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I_CCWSISC_2023A 09/12/2023 09:02:16 AM Committee Summary

PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
INTERIM COMMITTEE  COLORADO'S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEE
Date 09/12/2023
Attendance
Bradley X
Duran X
Evans R
Joseph X
Kirkmeyer X
Kolker X
Michaelson Jenet X
Weinberg R
Zenzinger X
Fields *
Young X
Time 09:02:16 AM to 05:51:26 PM
Place HCR 0112
This Meeting was called to order by Young
This Report was prepared by Jerard Brown
Hearing Items Action Taken
Call to Order and Opening Remarks Committee Discussion Only
Presentation on Child Welfare Funding Committee Discussion Only
Presentation on Adoption Committee Discussion Only
Presentation from the High-quality Parenting Time Task Force Committee Discussion Only
Presentation on Safety Assessment Tool Committee Discussion Only
Q&A with Safety Assessment Tool Panelists Committee Discussion Only
Presentation on Overrepresented Populations in Colorado’s Child Welfare System Committee Discussion Only
Public Testimony Committee Discussion Only
Bill Requests Approval of Bill Drafts Requests

Call to Order and Opening Remarks - Committee Discussion Only



09:03:12 AM
Representative Young,
Chair, provided an overview of the meeting agenda (Attachment A).



Presentation on Child Welfare Funding - Committee Discussion Only

09:04:26 AM  
Emily Hansen, Senior
Legislative Budget and Policy Analyst, Joint Budget Committee Staff; Minna
Castillo, Director, Office of Children Youth and Families, Colorado Department
of Human Services; Mollie Bradlee, Deputy Director, Office of Children
Youth and Families, Colorado Department of Human Services; Matthew Sundeen,
Accountable Care Collaborative Program Management and Section Manager,
Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF); Commissioner Wendy
Buxton-Andrade, Prowers County and County Co-Chair of Colorado's Child
Welfare Allocation Committee; and Mimi Scheuermann, Chief Operating Officer
and Acting Executive Director, Denver Human Services, presented to the
committee on child welfare funding.
09:07:05 AM  
Ms. Hansen reviewed
a memo provided to the committee (Attachment B).
09:15:11 AM  
Committee members asked Ms. Hansen questions.
09:17:43 AM  
Ms. Castillo presented
on recent changes to child welfare funding. A copy of the presentation
was provided to the committee (Attachment C).
09:31:52 AM  
Ms. Bradlee continued the presentation and covered potential changes to child welfare funding.
09:40:04 AM  
Committee members asked the panel questions about the child welfare funding model and workload studies.
10:10:13 AM  
Ms. Scheuermann and
Commissioner Buxton-Andrade presented on the county's perspective regarding
child welfare funding needs.
10:27:45 AM  
Jamison Lee, Chief
Financial Officer, Office of Children Youth and Families, Colorado Department
of Human Services, and Lennie Bottorff, Fiscal Manager, Weld County Department
of Human Services, joined the panel to answer questions from the committee.
10:29:05 AM  
Committee members
asked the panelists questions about how to fully fund child welfare in
Colorado, how prevention services fit into the conversation around funding,
and the impact underfunding has on families.
11:14:30 AM  
Mr. Sundeen continued
the presentation and provided an overview of HCPF's role in child welfare.
 A copy
of the presentation was provided to the committee (Attachment D).
11:35:32 AM  
Committee members
continued to ask the panel questions.



Presentation on Adoption - Committee Discussion Only
11:57:23 AM  
Korey Elger, Permanency
Manager, Colorado Department of Human Services, and Jonathan Anderson,
Deputy Division Manager, Children Youth, and Families, Larimer County Department
of Human Services, presented to the committee on the adoption process in
Colorado. A copy of the presentation was provided to the committee (Attachment
E).
12:12:43 PM  
Ann Ayers, Chief
Executive Officer, Raise the Future, and Lucinda Wayland Connelly, Vice
President of Programs, Raise the Future, presented to the committee. They
discussed gaps in supports for families with adopted children in Colorado,
the Wendy's Wonderful Kids model, and children that have left the child
welfare system without a permanent placement. A copy of the presentation
was provided to the committee (Attachment F).
12:27:13 PM  
Committees members
asked the panelists questions.
12:31:35 PM  
The committee recessed.



