To start as an early childhood sub with HelloSubs in Colorado, you don't need a teaching license or a degree. You need a background check, a health evaluation form, the required free PDIS trainings, and CPR/First Aid, and HelloSubs walks you through every step. Once you're qualified, you choose the early childhood jobs you want in Denver, Colorado Springs, Castle Rock and across the Front Range, and get paid weekly.
Looking for K-12 instead? See Colorado substitute teacher requirements.
Assistant Teacher vs. Lead Teacher in Colorado
Early childhood (ECE) subs in Colorado work at one of two levels, and it matters which one you are:
- Assistant Teacher (Level 1). Supports the classroom but can't supervise children alone. Finish our Colorado onboarding and you're qualified as at least an Assistant Teacher.
- Lead Teacher (Level 2, also called an ECT). Has met the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) requirements to lead a classroom and can supervise children alone. Lead Teachers can cover more kinds of jobs, and more of the higher-paying ones.
You can start subbing as an Assistant and work toward Lead Teacher while you sub. More on that below.
How to become an early childhood substitute in Colorado with HelloSubs
Here's the path, in order. Your recruiter and the HelloSubs support team help at each step.
- Apply and interview. Apply in minutes, then complete a short interview.
- Submit your references, sign your HelloSubs contract, and complete the New Hire Orientation (about 45–50 minutes).
- Complete your Colorado background check. That includes fingerprinting through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the TRAILS form (a check of the Colorado Department of Human Services' child abuse and neglect records), and a few required forms.
- Lived outside Colorado in the last five years? You'll also complete an out-of-state background check. Start it early: the eligibility letter can take up to 45 days.
- Submit a staff health evaluation form. Any healthcare provider can sign it. If you already have an employment health form from CDEC, you can upload that instead.
- Create your free PDIS account and link it to HelloSubs. Your recruiter gives you the details.
- Complete the required PDIS trainings (listed below) and upload each certificate.
- Complete CPR and First Aid. The free PDIS "Introduction to First Aid" course is enough to start as an Assistant Teacher.
- Get activated and choose your jobs. Pick the daycare and preschool shifts that fit your week in the HelloSubs app.
HelloSubs reimburses your out-of-pocket onboarding costs (CPR, health evaluation and background check) after your first five worked days.
What is PDIS?
PDIS (the Colorado Shines Professional Development Information System) is the state's free online training system for early childhood staff, run by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. It's where you take the trainings Colorado requires to work in a licensed child care program, and where your training history and credential level are tracked.
A few things worth knowing:
- The courses are free.
- Your trainings follow you. Most required courses are taken once (or renewed on a set schedule) and transfer if you work at another licensed program in Colorado.
- PDIS also calculates your Early Childhood Professional Credential level, which is how you become a Lead Teacher.
Required PDIS trainings for Colorado ECE subs
These are the trainings on the HelloSubs Colorado onboarding checklist, with the renewal schedule CDEC sets for each:
- Standard Precautions (including prevention and control of infectious disease and immunizations). Before working with children; renew every year.
- Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect (mandated reporter training). Before working with children; renew every year.
- Infant Safe Sleep Practices. Required to work with infants under 12 months; renew every year.
- Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma. Required to work with children under 3; renew every two years.
- Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for Child Care Providers. A one-time training.
- Introduction to First Aid. Renew every other year.
- Injury Prevention for Child Care Centers.
- Playground Safety for Child Care Centers.
- Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines.
Two of these, Injury Prevention and Playground Safety, are "Colorado Shines Level 2" courses. That means every HelloSubs ECE sub finishes onboarding with 3.5 hours already counting toward Lead Teacher.
How to become a Lead Teacher (Level 2) in Colorado
To be activated for Lead Teacher jobs, you need an Early Childhood Professional Credential at Level 2 or higher from CDEC. CDEC scores your background in four areas, and you need at least 21 points in total:
- Formal education. Only your highest degree counts. An associate's earns 20 points in early childhood, 10 if ECE-related, or 5 in an unrelated field. A bachelor's earns 30, 15 or 10. A master's earns 40, 20 or 15. Early childhood college coursework counts too, even without a degree or as part of a degree in progress: 1 point per semester credit (0.83 per trimester credit, 0.67 per quarter credit).
- Professional development: 1 point per hour of PDIS coursework marked "Colorado Shines Level 2". This is usually the fastest way to add points, and the courses are free.
- Experience: 1 point per year (1,820 hours) of verified experience caring for four or more children under age 8 who aren't related to you.
- Demonstrated competencies: the fourth category on CDEC's credential scoresheet.
You'll also need an in-person, CDEC-approved CPR/First Aid certification. The online PDIS course isn't enough for Lead Teacher, and the certificate must say Child, Infant or Pediatric; adult-only courses aren't accepted.
What that looks like in practice (always confirm with the eligibility check in PDIS):
- Bachelor's degree in any field: 10 points, plus the 3.5 you earn in HelloSubs onboarding, makes 13.5. About 7.5 more hours of free Level 2 courses in PDIS gets you to 21.
- Associate's degree in early childhood: 20 points, plus the 3.5 from onboarding, puts you over 21.
- Bachelor's degree in early childhood: 30 points on education alone.
To apply: log in to Colorado Shines PDIS, go to Credentials & Qualifications, choose New Application, then Credential and Consultative Roles, then Early Childhood Professional Credential 3.0, and click Check Eligibility. If you're not eligible yet, PDIS shows what you still need. To find more Level 2 courses, go to Learning, then Learning Search, and filter Subject by "Colorado Shines Level 2".
Already have a CDEC Level 2 credential or higher? Email it to support@hellosubs.co with the subject line "CDEC Level 2 Credentials" and we'll get you set up for Lead Teacher jobs.
Frequently asked questions about early childhood subbing in Colorado
Do I need a degree to work in a Colorado daycare or preschool?
Not to start. You can sub as an Assistant Teacher with no degree. A degree, or early childhood college credits, counts toward Lead Teacher (Level 2), but you can also get there with free PDIS courses and experience.
Is PDIS free?
Yes. The Colorado Shines PDIS and its online courses are free.
What CPR certification do I need?
To start as an Assistant Teacher, the free online PDIS "Introduction to First Aid" course is enough. For Lead Teacher jobs you need an in-person CPR/First Aid certification from a CDEC-approved provider, and it must cover children or infants (pediatric).
I moved to Colorado recently. Can I still sub?
Yes. If you've lived outside Colorado in the last five years, you'll complete an out-of-state background check in addition to the Colorado check. The eligibility letter can take up to 45 days, so start it as soon as you can.
How long do my trainings last?
Most renew on a set schedule: Standard Precautions, child abuse and neglect reporting, and Infant Safe Sleep every year, and Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention and Introduction to First Aid every two years. HelloSubs keeps in touch through the year to help keep your ECE documents up to date.
Where can I sub?
HelloSubs early childhood subs work at daycares, preschools and early learning centers in the Denver metro, Colorado Springs, Castle Rock and Northern Colorado.
For step-by-step help, see our support guides: How to Become ECE Qualified in Colorado and How to Become ECE Lead Teacher Qualified.