Family First News
- The next Child Welfare Prevention Task Group (CWPTG) is set to meet virtually on April 11 from 1:30 – 3:00. The planning team is setting the agenda soon so please reach out to Amy Sciangula (email) if you have suggestions or requests. Minutes from the February meeting, as well as the Google Slides and revised Group Charter, can be found here. Keep an eye out for the April invite with attached materials.
Core News
- Please have all Calendar Year 2024 Core Services Data entered into Trails by April 1st, 2025. The Colorado State University Social Work Research Center will begin pulling data for the Yearly Core Services Evaluations Report and the Core Services Family Preservation/Placement Alternative Report on that day. This information is critical to our ability to explain and highlight the importance of Core Services across the State.
- When Prevention Intersects with Child Welfare (video). Do you wonder what Colorado is doing for children and families to remain together? Or want to know more about the intersections of Program Area 3 (PA3) and Child welfare? The Child Welfare Town Hall from February 13th discusses PA3 and Core! Amy Sciangula did a fantastic job at explaining the intersections of PA3, Core, and Child Welfare. Exploring the different array of services within family first and prevention. And the different ways that counties utilize these services across the State. Included in the town hall is the Core Funding Hierarchy (Google Doc), a tool to assist in considering when it is best to use Block, Medicaid, or Core. The discussion continues by looking at the future of PA3 data, new PA3 reports in production, and more.
- The SFY 2025-2026 Core Services Plan Template (Google Folder) has been approved and is now available! As a reminder, please download the template before filling out the plans for your County. SFY 2025-2026 Core Services Allocation will be distributed at a later date to Counties after they are approved by the Child Welfare Allocation Committee. Counties can run the Core Services Utilization Report to gain an understanding of how they spent their Core funding throughout the previous year. The SFY 2025-2026 Core Services Plan includes an Example Template that can be used as a reference to fill your Core Services Plan. Completed Core Services Plans with signatures are due by August 29th, 2025. If you have any questions regarding filling out or access, please contact Yerson Padilla at yerson.padilla@state.co.us (email).
|
Program Area 3 (PA3) News
- The first Program Area 3 Group will meet on March 24 (virtually) from 11:00 – 12:00. This first meeting of the minds will outline questions, outcome hopes, meeting frequency, and action items for the group. One suggestion is the creation of a Best Practice Guide for those counties using or planning to use PA3 to serve families that intersect with child welfare but for which no safety concerns exist. This may contribute to the consistency of certain actions taken by counties across the state (e.g. closure summary outline in PA3, when to open, etc.) and allow for baseline reports in Trails to be developed. If you would like to join the group in March, use the Google Meet (Virtual Meeting) option or call-in by dialing 1-234-719-3436 and then entering pin: 623 764 918#
Memo Spotlight
County Space
 Email Amy Sciangula or Yerson Padilla your news, ideas, or questions for the September edition.
County Question: Can we move employees from block to core services? Our County has been looking at our allocation to figure out where we can move, shrink, and decrease spending. In looking at our staffing, we have identified several workers whom we believe could be coded under core as opposed to block.
Answer: This question is one we have been receiving a lot from Counties across the State. As long as the staff duties are related to Core activities under the 9 required (e.g. mental health, life skills, sexual abuse treatment, etc.) or a county-designed service, then absolutely. If you have staff that also have duties not in line with Core, they can use 100% time reporting to code their remaining time to Block or whatever other funding stream the duties fall under. You can indicate FTE in your Core Services Plans, or through a Core Plan amendment. Core is reimbursable by the state for up to 90 days from the date of service. Once it hits 91 days, it is no longer covered under Core. |
Resources
- Child Welfare FAQs Regarding Family Detention or Deportation – The child welfare FAQs regarding family detention or deportation is a resource for parents, guardians, schools, counties, nonprofits, and community members to support families when a parent or guardian of a child is absent because they have been detained or deported by law enforcement or immigration authorities. This information is not legal advice or guidance. Concerned individuals should consult an experienced and trusted immigration law attorney about your situation to verify that what you are doing will be honored by authorities in your state.
- Youth Services Team on Youth Empowerment Radio – In this insightful episode, Derek Blake and Trevor Williams discuss their roles within Colorado’s Division of Child Welfare. Derek, the Transition Services Administrator, oversees multiple programs for youth transitioning out of foster care, such as the Chafee program, education, and training vouchers, and the new Colorado Fostering Success Voucher program. Trevor, the Youth Services Unit Manager, supervises extended foster care programs, the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program, and efforts to support justice-involved youth. The conversation covers the evolution of their work, innovative practices like flexible funding and youth-driven case planning, and the importance of youth voice.
