Celebrating a Bold Chapter: Colorado Implementation Science Unit Concludes Transformative Three-Year Pilot

After three years of innovation, collaboration, and statewide impact, the Colorado Implementation Science Unit (CISU) is concluding its pilot phase — leaving behind a strong legacy of progress and partnership across the state’s human services landscape.

Launched in 2022 with support from the Morgridge Family Foundation, CISU was created to help programs and policies succeed not just in design, but in practice. By focusing on implementation, evaluation, and scaling, the team provided expert support to initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for children, youth, and families.

Throughout its pilot, CISU worked across sectors to help programs become more culturally responsive, effective, equitable, and sustainable — playing a key role in fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within Colorado’s human services field. Below are a few examples of CISU’s impact during its three-year pilot.

Highlights of Impact

CISU partnered with more than a dozen local and state efforts over the past three years. A few standout examples include:

• Fostering Opportunities

CISU played a key role in expanding Fostering Opportunities — an education-focused program that supports students with foster care experience in staying engaged in school and achieving academic success. In spring 2023, CISU developed and administered a Site Readiness Assessment, informed by interviews with the pilot site and partners, to evaluate where the program could successfully grow. The assessment identified Denver Public Schools and Adams 27J as the most ready to implement, leading to expansion during the 2023–2024 school year and reaching an additional 264 students. CISU also co-developed the program’s first logic model, supported revisions to the program manual, and participated on the leadership team guiding implementation. Early results show improved attendance, reduced behavioral incidents, and higher academic course completion among participating students. CISU also submitted a letter to the federal government requesting the program be reviewed for potential inclusion as a Family First Prevention Service, which could support additional scaling in the years to come.

• Colorado Fostering Success Housing Voucher Program

CISU supported the design and implementation of this housing initiative from the ground up. The program provides housing vouchers and case management to young adults transitioning out of foster care. The team co-developed the program’s process map, logic model, and performance monitoring system. Together, these tools enabled a smooth, coordinated rollout across participating counties and are helping partners track performance, ensure the program is operating as intended, and support continuous quality improvement. During the rollout, the program distributed 52 housing vouchers — contributing to increased housing stability and a reduced risk of homelessness for vulnerable youth.

• Pueblo County and Catholic Charities of Southern Colorado

CISU partnered with Pueblo County Department of Human Services and Catholic Charities to support the selection and implementation of Boys Town In-Home Family Services — an evidence-based program that helps families address challenges and stay safely together. CISU facilitated connections between local partners and the program developer to refine performance metrics that could be monitored to support successful implementation and build confidence in the program’s effectiveness. CISU also submitted a letter requesting the program be reviewed for potential inclusion as a Family First Prevention Service, which could help position the program for expansion in the future.

• Mesa County Family Empowerment Team

In Mesa County, CISU supported the Department of Human Services in strengthening its Family Empowerment Team program. The program provides early, coordinated support to families at risk of entering the child welfare system, aiming to promote family stability and prevent out-of-home placements. The collaboration resulted in a detailed process map, logic model, and program manual — essential tools for building an evidence base, supporting future scaling, and advancing toward potential inclusion as a Family First Prevention Service.

• Research Coordination and Knowledge Sharing

CISU played a key role in connecting research to real-world practice. The team convened research partners from across Colorado to foster collaboration, align priorities, and support evidence-informed decision-making. In addition, CISU curated a catalog of relevant research to make findings more accessible and actionable for program leaders — helping to shape smarter, more effective program design and improvement efforts statewide.

Looking Forward

Although the CISU pilot concludes amidst a $1.2 billion state budget shortfall and ongoing federal funding uncertainty, the team’s contributions will have lasting impact. The systems, strategies, and resources developed through CISU’s work are already embedded in programs across the state — helping ensure that critical services continue to improve and adapt in the years ahead.

CISU has demonstrated the power of investing not just in what programs aim to do, but how they are delivered. Its work has strengthened the foundation for smarter implementation, more rigorous evaluation, and more effective public services in Colorado.