colorado Springs destinations — the YMCA, Garden of the Gods, local parks — are a regular part of our programming calendar.
Socialization in an Inclusive Setting
One of the most distinctive features of Zach’s Place is our inclusive classroom environment, where children with and without disabilities learn and play alongside one another. For neurotypical children, this means developing empathy, patience, and communication skills that go well beyond what a standard after-school program provides. For children with disabilities, it means being part of a community — not set apart from one.
Before-School Care: Starting the Day Right
Morning routines are hard. For families with early start times, long commutes, or children who need extra transition support, the gap between when parents need to leave and when school starts can be stressful for everyone.
Our before-school care option provides a calm, structured start to the day. Children arrive, settle into a routine, enjoy a morning activity, and head to school feeling grounded — not rushed.
After-School Care for Children with Disabilities in Colorado Springs
Finding after-school care for a child with a disability is one of the most common — and most frustrating — challenges facing special-needs families in Colorado Springs. Most programs aren’t equipped to handle the range of needs that children with autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or other developmental differences bring to the room.
Zach’s Place is different. As the only licensed child care facility in the Pikes Peak Region specifically designed to serve children with disabilities ages 2.5–18, we have the staff training, the programming experience, and the inclusive environment to genuinely support your child — not just accommodate them.
An RN is on staff, and our team coordinates with families to understand each child’s individual needs, preferences, and support requirements. Whether your child needs one-on-one assistance, behavioral support, sensory-friendly activities, or simply a predictable routine staffed by people who understand them, Zach’s Place is built for exactly that.
Flexible Scheduling for Real Family Life
Working parents don’t have predictable schedules — and child care arrangements shouldn’t punish them for it. Zach’s Place offers:
- Before-school care (doors open at 7:00 AM)
- After-school care (available through 6:00 PM)
- Full-day care options for non-school days and school breaks
- Summer programming — keeping children engaged through the longer break
- Sliding-fee scale pricing, so cost is never the barrier to access
We work with families to build schedules that make sense for their lives — not schedules that require parents to rearrange everything else to make them work.
A Community That Shows Up for Colorado Springs Families
Zach’s Place has been part of the Colorado Springs community since 1998. For more than 25 years, we’ve been the place families turn when they need child care they can count on — care that treats every child as an individual, supports every family with compassion, and holds itself to a higher standard than simply keeping children safe until pickup.
Our Get Care, Give Care model means that families who pay at or near standard rates help make care accessible to those who need it most. When you choose Zach’s Place, you’re not just making a great choice for your child — you’re strengthening the broader community of families we serve together.
Schedule a Tour of Zach’s Place Today
If you’re looking for before- or after-school care in Colorado Springs — whether for a typically developing child, a child with special needs, or both — we’d love to show you what we do.
Schedule a tour, ask us your questions, and see for yourself why Colorado Springs families have trusted Zach’s Place for over 25 years.
📞 Call us: 719-447-8983 | 📍 4795 Granby Cir, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
FAQs about SKSF Child Care in Colorado Springs
Children in inclusive classrooms consistently develop stronger communication skills, greater empathy, and better social adaptability than peers in non-inclusive settings. At Zach’s Place, neurotypical children learn to collaborate with peers of different abilities, which builds the flexibility and perspective-taking that are proven predictors of long-term social and academic success.
Most experts recommend starting a structured preschool or kindergarten readiness program at age 3 or 4. In Colorado, the Universal Pre-K (UPK) program is specifically designed for children in the year before kindergarten — typically age 4. Children with developmental needs or IEPs may access services earlier. Contact us to discuss the best timing for your child.
Our staff are trained to support children across a broad range of developmental profiles in an inclusive classroom environment. Activities are thoughtfully adapted so that children with and without disabilities can participate together, each benefiting from the interaction. We maintain small group sizes, have an RN on staff, and coordinate closely with families to ensure each child’s individual needs are met throughout the day.
Families can contact Zach’s Place directly through our website or call our office to schedule a tour. We encourage parents to visit and experience our inclusive preschool environment firsthand.
Yes. In addition to our sliding-fee scale, Colorado families may qualify for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), child care tax credits, and free preschool hours through Colorado’s UPK program. Our team can help connect you with information on any of these options during your intake visit.
Enrollment is easy. Complete an application at sksfcolorado.org, then gather your child’s current shot records and a recent physical. We’ll schedule a site visit and intake assessment to get to know your child and make sure we’re a great fit. We encourage families to apply early — spaces fill quickly, especially for UPK-eligible children.
Colorado Springs offers a variety of special needs child care services including licensed childcare for children with disabilities, inclusive childcare settings, and specialized programs such as those provided by Special Kids Special Families (SKSF) and The Resource Exchange (TRE). These services cater to neurodivergent children and focus on individualized attention and skill development.
Our sliding-fee scale adjusts your child care costs based on your household income. Families with lower incomes pay reduced rates; families with higher incomes pay closer to the standard rate. To find out what rate applies to your family, we encourage you to contact us and schedule an intake assessment — we’ll walk you through the process in a private, pressure-free conversation.
Our after-school programming includes homework support, life skills practice, creative activities (art, music, storytelling), outdoor and physical play, community outings to Colorado Springs destinations, and participation in our Gardens Grow therapeutic gardening program. Every afternoon is intentionally structured to keep children engaged, supported, and growing.
Inclusive child care refers to early childhood programs that integrate children with disabilities alongside their typically developing peers, providing adapted activities and individualized support. In Colorado Springs, such inclusive settings are vital as they foster life skills development, cognitive growth, and social competence for children with disabilities, ensuring they have equal opportunities to learn and thrive within a supportive community.
