SB12-011, Child Abuse Response Pilot Program

Fact Sheet Memorandum

SB12-011

DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE PILOT PROGRAM FOR CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT CASES OF LOW OR MODERATE RISK

Sen. Spence, Rep. Summers

Staff Name:  Amber Widgery

What the Bill Does:  SB 12-011 modifies sections 1(a) and (7) of Colorado Revised Statute 19-3-308.3. Part 308.3 created a pilot program in 2010 to allow five counties to respond to reports of known or suspected interfamilial abuse or neglect, which are classified as low or moderate risk, with a differential response. Differential response is based on the idea that each case cannot be addressed by a singular approach on the part of child protective services.  So a differential response is a two-track method that allows counties to respond to low or moderate risk cases in a method that they think is appropriate to match the facts of the case at hand using a family assessment response (FAR) method instead of the traditional investigation method.  The Bill at hand would modify the pilot program by allowing more than five counties to participate in the program. The amendment also provides that any new counties would be appointed by the executive director of the state Department of Human Services (DHS) after consultation with already participating counties.

Colorado Context: Currently five counties in Colorado are participating in this pilot program, including Larimer, Arapahoe, Fremont, Garfield, and Jefferson. If the proposed amendment passed, more counties could become part of the pilot program and start utilizing FAR for low to moderate risk abuse cases.

Family involvement is voluntary and research is being conducted on the data produced from the pilot program by the Colorado Consortium on Differential Response which consists of the Colorado DHS  Division of Child Welfare, Colorado State University, and Westat. Increased county participation would increase the amount of data that is available for analysis.

National Context: Colorado was selected along with Illinois and Ohio to be a part of an experimental response program conducted by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau. Research in these three states will be overseen by a cooperative agreement awarded to the American Humane Association, Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc. and the Institute of Applied Research. The project is referred to as National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services or QIC-DR.

There are three stated purposes of the project:

• Design and conduct evaluation, to rigorously study implementation, outcomes and cost impact of differential response in research and demonstration sites;
• Learn if differential response is an effective approach in CPS; and
• Build cutting-edge, innovative and replicable knowledge about differential response, including guidance on best practices in differential response.

Fiscal Impact:  No estimate yet available

Sponsor’s Comments: