The Colorado Lab is working with the Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention to better understand and address the growing issue of perinatal substance use. The vision for this project is to routinely track incident rates of perinatal substance use in Colorado and inform state investments, programs, and policies aimed at strengthening families affected by substance use during a pregnancy.
The Family Support through Primary Prevention (FSPP) project is intended to reduce child maltreatment and improve family well-being for Colorado families ages prenatal to 5, with a focus on the first year of life. The Colorado Lab serves as the skilled evaluator to build evidence for the primary prevention strategies prioritized by FSPP partners.
A new Colorado Lab report features diverse and insightful learnings from community listening sessions that were held with parents/caregivers to better understand how social connections and support can help families thrive. Research shows that strong social connections support parents and caregivers in experiencing fewer stressors, buffer the negative experiences of stress when it does occur, and promote resilience.
The Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families (Partnership) is made up of state and county human service, public health, health care, and early childhood systems that have the shared goal of significantly reducing child maltreatment and promoting family well-being in Colorado.
A new study, Phase One Supplemental: Maternal & Infant Mortality in the First Year of Life, builds on last spring’s initial study focused on the risk of infant removal by child welfare shortly after a birth event due to a referral of substance exposure. The supplemental study establishes a baseline understanding of infant and maternal mortality outcomes for families in Colorado involved in child welfare and impacted by perinatal substance use.