Fascination and Fun for Everyone !

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DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter

FREE child care while you attend to your court business

Children 6 weeks up to 12 years old welcome

270 14th Street (On the corner of 14th street & Court)

720-865-9930

7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. for lunch

Clients may check-in 15 minutes prior to court business

Operated by Mile High Child Care Association

Welcome to the DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter

We would like to welcome you to the web site for the DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter! Here you will find information regarding the Center, how to use it and some background information as you prepare for Jury Duty.

The DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter has been in operation since May of 1999. Each year the Center serves over 1,700 children whose parents or guardians have business with the Denver courts. Many of the clients are those who have been called for Jury Duty and need child care assistance while they complete their civic duty. The DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter is operated by Mile High Montessori Early Learning Centers, a non-profit child care agency in the Denver metro area which has been serving families and children for over 30 years. The Center is fully licensed as a small child care center by the State of Colorado and complies with all state licensing and health regulations. The staff are all qualified Early Childhood professionals with extensive backgrounds in the Early Childhood field.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’S)

  1. What are the operating hours of the Center?

The Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is CLOSED from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily for lunch. There is an exception to this… if a Judge holds court through lunch, we would ask that someone from the courts contact the Center so that staffing arrangements can be made. Your child would be cared for during this time and we would ask that when you are released for a break that you come and visit with your child.

  1. Do you allow sick children?

The Center cannot accept any child who is ill or appears to be ill. This includes but is not limited to head lice, excessive drainage from the eyes, ears or nose, excessive coughing, fever over 99 degrees, or vomiting or diarrhea (More than 3 in an hour). It also includes medications. If a child has been on an antibiotic or has taken any over the counter medication within the last 24 hours, they may not be admitted to the Center. The Center enforces this policy for the health and safety of all the children in our care.

  1. What if my child becomes ill while at the Center?

The Center will notify the courtroom immediately if your child becomes ill while attending the Center. You would be asked to return promptly for your child.

  1. What should I bring?

If your child is under 2 ½ we would ask that you would pack what you normally would in a diaper bag. This includes diapers, wipes, a change of clothes and any special foods or formula your child may need. For older children we would ask that you only bring a snack if your child has specific food allergies or dietary needs

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  1. Do you provide any meals?

The Center provides a morning and an afternoon snack to the children. It consists of crackers and juice. Children under 2 ½ are fed when hungry and their snack consists of dry cereal, crackers and juice. If your child has any special dietary needs, we would ask that you bring foods they can eat. We have refrigerators in the Center and can keep foods cold.

  1. What if I have to go through lunch?

If you think that your court may run past 12:00, or you are serving on jury duty and do not know, we would request that you bring a sack lunch, marked with your child’s name so that we can serve them at 12:00. Due to the high number of allergies, it is best for us if you bring what is acceptable for them to eat. We will keep all food refrigerated until it is time to eat.

  1. How much does it cost?

The Center is a FREE service to those clients who have business with the courts!

  1. Who operates the Center?

The Center is operated by Mile High Montessori Early Learning Centers, a non-profit child care agency serving children in the Denver metro area for over 30years. The staff are highly qualified Early Childhood professionals with credentials in Early Childhood Education.

  1. Is the Center licensed?

The Center is fully licensed by the State of Colorado to operate as a small child care facility, serving 20 children. The Center meets all health and licensing regulations. The Center has also been evaluated using the Early Childhood Rating Scale and scored over a 6 on a 7 point scale.

  1. Where is the Center located?

The Center is located north of the courthouse on 14th street. It is between Colfax, Court and 14th Street. It sits between the City and County of Denver building and the new Webb building. A large green wrought-iron fence surrounds the play area. The Center is a completely secure facility and you will need to ring the buzzer and a staff member will let you in.

  1. When can I check in?

You may check in 15 minutes prior to your court business. You may be asked for documentation for your court business. Jury summons or court papers will suffice.

  1. What will be required when I check in?

A staff member will complete a quick admission form with you. This is done to gather some basic information needed to provide the best care for your child and gives the staff information as to your location for any emergency that may arise while at the Center.

  1. Who may pick up my child?

No one other than the person signing in the child may sign them out. In extreme circumstances and with verbal confirmation from the signing party, the child may be released to someone else. That person will need a photo ID in order to sign the child out. Jurors can make arrangements for an alternate person to pick up their child upon notification of the Center.

  1. Who can use the Center?

Any person who has business with the courts may use the Center. This includes petitioners (plaintiff), respondents (defendant), witnesses, jurors, and any one who is accompanying someone with court business.

  1. Do you accept reservations?

The Center does not accept reservations. The Center is a drop-in facility and operates on a first come, first serve basis. We allow clients to check-in 15 minutes prior to the start of your court business. If a space is not available, we will contact the court for you and you may wait until space opens, or we can call when one becomes available. If you have been selected to serve on a jury, we do try to hold your spot if we know you will need to return for several days.

