Original research

The Denver Babysitting Index

What childcare actually looks like in Denver, measured rather than guessed. Every figure will carry its sample size, date range and definition.

Current release status

Data coming soon

The metrics below are defined and ready to populate. Values appear here once the dataset is delivered, reviewed and dated.

Average hourly rate

Data coming soon

Mean hourly rate across completed bookings in the metro Denver service area.

Average booking duration

Data coming soon

Mean length in hours from booking start to booking end.

Most requested night

Data coming soon

The night of the week holding the largest share of weekly bookings.

Average booking lead time

Data coming soon

Median hours between when a request is made and when care begins.

Same-day booking rate

Data coming soon

Share of bookings requested and started on the same calendar day.

Highest-demand hours

Data coming soon

The start-time window holding the largest share of bookings.

How we calculate the Denver Babysitting Index

The Index is built from anonymized, aggregated booking records supplied by Call Emmy, the childcare marketplace that publishes this site. Records are stripped of personal information before analysis. No individual family, caregiver or address is identifiable in anything we publish.

Geography

“Metro Denver” will be defined by an explicit list of included municipalities and ZIP codes published with each release, so readers can see exactly what area a figure describes.

Time period

Each release covers a stated date range. Comparisons across releases will only be made where the definitions and geography match.

Sample and thresholds

Every metric will be published with its sample size. Any cut of the data that falls below the minimum sample threshold will be withheld rather than published with a caveat, because small samples get quoted as though they were solid.

What the Index is not

  • It is not a survey of all Denver families
  • It is not a measure of the whole Denver childcare market
  • It does not include informal arrangements between neighbors or relatives
  • It reflects one marketplace’s bookings, and we will say so every time

Corrections and revisions

If a figure is later found to be wrong, we will correct it and note the change and its date on this page.

For journalists and researchers

Once published, figures may be cited with attribution to the Denver Babysitting Index, Denver Babysitters. Each release will include the metric definitions, date range, geography and sample size needed to report it accurately.

Placeholder: Add the press contact email, data request process, and a downloadable methodology PDF or CSV once the first release is ready.

Placeholder: Add Dataset JSON-LD structured data to this page only after the first verified release is published, including distribution, temporalCoverage and spatialCoverage.

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What’s happening with childcare in Denver?

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Where the data comes from

Call Emmy operates the childcare marketplace whose anonymized booking records power the Index, and publishes this site.