D214726E1703977F8725867E007E1A3F Hearing Summary

Stephanie Villafuerte introduced the presentation (Attachment E). She gave an overview of the role of the Child Protection Ombudsman and how the office was created. She discussed how the office works in Colorado to help citizens get connected with the services they need.

Ms. Villafuerte spoke about the number of cases that the office resolved in 2020. She gave an outline of the office's outreach campaigns.

Ms. Villafuerte highlighted the specific effort to reach out to youth, including how the office provices information about out-of-home services youth can access. The office has hired a new staff member to help meet the needs of the youth they serve.

Ms. Villafuerte discussed the pandemic response from the office and how the individuals they serve have been affected by COVID-19. She spoke about how they have partnered with communities to distribute pandemic resources.

Ms. Villafuerte responded to questions from the committee.