Denver Cooperative Preschool

2025-26 Family Cooperative Agreement

 

These are the terms of enrollment at the Denver Cooperative Preschool (DCP). 

Please read this form carefully to understand the expectations of our community - DCP requires participation from every one of our families in order to maintain quality programming for our children and families. By choosing to be members of our cooperative preschool, we commit ourselves as parents to be a part of a team with the teachers, our children, and fellow parents in the community.

 

The following list includes eight areas of responsibility in which each family must participate as a member of the DCP. As part of their commitment, each family should read DCP’s handbook which provides detailed information on the school’s philosophy, policies, and procedures as well as every family’s cooperative responsibilities. The DCP Family Handbook can be found at www.denvercooperativepreschool.org under “Enrolled Families.”

 

An updated DCP Family Handbook for 2025-26 will be shared with families prior to the start of the school year.

 

Please review and initial each item to affirm your commitment (all eight areas are required for enrollment at DCP). At the end of the document we ask that all parents/guardians sign the cooperative agreement. Thank you!

 

1. Classroom Support

We remain steadfast in the belief that connecting with children’s families in the classroom space is critical to holistically supporting the development of young children. 

 

Each family is required to volunteer in the classroom each semester according to the following requirements:

• 2-day classes = 2 volunteer times per semester
• 3-day classes = 3 volunteer times per semester
• 5-day classes = 4 volunteer times per semester

 

Educators in each class will develop a variety of time slots of varying lengths to accommodate family schedules, some as short as 30 minutes.

 

As a community, we honor a diversity of family structures and welcome parents and caregivers to come in and spend time in our classrooms. Connecting with the adults who are central to your child's life in the classroom setting enriches our community and supports our educators in learning more about your child's experience outside of preschool.

 

We believe that spending time in the classroom is supportive to parents and caregivers understanding our constructivist philosophy and our approach to social-emotional education, and therefore request that at least half of the required volunteer time is fulfilled by a parent or caregiver who takes a central role in raising the child.

 

We welcome other adults (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) to join for the other required sessions.

 

While we honor the critical role that nannies, au pairs, and babysitters play in our children's lives, and we welcome them to spend time in the classroom, we respectfully request that required parent volunteer time not be fulfilled by an individual who is employed by your family in a caregiving capacity.

 

Over our sixty-year history we have proudly evolved to reflect the families that make up our community. If you would like to discuss our parent volunteer policy please do not hesitate to reach out to the Executive Director.

 

 

 

2. Committee Work

In keeping with the cooperative nature of DCP, every family is required to serve on one committee, as a committee chair, or on the school's Governing Board. Our hope is that families will select a committee that they feel best utilizes their talents and experience.

 

Please note, as a cooperative community, we rely on committees to support the ongoing operations of our thriving school. It is important that all families at DCP commit to and fulfill their committee work. Participation on a committee involves attending any and all necessary meetings and executing all assigned tasks as communicated by the assigned committee chairperson. 

 

Committee sign-ups are self-selected on a first-come, first-served basis. The link to sign-up for your 2025-26 committee was included in the email with your enrollment packet. 

3. School Clean-Up Days

The school employs a full-time janitorial service for the daily cleaning and maintenance of the school. However, as a cooperative, we rely on our community structure to complete more extensive deep cleaning and maintenance of the indoor and outdoor areas at the school. 

 

Every family in the cooperative is required to sign-up for one clean-up day during the school year. Families will have the opportunity to sign up for their preferred clean-up day with committee and community support sign-ups. 

 

PLEASE NOTE - there is a $500 charge payable to the school for missing your clean-up day. These funds are used to hire out cleaning tasks that we are unable to complete without full attendance from the community.

 

4. Community Event Support

As a cooperative community, we look forward to events and traditions throughout the year where we can spend time with one another celebrating the seasons and getting to know families outside of our class.  

These events are coordinated by the Family Activities and Fundraising committees, but require a whole community effort to ensure their success. 

The events that require community support are:

 

• Fall Festival - October 17, 2025, 5:00-7:00 PM
• Celebration of Light - December 19, 2025, 5:00-6:30 PM
• Annual Admissions Open House - January 14, 2026, 6:00-7:30 PM
• Family BINGO - February 22, 2026
• Auction - date TBD, April, 2026
• Spring Open House and Art Show - May 15, 2026, 5:00-7:00 PM

 

We ask that all families in the cooperative commit to supporting either set-up or clean-up at one event during the course of the year. The link to sign-up for event support will be included with your enrollment packet.

 

 

6. All Parent Meetings

At least one parent from each family must attend TWO All Parent Meetings every year. The Fall All Parent Meeting will be held on Thursday, August 21, 2025 ​at 7:00 PM*. The Spring All Parent Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 6:30 PM*.

 

Please make note of these dates in your calendar and plan to have one adult representative from your family attend. The All Parent Meetings represent the only two times a year where our entire community comes together. This is a valuable time in which we communicate both short and long-term plans for the school, and honor our educators and volunteers. Please plan to have at least one adult representative from your family attend.

 

Both the fall and spring All Parent Meetings are held in person. We do not provide child care during the meeting as our educators are members of the cooperative and are attending the meeting. Please plan accordingly.

5. Fundraising

Each year, our fundraising committees work hard to plan events that aid in the important work of raising funds for our school. This is a vital component to how we are able to provide quality programming, take care of indoor and outdoor spaces, and meet 100% of our demonstrated need for families requesting scholarships. There are a variety of ways to participate and all we ask is that each family agree to participate in the events that make sense to their family, and to the best of their ability. DCP seeks to engage in fundraising activities that are sensitive to the current social and economic climate, and does not seek to place additional burden on our community through fundraising asks. 

7. Communication

Communication between families, educators, and the school administrative team is critical to a thriving community. 

Families at DCP are expected to stay current on communications from the classroom teaching teams, the administrative team, committee chairs, and the Governing Board. Classroom teams and the administrative team will use email and Remini to send important updates to families, and the Governing Board and committee chairs will primarily utilize email. Classroom educarors will communicate most frequently, providing updates on curriculum, special days or activiteis in the classroom, and sign-ups for conferences. 

 

It is our utmost goal for your child's education to be a collaborative process in every way. We ask that you prioritize communication with your child's teachers for the overall success of your family's experience in our community! 

 

8. Additional Obligations

As a cooperative community, we rely on the comittment of all stakeholders to maintain a high-quality early childhood program. Over the course of the year we may ask for volunteers to support with programs, events, or initiatives at the school. We ask that every family invest in and support the cooperative to the extent they are able. It is this care for the betterment of the DCP community as a whole that has resulted in over 60 years of a thriving early childhood space! 

Additionally, we ask that all members agree to be bound by the policies and procedures of the Denver Cooperative Preschool as they are stated in the school’s handbook, including any additions or amendments that may have been voted on by the parent body since its most recent publication, as well as any rules and regulations applicable to DCP as issued by the State of Colorado and the City and County of Denver.