Project Summary
House Bill 23-1027, Parent and Child Family Time, authorized a leading-edge study to develop data-informed best practice recommendations for family time in Colorado. The High Quality Parenting Time Task Force partnered with the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab to fulfill this legislative opportunity. During times of separation in a dependency and neglect case, it is crucial that families receive regular and quality time together, including between parent(s), children/youth in placement, and siblings. To improve outcomes and accelerate family strengthening, three categories of best practice standards for family time were developed: 1) plan development; 2) implementation practices; and 3) infrastructural supports. Recommendations are accompanied by funding structure considerations to make feasible. A mixed methods approach was used to develop these recommendations, including a national evidence review, a statewide survey to all Colorado departments of human services, administrative child welfare data, and subject matter expert interviews. Implementing family time best practice standards can reduce trauma during child welfare involvement and improve outcomes for children, youth, and parents, including reunification success.
Summary of Findings
Study findings show that families are best served when family time is delivered through a community-based model with flexibility for the individual case. This includes using community and home-like settings, engaging kin to supervise family time, and prioritizing regular child/youth and parent activities. Outcomes are improved when in-person family time is of regular frequency and robust duration. Achieving equitable outcomes requires family cultural values to be integrated into the family time plan and honored at every step. Collaboration across systems and centering families as experts of their own life are driving factors for success.
Actionability
HB23-1027 brought sweeping changes to how family time is implemented in Colorado. Achieving the new law requires strong change management grounded in research evidence. The data-informed recommendations for family time will help Colorado successfully achieve the vision for family time outlined by HB23-1027 and the High Quality Parenting Time Task Force. This includes:
- Creating a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities in family time across systems;
- Implementing essential practices associated with high quality family time and that drive outcomes; and
- Strategically allocating resources to achieve a feasible and sustainable family time structure.
Get Involved
For more information about working with the Colorado Lab, see Government and Community Partnerships or Research Partnerships.