Training Opportunities
- The Office of School Safety (OSS) is hosting the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Symposium. In my mission to encourage primary prevention of stopping sexual abuse from occurring, we are hosting national speakers to talk about the root causes of child sexual abuse and how to respond. Prevention programming will also be tabling so schools and non-profits can talk directly to those programs about implementing in your local community. Please send any questions to Jae Dee Wood (email).
- Details:
- Thursday, April 3, 2025, 8:00 am-3:30 pm
- Location: Adams 12 Five Star Schools 1500 E 128th Ave. Thornton,
- Cost: $50/person
- Speakers:
- Amanda E. Ruzicka, MA, the Deputy Director of Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse at Johns Hopkins will present on Problematic Sexual Behavior Prevention.
- SPEAKER CHANGE: Kee J.E. Straits, PhD. Indigenous Latina psychologist (Quechua, born in Perú) and owner of Tinkuy Life Community Transformations, will present on the Sexual Violence Disruptor Model for Native American Communities.
- Dr. Libbi Palmer, Psy.D., will discuss supporting students who have experienced or caused sexual trauma, as well as supporting school staff through those difficult conversations.
- Wednesday, March 19, 12–1:30 PM on the CWTS Platform: DR Learning Exchange: It’s the Thought That Counts: Sharing Power with Families—Concrete Strategies and Tips
- Thursday, March 20, 1–2:30 PM on the CWTS Platform: Supervisor Learning Exchange: Think Bigger! Global Supervision Dos and Don’ts
- 9th Annual Shared Risk and Protective Factors Summit: March 21-22, 2025 in Grand Junction OR May 21-22 in Pueblo. The Shared Risk and Protective Factors Conference brings together prevention professionals of all ages and those who want to drive community change who are looking to build skills in prevention; diversity, equity and inclusion; and Positive Youth Development.
Funding Opportunities
- Child Welfare and Domestic Violence Agency Collaborations to Support Families . Assists jurisdictions in improving community response to incidents of domestic violence where a child is present in the household. This will be achieved by building capacity to enhance collaboration between state, local, or tribal child welfare agencies, domestic violence agencies, and other partners. Closes March 21, 2025.
- National Human Trafficking Hotline. Assist counties and other agencies in administering NHTH. Closes May 2, 2025.
- The Office for Victims Programs (OVP) announces the estimated availability of approximately $29.8 million for 1 year in Crime Victim Services (CVS) Grant Funds. CVS Funds stem from 3 funding sources: Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) – $26 million, S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) – $2.9 million, and the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) – $900,000
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: All applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., March 17, 2025, in ZoomGrants. For a specific list of eligibility guidelines and allowable activities by funding source, see the Application Instructions (PDF). Please send any additional eligibility questions to the Grants Team at cvsgrants@state.co.us.
Employment Opportunities
As Seen Around Colorado
| Everyone, meet Lucy Lynn! A fluffy and loving corgi/terrier mix whose mission is to spread love and positivity to all who meet her. We had the opportunity to meet Lucy Lynn during the Child Protection and Prevention (CPP) Holiday potluck. Lucy’s mom is Teri Bokn, Program Assistant to the CPP Unit at DCW.
Send us your photos to be included in a future newsletter! |
|
|
|
March in Colorado is not for the faint of heart. You may be in shorts one day and digging out your winter gear the next. Coloradans are used to the wild fluctuations and have come to expect the tease of fools spring, as multiple memes on social media confirm. While there may be some grumbling about our wild March climate, we know the moisture will light up Colorado with color. Colorful Colorado refers not only to the flowers from spring showers but also the vibrant art displays around the state. From RiNo to Granby, Longmont to Boulder, and East Colfax to DIA, colorful art displays tell different stories around the state. To celebrate and commemorate Colorado’s 150th anniversary in 2026, the Office of the Governor is sponsoring a public art display. The Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway will connect the Capitol Complex to Lincoln Veterans Park in Denver as a usable public art structure that serves as a unique narrative canvas, weaving the state’s rich heritage into a safe and vibrant pathway. The walkway aims to be as inclusive as possible, engaging artists from across the state to tell Colorado’s cultural, civic and industrial history. It showcases Colorado’s past while looking toward the future.
