Critical Data Ensures Child Care for Essential Workers

In the early days of the pandemic, many child care centers and other educational institutions temporarily shut down, while essential workers, particularly in the health care industry, desperately needed care for their own children. Countless early childhood educators lost their jobs in the closures, yet centers that remained open to care for the children of essential workers faced significant staff shortages. But how to fill these diverse and dispersed needs, especially during a public health crisis?

Fostering Opportunities: Stories of Success

As the nation celebrates the class of 2020 and the resilience of graduates during a worldwide pandemic, it can be easy to forget that some students face huge challenges to high school graduation even in “normal” times. Living in foster care can make school feel like a perpetual marathon. In Jefferson County, a program called Fostering Opportunities helps them cross the finish line.

many hands pushing on a log

Expanding Multisystemic Therapy to Underserved Regions

Multisystemic Therapy (MST), a community-based intervention targeting youth ages 12-17 who are involved or at high risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system, has a proven record of success. It is delivered by trained teams of therapists over the course of 3-5 months with multiple home-visits per week. This project extended MST to regions of the state where the service was previously unavailable.

Potential Health Care Cost Savings of Dual-Enrollment in Medicaid and SNAP

Colorado ranks among the lowest in the nation in terms of the percentage of the population receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with about 60% of eligible residents participating. This study examines the impact of SNAP enrollment on healthcare costs–particularly emergency room visits and hospitalizations–among Colorado residents enrolled in Medicaid. If the study identifies substantial cost savings, it will provide a fiscal reason for increasing enrollment in SNAP among those who are eligible.

Data Visualization with Jonathan Schwabish

The Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab, the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver, and the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver jointly invite you to attend two speaking engagements with a national leader in the data visualization field, Jonathan Schwabish of the Urban Institute (www.urban.org) and PolicyViz (www.policyviz.com).

Inventory and Analysis of Brightfields in Colorado

Increases in population and development are contributing to a loss of agricultural land and open spaces–land that could be redeveloped for renewable energy and further contribute to Colorado’s economic base. As part of Governor Polis’s goal for 100% renewable energy by 2040, this project built a web-mapping application, enabling stakeholders to identify existing suitable sites for renewable energy redevelopment.

The Impact of a Multidisciplinary Team Response to Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations

Following child abuse and neglect reports, families can become involved in investigations that span multiple government systems including law enforcement, child welfare, and the health system. With so many entities involved, the investigation process can be confusing and frustrating for families. This study assesses the impact of a coordinated multidisciplinary team response used in an urban Colorado county as well as caregiver perceptions of the investigation process.