Child Care Services acquisitions in Colorado: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 33 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as Child Care Services in Colorado, totaling $56.8M. The median loan was $1,365,300. That is 1.8% of the 1,870 acquisition loans in Colorado.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 33
- Median loan
- $1,365,300 (middle half $582,000 to $2,042,000)
- Top lender
- Live Oak Banking Company (18%, 6 loans)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 2
SBA lenders approved 33 7(a) loans to buy a business classified as Child Care Services in Colorado from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $1,365,300 and a middle half of $582,000 to $2,042,000. Live Oak Banking Company made 18% of them. FY2026 had 2 loans.
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How Child Care Services in Colorado compares
| Measure | Child Care Services in Colorado | Colorado, all industries | Child Care Services, nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $1,365,300 | $661,000 | $763,300 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $582,000 to $2,042,000 | $339,175 to $1,392,050 | $368,750 to $1,619,500 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 6.99% | 7.79% | 7.55% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | n/a | 4.1% | 0.8% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 33 | 1,870 | 850 | 48,902 |
The median for loans to buy daycares in Colorado is $1,365,300, well above the $661,000 median for all Colorado acquisitions, well above the $763,300 median for Child Care Services acquisitions nationwide and well above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $582,000 to $2,042,000, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 10 years, the same as the national median; the average initial rate is 6.99%, below the 7.76% national average.
Too few of these loans are old enough to measure a charge-off rate; the national rate for seasoned acquisition loans is 3.5%.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Child Care Services in Colorado | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 21% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 18% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 30% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 30% | 17% |
Most loans to buy daycares in Colorado (61%) were $1M or more, and the largest single band is $1M to under $2M at 30%, against 19% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Live Oak Banking Company made 18% of loans to buy daycares in Colorado, and the top three lenders together made 36%. 2 of the 20 lenders involved made three or more. Only 2 lenders have repeat experience here. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 4 loans to buy daycares in Colorado were approved. That is 71% fewer than the 14 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $1,878,750, above the $1,365,300 median across all years.
Child Care Services acquisition loans in Colorado by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 3 | $6.1M | $1,404,600 | |
| FY2019 | 1 | $3.2M | $3,224,700 | |
| FY2020 | 4 | $10.8M | $2,589,900 | |
| FY2021 | 4 | $8.6M | $2,248,750 | |
| FY2022 | 3 | $1.9M | $263,300 | |
| FY2023 | 11 | $12.9M | $997,000 | |
| FY2024 | 3 | $5M | $1,606,000 | |
| FY2025 | 2 | $2.8M | $1,412,500 | |
| FY2026 | 2 | $5.5M | $2,741,600 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Fewer than 20 Child Care Services in Colorado acquisition loans are old enough to measure losses reliably, so no charge-off rate is shown. The benchmark across all SBA acquisition loans in the FY2018 to FY2021 cohort is 3.5% by count. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
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Top lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking Company | 6 | 18.2% | $7.7M | |
| 2 | Bank of America, National Association | 4 | 12.1% | $13.2M | |
| 3 | BMO Bank National Association | 2 | 6.1% | $7.5M | |
| 4 | PNC Bank, National Association | 2 | 6.1% | $5.6M | |
| 5 | T Bank, National Association | 2 | 6.1% | $3.6M |
Top franchise brands
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Goddard School | 7 | 21.2% | $16.4M | |
| 2 | Primrose Schools | 6 | 18.2% | $19.7M | |
| 3 | The Learning Experience | 1 | 3.0% | $1.7M |
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Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for Child Care Services acquisitions in Colorado run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $1,365,300 across 33 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $582,000 and $2,042,000. The loan excludes the buyer's equity and any seller note and may include working capital, so the price is usually higher than the loan.
Which banks finance Child Care Services acquisitions in Colorado?
Live Oak Banking Company (6), Bank of America, National Association (4), BMO Bank National Association (2), PNC Bank, National Association (2), T Bank, National Association (2). Some lenders repeatedly finance this industry in this state; the counts above show which.
How often do Child Care Services acquisition loans fail in Colorado?
Fewer than 20 loans in this combination are old enough to measure losses reliably, so no rate is shown. The national benchmark for all SBA acquisition loans is 3.5% (FY2018 to FY2021 cohort).
Are franchised businesses part of Child Care Services acquisitions in Colorado?
14 of the 33 loans (42%) involved a franchise brand, most often The Goddard School (7).
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a daycare in Colorado?
The SBA requires the buyer to make an equity injection, commonly 10% of total project cost, and a lender may ask for more. The SBA file does not record injections, so the figures here are the financed portion: the median for loans to buy daycares in Colorado was $1,365,300, and the middle half ran $582,000 to $2,042,000.
How long does an SBA acquisition loan take?
For a change-of-ownership 7(a) loan, 45 to 90 days from application to close is typical. It varies by lender and by how quickly third-party reports, such as the business valuation and appraisal, come back. The SBA file records approval dates, not application dates, so this site cannot measure it. Lenders approved 4 loans to buy daycares in Colorado in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a daycare in Colorado?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Live Oak Banking Company (6), Bank of America, National Association (4), BMO Bank National Association (2), PNC Bank, National Association (2), T Bank, National Association (2). Live Oak Banking Company made 18% of loans to buy daycares in Colorado. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
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Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 3% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "Child Care Services in Colorado: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/co/child-care-services-624410 (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/state/co/child-care-services-624410.json.