Kolker’s Bipartisan Bill to Enhance Child Welfare System Earns Committee Approval

DENVER, CO – Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Chris Kolker, D-Centennial, that would enhance tools for Colorado’s child welfare system cleared the Senate Health & Human Services Committee today.

HB24-1046, cosponsored by Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Weld County, would require reports of known or suspected child abuse or neglect to include any information of evidence of domestic violence found in the home. The bill also requires the Colorado Department of Human Services to create a consistent screening process for county departments to follow when responding to a report hotline. 

“It’s past time we take a closer look at how our child welfare system identifies instances of child abuse and domestic violence,” said Kolker. “This bill will enable us to audit and improve the risk and safety assessment tools we use when investigating reports so we can correctly identify needs and better ensure we’re getting a complete picture of the problem at hand. This is a critical step we can take to ensure we’re doing everything we can to improve how we investigate reports and, ultimately, keep kids safe.”

The bill also requires the Office of the Child Protection Ombudsman to contract with a third-party evaluator to conduct audits on safety assessment tools to get a better understanding of the efficacy of the safety assessment tool and any future changes that could be made that will ensure children are protected.

HB24-1046 will now move for further consideration before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Track the bill’s progress HERE.