Presentation from the High-quality Parenting Time Task Force - Committee Discussion Only
12:52:16 PM  
The committee came
back to order.
12:53:39 PM  
Melanie Jordan, Chair,
High Quality Parenting Time Task Force, presented to the committee.  A
copy of her presentation and how to access supplemental materials was provided
to the committee (Attachments G and H).  She provided information
about the work of the task force, including the identified benefits of
family time and the results of a survey conducted on family time.  Ms.
Jordan discussed the recent closer of the Central Visitation Program, which
was a large provider of visitation services.
01:04:33 PM  
Ms. Jordan continued
by discussing House Bill 23-1027, concerning family time provided pursuant
to the Children's Code.  



Presentation on Safety Assessment Tool - Committee Discussion Only
01:09:02 PM  
Joe Homlar, Director,
Division of Child Welfare, Colorado Department of Human Services, presented
to the committee on the safety assessment tool.  A copy of the presentation
was provided to the committee (Attachment I).  He provided information
about the risk assessment and safety assessment tools used by child welfare
caseworkers.
01:17:23 PM  
Dr. Becky Orsi-Hunt,
Kempe Center, presented to the committee on the Colorado Family Safety
Assessment.  She discussed provided historical information about the
safety assessment tool, factors in decision making in child welfare cases,
and including those with lived experience in future revisions to the tool.
 Dr. Ida Drury, Kempe Center, discussed the Colorado Child Welfare
Training System and the challenges case workers face when using the tool,
such as the amount of information disclosed by families.
01:29:15 PM  
Mimi Scheuermann,
Chief Operating Officer and Acting Executive Director, Denver Human Services,
presented on how casekworkers use the Safety Assessment Tool.



Q&A with Safety Assessment Tool Panelists - Committee Discussion Only
01:35:04 PM  
The panelists responded to questions from the committee regarding the safety assessment tool and other child welfare matters.
02:01:10 PM  
The panelists continued to respond to questions from the committee.



Presentation on Overrepresented Populations in Colorado’s Child Welfare System - Committee Discussion Only

02:08:58 PM  
The committee recessed.
02:10:13 PM  
The committee came back to order.
02:11:02 PM  
Crystal Ward Allan,
Senior Director Strategic  Consulting, Casey Family Programs, and
Steve Ellis, Data Advocacy Analyst, Casey Family Programs, presented to
the committee.  The presentation was provided to the committee (Attachment
J).  Additionally, a copy of a presentation from Doris Tolliver, Principal,
Health Management Associates, was provided to the committee (Attachment
K).  Mr. Ellis reviewed Colorado child welfare data related to race.
02:21:38 PM  
Ms. Allen Ward discussed
the overall trends in Colorado data and the need to establish and support
systems that support all types of families.  She discussed national
approaches to advance race equity in the area of child welfare, as well
as the Colorado Kinnected Kinship Navigator Program and Family Connects
Program.  Ms. Allen Ward discussed racial disparities in mandated
reporting and the need for better training of mandated reporters, especially
in regards to racial disparities.  She spoke about what some other
states have done regarding mandatory reporters and creating prevention
hubs, including Texas, New York, New Hampshire, and Ohio.
02:33:51 PM  
Melanie Jordan, Policy
Director, Office of the Respondent Parents Counsel, and Nicole Bishop,
Director, Action in Advocacy, presented to the committee.  The presentation
was provided the committee (Attachment L), along with additional materials
(Attachments M through O).  Ms. Bishop discussed the overrepresntation
of people with disabilities in the school-to-prison pipeline and shared
data related to people with disabilities regarding Colorado's child welfare
system.  Ms. Jordan discussed the availability of data related to
people with disabilities involved in the child welfare system.
02:41:25 PM  
Ms. Bishop continued by discussing a study by the National Council on Disabilities related to child welfare. She shared her personal story with the child welfare system. Ms. Jordan provided an overview of the information contained in the materials provided by her office.
02:48:49 PM  
The panelists responded to questions from the committee.



