Family First Placement Continuum Learning Collaboratives: Themes and Next Steps

Over the past two years, there have been multiple efforts underway in Colorado aimed at transforming our child welfare system to better meet the needs of children, youth and families. Conversations have been happening across many forums with broad stakeholder input, including the Family First Implementation Team and associated work groups, the Delivery of Child Welfare Services Task Force and associated work groups, and the Juvenile Justice Reform Committee.

All of these reform efforts, combined with external factors, are converging to have a significant impact on Colorado’s placement continuum. Given these significant changes, CDHS is carving out space to have focused, action-oriented conversations specifically related to the placement continuum. Our overall goals are to:

Rightsize our placement continuum to be more responsive to the needs of children and youth in care;
Ensure that every child is in either a family-like setting or a small, high-quality treatment facility; and
Ensure that all families have access to appropriate, responsive and effective services at every level of the continuum.

Given these big goals, the Colorado Department of Human Services launched a series of Placement Continuum Learning Collaboratives to bring relevant stakeholders to the table with a relentless focus on innovation, shared learning and results.

Download the themes and next steps identified through each of these work groups.

Watch recordings of each of these Learning Collaboratives below.