Independent Audit of Colorado’s Family Safety and Risk Assessment Tools

In response to the CPO’s presentation, the Interim Committee advanced a bill – which the 2024 General Assembly passed – requiring a third-party audit of the tools. House Bill 24-1046 was one of the five bills endorsed by the Committee. Among other reforms, it calls for a comprehensive, third-party evaluation of Colorado’s Family Safety and Risk Assessment Tools. These tools are used by county child welfare caseworkers to guide decisions related to safety, risk, and service planning for children and families. The goal is to examine the effectiveness, accuracy, and equity of these tools in actual practice.

The Office of the Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO) is designated to oversee this process, including contracting with the independent evaluator.

Project Scope

Per House Bill 24-1046, the evaluator must, at a minimum:

• Identify tools and resources to ensure the assessment is carried out consistently
• Identify gaps and solutions to enable caseworkers to complete the assessment in real time while in the field
• Examine the impacts of geography when using the assessment
• Examine the impacts of race and ethnicity when using the assessment and how they impact communities that are over-represented in the child welfare system
• Evaluate and recommend best practices for sharing the assessment with families, legal professionals, and the judicial branch
• Evaluate and recommend best practices for training on the assessment
• Examine the assessment for domestic violence or intimate partner violence recommended best practices
• Study inter-rater reliability
• Study the required documentation for the planning and removal of the child from the child’s primary caregiver

A written report of findings will be submitted to the General Assembly by March 1, 2026, to inform future policy, practice, and potential revisions to Colorado’s child welfare assessment frameworks.

To fulfill the mandate of House Bill 24‑1046, the CPO conducted a competitive procurement process to contract an independent evaluator of Colorado’s assessment tools. Three vendors submitted proposals, and a neutral contractor facilitated the proposal evaluation process.

A diverse review team, including representatives from CPO, Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), a county agency, Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR), Office of the Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC), and a parent with lived child welfare experience, independently scored the proposals using a standardized rubric. After reviewing and discussing scores, the team reached consensus in selecting ICF as the independent evaluator to carry out the assessment tool audit.

Per House Bill 24-1046, the CPO has the following responsibilities:

• Oversight: Ensure the audit addresses the critical dimensions outlined in state statute
• Access to Information: Assist the evaluator in gaining appropriate access to necessary data, case files, documents, and assessment tools
• Colorado Context: Assist the evaluator in understanding and navigating the Colorado child welfare landscape
• Resource Allocation: Ensure the audit process is adequately staffed and managed

ICF will be using a mix-methods approach to the evaluation of Colorado’s Family Safety and Risk Assessment Tools.

Key Components of the Evaluation:

Stakeholder Working Groups

ICF will convene two working groups – one of child welfare professionals and one of individuals with lived child welfare experience – to provide input throughout the audit process, share insights, and ensure audit findings reflect local context and diverse perspectives.

Best Practice Benchmarking

ICF will research national best practices for safety and risk assessment and develop a rubric to assess how well Colorado’s tools reflect established standards.

Instrument Development

In addition to the best practices rubric, a practice fidelity rubric will be developed to assess whether Colorado’s assessment tools are being used as intended, based on policy, training, and documentation at key case decision points.
A staff survey instrument will also be developed to gather worker perspectives on tool usability, implementation barriers, and equity concerns.

Review of Colorado Documents

ICF will assess the formal and informal infrastructure supporting tool use (e.g., protocols, training materials, and desk guides) to evaluate consistency and adequacy in implementation guidance.

Case File Reviews

A sample of case files will be audited to assess how the tools are applied in real-world practice. ICF will examine documentation, decision-making, and outcomes at critical points like removal, reunification, or case closure, paying special attention to geographic variation and potential disparities by race or ethnicity.

Interviews and Focus Groups

ICF will engage key partners and county and state leadership to provide their perspectives on the tools and context related to organizational capacity for
implementation. This will also be a mechanism for gathering insights related to the sharing of assessments with legal professionals and the judicial branch.

Final Report

ICF will produce a final report summarizing trends, stakeholder insights, and actionable recommendations to improve tool design, training, and use in practice.