Colorado Child Welfare Family Advisory Council

The Colorado Department of Human Services is accepting applications from interested persons with lived experience in the child welfare system to join the kickoff of its Child Welfare Family Advisory Council. Advisory Council members will create a team to help guide policymakers to strengthen Colorado’s Child Welfare system.

The purpose of the Family Advisory Council is to include family voice and lived experience in providing feedback on DCW planning, policies and procedures in order to improve the design and delivery of high-quality child welfare services to the youth and families in Colorado.

Council members will be individuals, youth and families who have been impacted by the Child Welfare System in Colorado, including a minimum of 10 – 15 members with Child Welfare lived experience acting as material experts from the following categories:

Biological Parents
“Grandfamilies” (Non-Certified grandparent)
Kinship Family Member providing non-certified out of home care
Certified Kinship Foster Parent
Youth formerly in care and now out of care
Foster Parent (Non-kinship)
Foster/Adoptive Parent (non-kinship)
Community Partner providing services to youth in foster care

Anticipated Council Participation Commitment:

Meeting once a month for three hours
Year-long commitment to be a member with the choice to continue on for a two-year term. All seats will be staggered for ongoing development.
Members will be interviewed by a DCW Lead and Family Advisory Council Member(s)
Members must be willing to agree to CDHS’ Community Member Compensation rate and policies (currently $30 per hour of service)

Potential Topics for Colorado’s Child Welfare Family Advisory Council: