Child Protection and Prevention Team Resources

The Child Protection & Prevention Services (CPPS) Unit is housed within the Division of Child Welfare in the Department of Human Services. The unit is made up of subject matter experts in the areas of child protection referral & intake processes, child maltreatment prevention, federal grants, and more. The CPPS Unit supports areas of work related to these child welfare topics throughout the state of Colorado and provides guidance & technical assistance to county Departments of Human Services.

Child protection referral & intake areas include:

  • Program Area 5 
  • The statewide child maltreatment reporting hotline (HCCC)
  • Referral reviews and assignment dispositions
  • Differential Response practices, including RED Team 
  • Sexual abuse 
  • Human trafficking response 
  • Substance-exposed newborns and substance use disorder concerns
  • Institutional referral & assessment practices
  • Assessment of safety and risk, including the safety & risk assessment tools

Prevention program areas include: 

  • Program Area 3
  • Core Services
  • Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)

 Federal Reporting and Grants include: 

  • Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act (CAPTA)
  • Children’s Justice Act (CJA) 
  • Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR)
    • Program Improvement Plan (PIP)
  • Child and Family Services Plans (CFSP)
    • Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR)
  • Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)
Father blocked the wooden block with his hand to show protection for the family. and support and help with advice The concept of family relationships that will connect to safety love and compassion
Boards and Commissions where folks can get connected and involved with us and our work:  Internal Boards and Commissions | Colorado Department of Human Services
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
Collecting Demographic Information at Referral and Updating Demographic Information with Families at AssessmentThe purpose of this guide is to provide questions to use during the information gathering process for …referral-and-assessment cpp
Practice Guide for Entering Allegations of Abuse/Neglectreferral-and-assessment cpp
Child Welfare Findings of Abuse and/or Neglect FAQreferral-and-assessment cpp
Assessment Practice Guide for Children Ages 0-3referral-and-assessment cpp
Timeliness of Initial Response ToolkitIn this toolkit, you will find strategies and resources to assist with practice improvement for …referral-and-assessment cpp
Supervisor Considerations When Assessing for Safety and Safety Planning, , Questions that can be used by supervisors with casework staff to unpack the safety needs of a …colorado-family-safety-and-risk-assessments referral-and-assessment supervisor-resources caseworker-resources cpp
Agency Response GuideThe purpose of this guide is to assist in the screening and disposition of referrals …referral-and-assessment cpp
Enhanced Screening GuideThe purpose of this guide is to provide questions to use during the information gathering process for …referral-and-assessment cpp
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
A Better Way to Reduce Child Maltreatmentdifferential-response cpp
Differential Response Leadership Council (DRLC)differential-response cpp
Differential Response Kempe Center / Evidenced based Research Informed Approachesdifferential-response cpparticles-and-research
Differential Response Landing Page (Child Welfare Information Gateway)differential-response cpparticles-and-research
CSU School of Social Workdifferential-response cpparticles-and-research
Partnering with Families in Differential Responsedifferential-response cpptraining
Family Engagement Meeting Facilitators Learning Exchangesdifferential-response cpptraining
Differential Response Learning Exchangedifferential-response cpptraining
The FAR Processdifferential-response cpp
Red Team Facilitation Trainingdifferential-response cpp
Leading Practice Through Group Supervisiondifferential-response cpp
Enhancing Practice Through Group Supervisiondifferential-response cpp
Hotline/Red Team (New Hotline Workers Only) Note: if you are a new caseworker, register for Caseworker Academydifferential-response cpp
Best Practice Tips for RED Teamsdifferential-response cpp
New Caseworker Academydifferential-response cpp
Agency Response Guidedifferential-response cpp
Support Plan Toolkit, caseworker-resources differential-response cpp
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
Colorado Family Safety Assessment Tool Instructions, A printable copy of instructions for how and when to complete Colorado’s safety assessment tool.colorado-family-safety-and-risk-assessments safety-and-risk-assessments caseworker-resources cpp
Colorado Family Safety AssessmentA printable copy of the Colorado safety assessment tool. The tool is required to be completed …safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Individualized Safety Planning with Families (WBT)safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Superman Has Nothing on You! Supervising to Safety and Risksafety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Building Safety When Parents Use Substancessafety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Supervisor Learning Exchange 6: Supporting New Staff Through Safety Through Engagement 2023-2024safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
DR Learning Exchange: Behavior-Based Safety and Support Plans 2023-2024safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Colorado Family Risk Assessment Instructions, , caseworker-resources colorado-family-safety-and-risk-assessments safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Colorado Family Risk Assessment, , caseworker-resources colorado-family-safety-and-risk-assessments safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
Recognizing and Responding to Human Traffickinghuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
The Capacity Building Center for State’s Webinar on Safety Planninghuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
NCMEC Connect Learning Platformhuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
The Colorado Human Trafficking Councilhuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
Human Trafficking Townhallhuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
The Colorado Project 2023human-trafficking-cpp cpp
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
Informed Supervision WBTsexual-abuse cpp
The Colorado Sex Offender Management Boardsexual-abuse cpp
Colorado Children’s Alliance- CO CAC Accrediting Bodysexual-abuse cpp
Child Sexual Abuse Resporses to Support Families, One Pagersexual-abuse cpp
The Birds, the Bees and the Storksexual-abuse cpp
Supporting Families When Children and Youth Display Problematic Sexual Behaviorssexual-abuse cpp
NTDC Right-Time Training: Sexual Traumasexual-abuse cpp
A Closer Look at Sexually Acting Out Youthsexual-abuse cpp
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
Informed Supervision WBTsexual-abuse cpp
The Colorado Sex Offender Management Boardsexual-abuse cpp
Colorado Children’s Alliance- CO CAC Accrediting Bodysexual-abuse cpp
Child Sexual Abuse Resporses to Support Families, One Pagersexual-abuse cpp
The Birds, the Bees and the Storksexual-abuse cpp
Supporting Families When Children and Youth Display Problematic Sexual Behaviorssexual-abuse cpp
NTDC Right-Time Training: Sexual Traumasexual-abuse cpp
A Closer Look at Sexually Acting Out Youthsexual-abuse cpp
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
Annual Progress and Services Reportiart cpp
Institutional Referral and Assessment Guideiart cpp
Conducting a Thorough Institutional Abuse Assessmentiart cpp
The Core Services Program was established in 1994 to provide funding for strength-based resources and support to families. Core allocations are provided yearly to all counties who submit a Core Service Plan, which details how funds will be spent according to their community needs. This approach allows for individualized services to meet the needs of children, youth and families across diverse Colorado communities. The Core Services Program is based on a foundation of family preservation. Family preservation services are generally short-term, family-based services designed to support families in crisis by improving parenting and family functioning while keeping children/youth safe. In Colorado, “family preservation services” are defined as assistance that focuses on a family’s strengths and empowers a family by providing alternative problem-solving techniques and child-rearing practices, as well as promoting effective responses to stressful living situations for the family. This assistance includes resources that are available to supplement existing informal support systems for the family. There are 10 designated types of family preservation services, listed below, and this array of services constitutes the Core Services Program.
  • Aftercare Services: Any of the Core Services provided to prepare a child for reunification with his/her family or other permanent placement and to prevent future out-of-home placement of the child.
  • County Designed Services: An optional service tailored by the specific county in meeting the needs of families and children in the community in order to prevent the out-of-home placement of children or facilitate reunification or another form of permanence. County designed services encompass components of the menu of Core Services yet are structured in their delivery and tracked uniquely to gain detailed data on evidenced-based programs, as well as programs that are providing positive outcomes in communities around the state.
  • Day Treatment: Comprehensive, highly structured services that provide education to children and therapy to children and their families.
  • Home-Based Intervention: Services provided primarily in the home of the client and include a variety of services, which can include therapeutic services, concrete services, collateral services and crisis intervention directed to meet the needs of the child and family.
  • Intensive Family Therapy: Therapeutic intervention typically with all family members to improve family communication, functioning, and relationships.
  • Life Skills: Services provided primarily in the home that teach household management, effectively accessing community resources, parenting techniques, and family conflict management.
  • Mental Health Services: Diagnostic and/or therapeutic services to assist in the development of the family services plan and to assess and/or improve family communication, functioning, and relationships.
  • Sexual Abuse Treatment: Therapeutic intervention designed to address issues and behaviors related to sexual abuse victimization, sexual dysfunction, sexual abuse perpetration, and to prevent further sexual abuse and victimization.
  • Special Economic Assistance: Emergency financial assistance of not more than $2,000 per family per year in the form of cash and/or vendor payment to purchase hard services.
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Services: Diagnostic and/or therapeutic services to assist in the development of the family service plan, to assess and/or improve family communication, functioning and relationships, and to prevent further abuse of drugs or alcohol.
Services focus on family strengths by directing intensive services that support and strengthen the family and/or protect the child/youth, and Provided services prevent out-of-home placement of the child/youth due to safety concerns or high acuity behaviors, or Allow for the return of children/youth in placement to their own home or unite children/youth with their permanent families through kinship care or adoption.
