What to Expect – Eating Disorder Program

We know that starting eating disorder treatment can feel unsettling. Our approach is built on partnership — working closely with families to build recovery skills, while minimizing time away from school and home. Our team is here to support families every step of the way.

If you think your child or teen might have an eating disorder, call us at 720-777-6200 to speak with our Eating Disorders Program team. We’ll discuss what your child is experiencing and help you determine next steps for diagnosis and care.

Learn more about scheduling care

Finding the right care

We offer two levels of care to support children and families through eating disorder treatment.

Day Treatment Program

Located on Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, the Day Treatment Program is designed for children and families who need intensive support through eating disorder recovery but do not need 24-hour care. A specialized care team helps patients and families develop helpful coping skills and create healthy eating patterns. Children and teens with significant medical concerns may require inpatient care before we start family-based treatment.

Learn more about our Eating Disorder Day Treatment Program and see what a typical day might look like for families and children.

Outpatient Clinic

When appropriate, we offer specialized outpatient therapy for eating disorders. Our outpatient care for eating disorders includes individual, family and group therapy, and psychiatric medication management.

Learn more about our Outpatient Clinic

Conditions we treat

At Children’s Colorado, we specialize in treating a broad range of eating disorders in children and teens ages 6 to 18, such as:

• Anorexia nervosa
• Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
• Bulimia nervosa
• Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)

Our team of pediatric medical and mental health specialists works with families from across the U.S. using a family-centered approach that empowers parents to play an active role in their child’s recovery.

Learn more about the conditions we treat

What to expect after care in the Eating Disorders Program

Moving on from the Eating Disorders Program is an important milestone in recovery, and we focus on ensuring families feel prepared for this next step. Our Day Treatment Program uses a step-down model, which prepares families and children to gradually shift to outpatient support. This approach creates more opportunities to master the skills learned during treatment.

When families complete eating disorder day treatment, they leave with the tools they need to continue their recovery with confidence. Parents feel equipped to manage daily nutrition, supervise mealtimes and address challenges, ensuring continuity in their child’s recovery. After day treatment, we encourage families to continue care through our Eating Disorder Outpatient Program to maintain progress achieved in the program. After children establish consistent eating patterns and stabilize their eating disorder, our clinic helps them resume independently managing their nutrition.

Returning to school is often one of the first major steps in a child's day-to-day recovery, and families don't navigate it alone. A dedicated team member works closely with families to support a smooth transition to school after the Day Treatment Program. This may include coordinating meal and snack times and arranging supervision as needed.

Will insurance cover payment for the Eating Disorder Program?

Many insurance policies cover treatment for eating disorders. Talk to your insurance provider to learn more about what care is covered by your policy.

Learn more about paying for care

Contact the Eating Disorders Program

To schedule an appointment, call 720-777-6200 to speak with a member of our Eating Disorders Program team. We’ll guide you through the assessment and admissions process.