Issue Brief

Every year, the Office of Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO) reviews more than 1,000 cases, each of which are brought to the agency by citizens with a concern, frustration or question regarding the state’s child welfare system. By design, the CPO is charged with independently assessing these concerns and helping citizens gain clarity regarding these …

2023 Colorado Child Welfare System Interim Study Committee Issue Brief Read More »

Next Meeting: Oct. 4, 2023 (8:00-11:00 am) Housed in the Office of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO), the Mandatory Reporting Task Force was created by the Colorado General Assembly with the passage of House Bill 22-1240. The task force will analyze the effectiveness of and issues with the law requiring individuals from specific professions …

Mandatory Reporting Task Force Read More »

Next Meeting: October 11, 2023 (8:00-10:00 am) Housed in the Office of Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman, the Timothy Montoya Task Force to Prevent Children from Running Away from Out-of-Home Placement was created by the Colorado General Assembly with the passage of House Bill 22-1375 and formed in September 2022. Named after 12-year-old Timothy Montoya who …

Timothy Montoya Task Force to Prevent Youth from Running from Out-of-Home Placement Read More »

Colorado, like many other states in the country, has had a series of high-profile cases that raise questions about the effectiveness of mandatory reporting laws. The Office of Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO) has received dozens of inquiries from citizens, professionals and mandatory reporters themselves, seeking clarification regarding what the law requires of them. These …

Mandatory Reporters: How Colorado’s mandatory reporter law lacks the necessary infrastructure to support those charged with reporting suspected child abuse. Read More »

When a child dies in Colorado, there is no consistent and transparent process that guarantees all systems – including law enforcement, schools and hospitals – are notified of their roles. This includes cases in which the child died of abuse and neglect. Conversely, there is no accountability mechanism for ensuring that all systems capable of …

Bridging the Gaps: How current law limits the effectiveness of Colorado’s child fatality reviews. Read More »

Every year, thousands of Colorado children are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect by their parents or caretakers. These children are often placed in foster care, group homes and/or residential child care facilities. Many have been exposed to drug addiction, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and domestic violence. Some have been …

Strengthening Colorado’s Foster Youth Protection Laws Read More »

County human service departments respond to 40,000 reports of possible child abuse or neglect throughout Colorado each year. Roughly 100 times a day, child protection workers serve as first responders to these reports, typically by entering families’ homes at their own risk. As the spread of COVID-19 overwhelmed Colorado, the reports of abuse or neglect …

Prioritizing Child Protection Workers: To ensure the safety and well-being of Colorado’s children, we must take steps to protect those caring for them Read More »

Unlike most state agencies in Colorado, the Division of Youth Services (DYS) – which is overseen by the Colorado Department of Human Services – develops its polices internally among agency leadership with no opportunity for outside entities to participate or observe. This raised questions about whether the DYS operates in compliance with state laws that …

Inadequate Access: Improving Transparency and Participation in the Division of Youth Services’ Rulemaking Process Read More »