Colorado Child Welfare - More Work to Do on Colorado Child Welfare Reform
Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 24, 2014 -- In the spring of 2013, Colorado lawmakers passed extensive reforms to the state's problematic child welfare system, but further effort will be required to address the fact that many young children in our state are still suffering from abuse and neglect.
In February, Gov. John Hickenlooper and Reggie Bicha, executive director of the Department of Human Services, unveiled an extensive plan to upgrade Colorado’s child welfare system to keep children and families safer called "Keeping Kids Safe and Families Healthy 2.0".
The bills have provided a plan to expand the list of professionals who are required to report suspected child abuse cases, and to create procedures for courts to order domestic evaluations during child placements. Additionally there are plans to establish an abuse-reporting hotline, to give counties greater flexibility when applying for federal funds, and to restructure the state's child fatality review process.
Five child welfare bills were signed into law on May 14th, 2013 and although the laws have created the foundation for reform, more extensive training, consistent departmental standards, manageable caseloads, and sufficient resources must be implemented to prevent any more young victims from escaping the notice and attention of our state’s child welfare system.
About The Harris Law Firm:
Established in 1993, The Harris Law Firm is Colorado's largest family law firm with offices in Denver and Fort Collins. The firm now employs a team of 19 skilled attorneys. In addition to divorce, child custody and child support issues in Colorado, The Harris Law Firm also handles issues regarding maintenance, paternity, grandparents’ rights, and step-parent adoptions.
For more information on The Harris Law Firm, including articles written by our family law attorneys, please visit our website or call 303-299-9484.
Heidi Culbertson, The Harris Law Firm, http://www.harrisfamilylaw.com/, +1 303-299-9484, [email protected]
Share this article