Public Testimony - Committee Discussion Only
03:09:31 PM  
The following people
provided public testimony to the committee on child welfare matters:



- Christine McGinley, representing herself;

- Brian Calkins, representing himself;

- Dylan Mundt, representing himself; and

- Dennis Mundt, representing himself.  Mr. Mundt provided a handout
to the committee (Attachment P).
03:31:09 PM  
The following people
provided public testimony on child welfare matters:



- Dr. Kate Trujillo, representing Colorado Child Welfare Scholars Consortium;

- Lara Bruce, representing Metropolitan State University - Denver;

- Whitney Buckendorf, representing Elephant Circle;

- Alicia Leal, representing herself; and

- Iesha Wood, representing People Against Child Welfare Abuse.
03:48:09 PM  
The following people
provided public testimony on child welfare matters:



- Dominique Mallard, representing Children Advocacy, Resource, Educational,
Services;  

- Elizabeth Baumgarten, representing herself;

- Timothy  Scott, representing himself;

- Judi Atwood, representing herself; and

- Maralee Mclean, representing Moms Fight Back.
04:06:17 PM  
The following people
provided public testimony on child welfare matters:



- Minna Castillo, representing the Colorado Department of Human Services;

- Mollie Bradlee, representing the Colorado Department of Human Services;

- Robert Werthwein, representing the Department of Health Care Policy and
Financing and the Behavioral Health Administration;

- Rael LaPenta, representing Mothers Against Child Abuse; and

- Katie First, representing Colorado Counties Inc.  


Written public testimony was provided to the committee (Attachment Q).



Bill Requests - Approval of Bill Drafts Requests

04:16:54 PM  
Jane Ritter, Office of Legislative Legal Service, explained the bill drafting process for the committee.
04:20:08 PM  
The committee discussed
bill ideas related to a number of child welfare matters, including kinship
care, establishing a system of care, addressing inequities and disparties
in the system, redefining neglect and addressing tools and training for
mandatory reporters.  A copy of a spreadsheet was distributed to the
committee (Attachment R).  (Note - Attachment R was corrected after
the meeting and item numbers may not reflect those referenced during the
meeting discussion.)



The committee discussed the legislative proposals received from Colorado
Counties, Inc. and the Colorado Human Services Directors Association (Attachment
S), the  Kempe Foundation (Attachment T), and the Colorado Department
of Human Services, Behavioral Health Administration, and Department of
Health Care Policy and Financing (Attachment U).



Representative Joseph discussed a bill to requiring translation of treatment
plans for families going through a dependency and neglect cases.  She
provided a handout to the committee outlining the proposal (Attachment
V).
04:45:21 PM  
Melanie Jordan, Policy
Director, Office of the Respondent Parents Counsel, responded to questions
from the committee.
04:50:27 PM  
Committee discussion
about possible bill ideas continued, including conducting an audit and
training on the assessment tool, estabilishing a child welfare case worker
task force as outlined in the letter from the Office of the Colorado Child
Protection Ombudsman (Attachment W), and providing state park passes to
children involved in the child welfare system.  


The committee requested that a letter be drafted to the Joint Technology
Committee regarding the Trails System, including tech debt and the impact
of technology on the child welfare system.  The letter should include
how critical these systems and that child welfare technology projects should
be priortized to better facilitate the child welfare system.



