The bill updates Colorado's statutory provisions related to foster care prevention services and supports (prevention services) in the context of the federal "Family First Prevention Services Act", including:
Updating the definition of "kin" to ensure that kin are eligible for prevention services;
Updating the definition of "qualified individual" to clarify eligibility;
Clarifying the elements of reviews of qualified residential treatment program placements (placements) to ensure that the placement of children, juveniles, and youth are reviewed initially by the court and not by the administrative review division;
Updating language referring to children to include juveniles and youth to ensure that delinquent youth are also identified as a population that is eligible for prevention services and meet the requirements for placements;
Adding information about prevention services and the authority of county departments of human and social services (county departments) to provide prevention services, including developing a form to inform affected parents and caregivers of their rights and remedies;
Requiring that when a youth is committed to the state department of human services, the court shall make additional findings to ensure the commitment is not the result of a lack of available appropriate placements;
Adding requirements to a court to make specific findings when it deviates from the assessor's recommendation of a placement;
Setting a new requirement that residential child care facilities must renew licenses annually; and
Requiring the existing delivery of child welfare services task force to make recommendations on the reduction of state reimbursements for certain out-of-home placements on or before July 31, 2020, and instructing the state to change reimbursement rates on or before January 1, 2021.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

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Statutes affected:
Preamended PA1 (03/12/2020): 19-1-102, 19-1-103, 19-1-115, 19-2-907, 19-2-909, 19-2-921, 26-6-102
Introduced (02/10/2020): 19-1-102, 19-1-103, 19-1-115, 19-2-907, 19-2-909, 19-2-921, 19-3-508, 26-5-104, 26-6-102