Under federal law a Developmental Disability is a severe, often lifelong disability that affects people before they reach the age of 22 and substantially limits functioning ability in three or more life activities such as self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, independent living and/or employability.

The majority of funding for Laradon’s services is appropriated by the Colorado legislature. Services for adults are funded by the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing Division for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The Colorado Department of Education is directly responsible for funding services that Laradon provides to children.

Prior to admission to one of Laradon’s programs, verification of funding is required. Those interested in privately paying for services will enter into a contractual relationship, and rates for services will be determined at the time of admission and are included as part of the contract.

Laradon also relies on grants from various private foundations, as well as contributions from individuals, businesses and organizations.

Laradon Hall 990 (2021) 
Laradon Hall 990 (2020)
Laradon Foundation 990 (2019)
Laradon Real Estate 990 (2019)

A Community Centered Board (CCB) is a private, non-profit organization that is designated as the single point of entry into Colorado’s system for persons with developmental disabilities. Currently, there are 20 CCBs. Each serves a specific region of the state. CCBs are responsible for intake, eligibility determination, service plan development, arrangement and delivery of services. CCBs play a vital role in managing limited resources at the local level to meet the individual needs of citizens and address the overall needs of the local service area. Click here for a list of CCBs and county map.

The enrollment process depends on the age of the individual and what program they wish to enroll in. The best way to enroll an individual is to call their school district’s special education coordinator or the CCB for your region. Our admission criteria for each program are available on this website or you may call Laradon’s Placement Coordinator, at (720) 974-6820 to request more information

​​Laradon serves the following age groups:

3 to 5 years old – Sewall Child Development Center — a partnership serving children with and without disabilities.
5 to 21 years old – The Laradon School
11 to 18 years old – Calabrese Youth Center (CYC)
18 years old and older – Adult Programs

Laradon’s main campus is in northwest Denver, at 5100 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80216 Many of Laradon’s program operations take place in the community, including private homes and private businesses throughout the Denver metropolitan area.

Laradon’s name is a combination of the names of the founders’ sons, Larry and Don.

​The individual must be diagnosed with developmental disability and/or other disabilities, such as: psychiatric complications, traumatic brain injury or medical conditions. Children birth through three years of age may be diagnosed as “at-risk” for developmental delays or with a medical condition. No individual shall be admitted with a communicable disease without an evaluation by a multidisciplinary team, the Admission and Discharge Committee and approval from the Deputy Director. An individual should not be injurious to themselves or others. Problem behaviors must be controllable by structured environment or behavior programming. The individual must have adequate funding, either public or private.

Laradon serves over 500 children and adults with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities in Colorado. Laradon has approximately 250 employees working across 5 programs with an operating budget of $18 Million.

The main campus in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood covers approximately 10 acres and is home to The Laradon School, Calabrese Youth Center and a number of other programs.8

Laradon’s Adult Host Home program provides individualized living situations to people who can benefit from living in the private home of a family or individual. Independent Host Home providers contract with Laradon to provide comfortable and healthy environments that are appropriate to a individual’s needs.

Can I have a job and still be a host home provider? 
Yes, you may be employed outside of Laradon and be a Host Home Provider. The expectation is that Host Home Providers are able to identify the needs of the person placed in your home to ensure your employment does not interfere with the needs of the participant.

How long does it take to become a host home provider? 
Unfortunately, this question is not easily answered. Each participant has unique needs and wants; therefore, each time a person is placed in a host home it takes a great deal of time to identify and match the very best potential provider with each individual.
Host home placement also depends on the participant’s availability, as well as if they are in need of a host home placement.

Learn more about becoming a Host Home provider here. 

We’re always looking for great volunteers! Contact Karla Zelvis at 720-974-6847 or email karla.zelvis@laradon.org to find our how you can get involved.