  1. How do I contact the Center?

The Center is located at 270 14th Street. You can call directly to 720-865-9930. Any staff member will be able to assist you with any further questions you may have.

On behalf of the Denver Warm Welcome Court Child Care staff, I would like to welcome you to the Center and hope your experience with us is a positive one. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions you may have or any additional information you may need.

Once again, WELCOME!

Michelle Zeutzius

Dana Logan

Center Director

Welcome to the DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter!

HISTORY:

The DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter began as an idea in 1996.

The idea came about due to the increasing numbers of children in court settings.

It was determined that not only was it disruptive to the court proceedings, more

importantly it was not a place for children. Children should not be exposed to many of the proceedings that take place in the court system. For this reason the Denver Bar

Association formed a committee to look at options for the City and County of

Denver Court system.

The idea of court child care originated in New York and spread to California and very predominately in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, for instance, it has been established that all courthouses in the state will have some type of court child care.

In 1999, Chief Justice MaryMullarkey established a policy for Colorado that any new court building must have some type of family friendly waiting area so that children are not present in the courtroom.

THE CENTER:

The building which is now the DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter was once the Visitor’s Center for Denver. When the project began Mayor Wellington Webb and the City of Denver donated the building to establish the CourtChildCareCenter. A group of individuals from the original committee established the Court Child Care Board and hired Mile High Montessori Early Learning Centers to help in the development of the project. After extensive renovations, the Center opened for business in May of 1999.

The CourtChildCareCenter is licensed by the State of Colorado to operate as a small child care facility. The Center is licensed for 20 children ages six weeks to twelve years. The Center can have up to five infant and toddlers (6 weeks to 2 ½) and fifteen children 2 ½ to 12 years of age. The CourtChildCareCenter is operated by Mile High Montessori Early Learning Centers, a non-profit organization in Denver who has been providing child care services to children for over 30 years.

The Center offers a wide range of activities for children to enjoy while they are at the facility. The staff are licensed early childhood professionals with years of experience and education in the field of Early Childhood Education.

POLICIES & PROCEDURES:

The DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter is available to provide high quality care while parents or guardians attend to their court business. There are some policies and procedures in place to help insure the safety and well being of the children and staff and help the Center operate smoothly.

  1. The Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Clients may check-in 15 minutes prior to their scheduled appointment time. The Center is closed from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily for lunch. Clients are expected to return immediately following their court business and before 12:00 if they are on a morning docket. The only exception to this is if the Judge holds the case over lunch. In which case, the Judge or CourtClerk must call the Center to let them know prior to 12:00. Clients may return 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time for the afternoon docket.
  2. A brief admission will take place upon arrival. If possible, please obtain a referral from the court prior to check in. The admission is to gather some basic information and get you on your way.
  3. Snacks will be provided while the children are attending the Center.
  4. The Center maintains a high level of security including locked doors and gates. Clients must ring the buzzer and be escorted in. The child(ren) will only be released to those persons checking the child in. They will not be released to any one other than the signing person.
  5. Our goal is to check clients in quickly and get them on their way back to court. We ask that parents/guardians help us do that by filling out the admission paperwork, meet the staff and be back on their way. Waiting around can sometimes make the separation much more difficult on the child.
  6. When checking in at the courts, please give them your Validation Card. This alerts the court staff to the fact children are at the Center and they can call us and vice versa should something happen.
  7. If a child is left at the Center and no emergency contact can be made, the Center will notify the Crisis Center. It is important to notify the Court Child Care staff of any courtroom or location changes.

REASONS FOR REFUSAL:

There are times clients abuse the privileges of the Center and may be refused service. The following are reasons for refusal at the CourtChildCareCenter.

  1. Failure to return immediately following court business
  2. Using the Center when no court business is scheduled i.e. shopping, etc.
  3. Children who exhibit any type of illness which may be contagious including but not limited to head lice, infections requiring antibiotics, fever over 99 degrees, excessive runny nose or cough, drainage from the eyes, ears and/or nose and any other illness that can be transmitted to the other children.
  4. Children who are taking antibiotics for illness less that 24 hours and/or the taking of over the counter medications 24 hours prior to their visit.
  5. Using loud, abusive, aggressive language or profanity with the staff while in the Center.
  6. Any physical or aggressive manner with the staff including extreme rudeness.
  7. Unverifiable court business.
  8. Any aggressive action towards a child. It is at the staff’s discretion to notify Human Services of any suspected child abuse or neglect.
  9. Without written permission from the legal parent/guardian, children who are not directly related to or in custody of the client may not be admitted.

We want your experience with the DenverWarmWelcomeCourtChildCareCenter to be a positive one. Working together we can do it! For any questions or concerns, please notify the Director at 720-865-9930.

Welcome to our Center!