Child Welfare is composed of a specialized set of services that strengthen the ability of the family to protect and care for their own children, minimize harm to children and youth, and ensure timely permanency planning. Services stabilize the family situation and strengthen the family's capacity to care for their children. When safety is not possible within the family, services focus on the child's need for a stable, permanent home as quickly as possible.
-- Youth in conflict services reduce or eliminate conflicts between youth and their family members or the community when conflicts affect the youth's well-being, the normal functioning of the family, or the well-being of the community.
-- Prevention and intervention services for children, youth, and families at risk of involvement with child welfare.
-- Child protection services are provided to protect children whose physical, mental, or emotional well-being is threatened by the actions or omissions of parents, legal guardians, custodians, or persons responsible for providing out-of-home care and licensed childcare centers.
-- Children or youth who have been adopted through foster care, children and youth with Medicaid-only services, and youth whose permanency goal is no longer reunification
-- RGAP (Relative Guardianship Assistance Program); APR (Allocation of Parental Responsibility); Adoption
-- Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)
-- ICAMA – Children/youth who receive adoption or relative guardianship assistance from the child welfare system or children/youth who move to Colorado from a reciprocal Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance.
-- Case Management: treatment planning, safety planning/support planning; ongoing safety assessments
-- Salida School District School-based Social Caseworker - this position brings the resources that DHS has to offer to school district families directly
-- Human trafficking victims under 18 years old; investigate and support.
-- Referral program with Full Circle Restorative Justice.
-- Child Welfare CORE Services fund areas listed below:
After Care Services
Day Treatment
Home-Based Intervention
Intensive Family Therapy
Life Skills
Mental Health Services
Sexual Abuse Treatment
Special Economic Assistance
Substance Abuse Treatment Services
Youth Services --
Foster Youth in Transition (FYiT) Program:
The Foster Youth in Transition Program Act establishes a transition program that allows eligible foster youth to voluntarily continue to receive certain child welfare services until the last day of the month in which a youth’s twenty-first birthday occurs, or such greater age of foster care eligibility as required by federal law. Services provided are client-directed and developmentally appropriate as set forth in and agreed to through a Voluntary Services Agreement (VSA) entered into between the youth and county department. Each year youth transition out of the foster care system without permanent placement or social support.
Chafee Program:
Chafee helps teens and young adults build life skills. This includes assistance with money management, housing, school, employment and overall well-being. Learning opportunities take place in both group and one-on-one meetings. This program is based on strong, trusted relationships. Youth must meet with their Chafee worker at least once a month.
Foster and Kinship Care --
Foster care is a temporary living situation for children whose parents are unable to safely provide care for them and whose need for care has come to the attention of child welfare agency staff. While in foster care, children may live with relatives, with foster families, or in group facilities.
Kinship care is the full-time nurturing and protection of children by kin. Kin are relatives or persons ascribed by the family as having a family-like relationship, or they may be individuals that have a prior significant relationship with the child or youth. These relationships take into account cultural values and continuity of significant relationships.