The committee resumed discussion of bill ideas, including returning to
discussion about addressing inequities in and narrow the door to the child
welfare system, addressing child welfare reporting and investigations,
and establishing a standing committee in the Ombudsman's office to address
ongoing child welfare issues and policy issues.
05:33:28 PM  
Committee discussion
ensued.  Representative Joseph removed her suggestion about state
park passes from consideration.
05:34:41 PM  
Ms. Ritter made comments
regarding the bill drafting process. Committee discussion ensued.  Alana
Rosen, Office of the Legislative Legal Services, reviewed the draft bill
ideas discussed by the committee.  


05:38:32 PM
 Motion Draft a bill to address kinship care program gaps.
Moved Zenzinger
Seconded Michaelson Jenet
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:38:35 PM  
Senator Zenzinger
and Representative Bradley were designated as the points of contact on
the bill draft concerning kinship care program gaps.  Following the
meeting, Representative Pugliese replaced Representative Bradley as a point
of contact on the bill draft.


05:40:33 PM
 Motion Draft a bill to establish a system of care as outlined in the letter from Colorado Counties Inc. and the Colorado Human Services Directors Associaiton.
Moved Kirkmeyer
Seconded Kolker
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:40:36 PM  
Senator Kirkmeyer
and Representative Michaelson Jenet were designated as the points of contact
on the bill draft concering the system of care.


05:42:36 PM
 Motion Draft a bill to address inequities in and narrow the door to the child welfare system.
Moved Fields
Seconded Evans
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:42:39 PM  
Senator Fields and
Representatives Evans were designated as the point of contact on the bill
to address inequities in and narrow the door to the child welfare system.


05:43:29 PM
 Motion Draft a bill concerning the Whole Health Coordination for Kids in Care pilot program.

Moved Young
Seconded Michaelson Jenet
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:43:32 PM  
Representative Young
and Senator Fields were designated as the points of contact for the bill
draft concering the Whole Health Coordination for Kids in Care pilot program.


05:45:11 PM
 Motion Draft a bill to address high acuity crisis.
Moved Kirkmeyer
Seconded Young
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:45:14 PM  
Senator Kirkmeyer
and Representative Young were designated as the points of contact on the
bill concenring the high accuity crisis.


05:46:02 PM
 Motion Draft a bill to address translating and creating accessible court-ordered treatment plans.

Moved Bradley
Seconded Duran
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:46:05 PM  
Representative Joseph
and Representative Bradley were designated as the points of contact for
the bill draft concerning translating and creating accessible court-ordered
treatment plans.


05:47:24 PM
 Motion Draft a bill for a third-party audit of the assessment tool, modify tool to include domestic violence assessments, and increase training on the assessment tool.
Moved Kolker
Seconded Zenzinger
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:47:27 PM  
Senator Kolker and
Representative Duran were designated as the points of contact on the bill
draft concerning the assessment tool.


05:48:24 PM
 Motion Draft a bill to create a child welfare worker task force.
Moved Young
Seconded Michaelson Jenet
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:48:27 PM  
Representatives Young
and Michaelson Jenet were designated as the points of contact for the bill
concerning creating a child welfare worker task force.


05:49:14 PM
 Motion Draft a bill concerning accountability, accuracy, and transparency; strengthening the Office of Colorado's Child Protection Ombudsman; reforming child abuse and neglect investigation, reforming anonymous reporting, and addressing Colorado Trails System Requirements.
Moved Evans
Seconded Duran
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:49:16 PM  
Representatives Evans
and Duran were designated as the ponts of contact on the bill draft concerning
accountability, investigations, and anonymous reporting.


05:49:54 PM
 Motion Draft a bill establishing a standing committee in the Office of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman to address ongoing child welfare issues and policy issues.
Moved Young
Seconded Michaelson Jenet
Bradley
Duran
Evans Remote
Joseph
Kirkmeyer
Kolker
Michaelson Jenet
Weinberg Remote
Zenzinger
Fields
Young
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
05:49:57 PM  
Representative Young
and Senator Fields were designated as the points of contact on the bill
draft concering establishing a standing child welfare committee.


05:51:26 PM   The committee adjourned.