Changes Related To Federal Family First Policy

The act updates Colorado's statutory provisions related to foster care prevention services and supports (prevention services) in the context of the federal "Family First Prevention Services Act", including:

• Updating the definition of "kin" to ensure that kin are eligible for prevention services;
• Updating the definition of "qualified individual" to clarify eligibility;
• Clarifying the elements of reviews of qualified residential treatment program placements (placements) to ensure that the placement of children, juveniles, and youth are reviewed initially by the court and not by the administrative review division;
• Updating language referring to children to include juveniles and youth to ensure that delinquent youth are also identified as a population that is eligible for prevention services and meet the requirements for placements;
• Adding information about prevention services and the authority of county departments of human or social services to provide prevention services;
• Requiring that when a youth is committed to the state department of human services, the court shall make additional findings to ensure the commitment is not the result of a lack of available appropriate placements;
• Adding requirements to a court to make specific findings when it deviates from the assessor's recommendation of a placement;
• Setting a new requirement that residential child care facilities must renew licenses annually; and
• Requiring the existing delivery of the child welfare services task force to make recommendations on the reduction of state reimbursements for certain out-of-home placements on or before December 15, 2020.

The act makes the following appropriations for the 2020-21 state fiscal year:

• $936,412 is reduced from the general fund and increased from the reappropriated funds for the department of human services executive director's office for employment and regulatory affairs;
• $546,652 is appropriated to the department of human services executive director's office for legal services and the administrative review unit;
• $91,039 in anticipated federal funds is appropriated to the office of information technology services for Colorado trails and the division of child welfare for administration;
• $242,250 is appropriated to the office of the governor for department of human services information technology;
• $38,376 is appropriated to the department of law for department of human services legal services;
• $211,200 is appropriated to the judicial department for office of the child's representative personal services; and
• $178,560 is appropriated to the judicial department for respondent parents' counsel personal services.
  (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)