ORPC Data Story Walk: The Power of Linking Data and Storytelling

Reunified family and their ORPC team. What a treat it was to facilitate a Data Story Walk at the 10th annual conference of the Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC)! The Colorado Lab’s Dr. Elysia Versen, Acting Executive Director/COO and Dr. Courtney Everson, Senior Project Director, guided conference attendees in exploring data on the continuum […]

Learning Community Kick-Off: Family Economic Well-Being Research

In late January, we had the honor of convening esteemed researchers from across the country for a kick-off meeting to discuss what is known, and not known, about the relationship between income volatility and child maltreatment. A dozen diverse and uniquely qualified researchers serve as the Learning Community for the Family Economic Well-Being project.  Working […]

Capacity Building: Family First Continuous Quality Improvement

The Colorado Lab serves as the Family First Evidence-Building Hub, providing guidance to the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to ensure strategic investments in evidence building for child welfare programs and services that aim to keep children safe and more families together. We’re excited to celebrate an important milestone in this work: the Continuous […]

Important Advancement for Notification of Substance Exposed Newborns

We’re shining a spotlight on an important advancement in caring for Colorado families affected by substance use during pregnancy. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) requires states have policies and procedures to address the needs of substance exposed newborns. This includes a process for health care providers to notify child welfare of the […]

Family First Evidence-Building Hub: Annual Strategy Report

Colorado is making strong progress on implementation of its Five-Year Family First Prevention Services Plan. The plan is part of a broader strategy to further evolve the child welfare system to improve the safety and well-being of all children, youth, and families through a continuum of community-based prevention services and supports. The Colorado Lab serves […]

Released! Highly Anticipated Initial Findings for the Alternative Response Pilot for Adult Protective Service

Last month our first policy brief on initial outcomes of the Alternative Response Pilot was presented to the legislature by the Colorado Department of Human Services. Authorized by Senate Bill 21-118, the pilot provides an alternative pathway for Adult Protective Services (APS) to respond to reports of low-risk mistreatment and self-neglect. When allegations of self-neglect […]