The Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First), passed in 2018, has transformed child welfare by funding services that strengthen families and reduce the need for child welfare involvement. Colorado supports this shift as it aligns with our longstanding commitment to keeping families together through dedicated community support.
Family First is based on research showing that kids, especially those who have faced abuse or neglect, do best in a family environment. Through Family First, federal funding is now available to support prevention services that help keep kids in safe, supportive homes. Additionally, it provides funding for treatment facilities that offer short-term rehabilitative services for youth with high needs. Whether it be prevention or treatment services, the goal is to ensure services are provided in a way that keeps kids in family-like settings whenever possible.
Colorado is using Family First funding to:
- Further transform the state’s child welfare system into one that provides early support and intervention for kids and families in need.
- Expand access to an array of evidence-based, trauma-informed prevention services, so that all families in need can access support when needs arise.
- Continuously collaborative with community-based service providers to address the unique needs of kids and families in various communities.
- Enhance the care provided to youth with high treatment needs in residential facilities.
Family First is one piece of Colorado’s broader vision to help kids and families thrive.
Colorado has made tremendous strides over the past decade to support child and family well-being and to keep families safely together.
In 2022, Colorado saw the lowest number of out-of-home placements in its history,
down from 4,730 in December 2012
down from 1,163 in December 2012
These statistics reflect the countless hours of hard work on the part of county departments of human/social services to keep kids safely at home, and to ensure that — when out-of-home placement is necessary — children and youth are placed at the lowest level of care that can successfully support any treatment needs.
Implementation Principles
Implementation will occur alongside other system reforms and our ongoing work with children, youth and families.
Through implementation of Family First, Colorado strives to improve policy, practice and quality of services in order to support community, culture, diversity, equity and access for all Coloradans across the state.