Family First in Colorado
Training and Resources
Application forms and lists of required documentation, trainings, memos, publications and reports, and more — all searchable and filterable so you can easily find what you need.
Agency & Facility Directory
Use our interactive directory tool to find an agency or facility that is child-specific or to find a child placement agency to become an adoptive or foster parent!
About Family First
The Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) is a federal law that allows local child welfare agencies to use federal funding to pay for services that keep kids safe, growing up in their families.
Family First in Colorado
Training and Resources
Application forms and lists of required documentation, trainings, memos, publications and reports, and more — all searchable and filterable so you can easily find what you need.
Agency & Facility Directory
Use our interactive directory tool to find an agency or facility that is child-specific or to find a child placement agency to become an adoptive or foster parent!
About Family First
All children and youth should grow up in a safe, stable and secure family that supports their long-term well-being. Research shows that growing up in a family is essential for all kids, especially those who have experienced abuse or neglect.
The Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) is a federal law that allows local child welfare agencies to use federal funding to pay for services that keep kids safe, growing up in their families.
Family First provides Colorado the opportunity to ….
- Reshape child welfare and provide more proactive services, so more children and youth can grow up with their family.
- Partner with community-based service providers to respond to the individual needs of children, youth and families.
- Provide treatment in a setting that is designed to provide a higher level of care.
The Provider Services Unit
The Division of Child Welfare- Provider Services Unit (PSU), provides regulatory oversight by enforcing Volume 7 regulations and related statutes. PSU additionally provides support, technical assistance, and training to 24-hour licensed childcare agencies, facilities, and day treatment centers to ensure the safety and well-being of children in out-of-home placement and receiving specialized educational services.
Prevention Services
Children and youth should grow up with a family. Most children and youth who receive help through child welfare services are not removed from their homes. Last year, nearly 70 percent of Colorado children and their families involved in an open child welfare case received services in their own homes. For the first time, Family First allows Colorado to use federal funding to serve these children and their families with treatment programs that are short-term, customized therapeutic support. Quality prevention services and strong federal, state and community collaborations are the foundation for Family First policies. Prevention services must be trauma-informed, evidence-based, approved, and subject to a well-designed and rigorous evaluation.
Recent Updates
CDHS’s Prevention Plan Approved
The Colorado Department of Human Services’ (CDHS) Family First Prevention Plan was approved Sept. 28 after a review by the Children’s Bureau, a federal agency organized under the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families.
Family First Transition Funds Update
The federal Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) emphasizes the importance of children and youth growing up in families and fundamentally reforms the way child welfare is funded and practiced. Family First provides Colorado the opportunity to -- Evolve...
New Family First Transition Act funds awarded
The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) is pleased to announce the recipients of two separate one-time funding opportunities to support the implementation of Family First in Colorado. The funding was awarded through the federal Family First Transition Act, passed in December 2019, to provide critical support and flexibility to ensure a smooth and successful rollout of Family First in Colorado.
CO4Kids is the Colorado Department of Human Services’ statewide initiative to provide awareness about Colorado’s child welfare system. It focuses on educating the public about the signs of child abuse and neglect, while raising awareness about the Hotline (844-264-5437) to report concerns related to a child or youth. CO4Kids also strives to strengthen families as a means of preventing abuse and neglect from happening in the first place, helping all Colorado kids have a safe environment. Finally, the campaign is committed to recruiting and retaining foster and adoptive parents, so that when an out of home placement is unavoidable, a child has a safe place to thrive.