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Core Services Program Handbookcore cpp
Core Services Dashboardcore cpp
Core Funding Hierarchy Graphiccore cpp
Core Quick List 2024core cpp
Core FAQcore cpp
Core Services Plan Templatecore cpp
Core Services Plan Training (WBT)The Core Services Program was established in 1994 to provide funding for strength-based resources and …core cpp
Children do best when they grow up with their families and are safely connected to their community. Effectively preventing child abuse and neglect reduce risk factors that all families experience and build protective factors that are key to families growing together and thriving in their community. Prevention in Colorado comes to life with our Family First Services Array and the Colorado Prevention Services Continuum. Family First Services are select programs/services included in Colorado’s Title IV-E Prevention Services Plan and approved by the Title IV-E Clearinghouse as an evidence-based program. Colorado currently has 9 evidence-based services on the Plan that are available throughout the state and can be located using the search function on the Family First website. The Colorado Prevention Services Continuum includes ALL programs/services in the state that contribute to primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention for strengthening families. These may be county-designed to address a specific need in a community, a service through community-based organizations, or collaboration among state agencies such as Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), and the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA). Prevention is a voluntary relationship between a family and the entity providing the support, driven by family voice, and exists to strengthen families in an area of need.
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
Family First: An Introduction (WBT)prevention cpp
Family First Websiteprevention cpp
2022 Colorado Family First Prevention Services Plan (video)prevention cpp
2024 Colorado Family First Prevention Services Planprevention cpp
CO4Kids FF Implementation FAQ’sprevention cpp
Accessing Services for Children and Youthprevention cpp
Protective Factorsprevention cpp
We All Play A Role in Strengthening Familiesprevention cpp
Child Welfare Prevention Task Groupprevention cpp
How Your Regional Accountability Entity (RAE) Can Help with Care Coordinationprevention cpp
2023-2024 Prevention Resource Guide – Child Welfare Information Gatewayprevention cpp
Separating Poverty From Neglect in Child Welfareprevention cpp
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
2025-2029 Child and Family Services Planfederal-reports cpp
Annual Progress and Services Reportsfederal-reports cpp
2024 Colorado Family First Prevention Services Plan (document)federal-reports cpp
LinkTitleCategoriesTagsContenthf:doc_categorieshf:doc_tags
Collecting Demographic Information at Referral and Updating Demographic Information with Families at AssessmentThe purpose of this guide is to provide questions to use during the information gathering process for …referral-and-assessment cpp
Practice Guide for Entering Allegations of Abuse/Neglectreferral-and-assessment cpp
Child Welfare Findings of Abuse and/or Neglect FAQreferral-and-assessment cpp
Assessment Practice Guide for Children Ages 0-3referral-and-assessment cpp
A Better Way to Reduce Child Maltreatmentdifferential-response cpp
2025-2029 Child and Family Services Planfederal-reports cpp
Core Services Program Handbookcore cpp
Recognizing and Responding to Human Traffickinghuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
Timeliness of Initial Response ToolkitIn this toolkit, you will find strategies and resources to assist with practice improvement for …referral-and-assessment cpp
Colorado Family Safety Assessment Tool Instructions, A printable copy of instructions for how and when to complete Colorado’s safety assessment tool.colorado-family-safety-and-risk-assessments safety-and-risk-assessments caseworker-resources cpp
Colorado Family Safety AssessmentA printable copy of the Colorado safety assessment tool. The tool is required to be completed …safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Supervisor Considerations When Assessing for Safety and Safety Planning, , Questions that can be used by supervisors with casework staff to unpack the safety needs of a …colorado-family-safety-and-risk-assessments referral-and-assessment supervisor-resources caseworker-resources cpp
Agency Response GuideThe purpose of this guide is to assist in the screening and disposition of referrals …referral-and-assessment cpp
Enhanced Screening GuideThe purpose of this guide is to provide questions to use during the information gathering process for …referral-and-assessment cpp
Differential Response Leadership Council (DRLC)differential-response cpp
Differential Response Kempe Center / Evidenced based Research Informed Approachesdifferential-response cpparticles-and-research
Differential Response Landing Page (Child Welfare Information Gateway)differential-response cpparticles-and-research
CSU School of Social Workdifferential-response cpparticles-and-research
Partnering with Families in Differential Responsedifferential-response cpptraining
Family Engagement Meeting Facilitators Learning Exchangesdifferential-response cpptraining
Differential Response Learning Exchangedifferential-response cpptraining
The FAR Processdifferential-response cpp
Annual Progress and Services Reportiart cpp
Institutional Referral and Assessment Guideiart cpp
Conducting a Thorough Institutional Abuse Assessmentiart cpp
Family First: An Introduction (WBT)prevention cpp
Family First Websiteprevention cpp
2022 Colorado Family First Prevention Services Plan (video)prevention cpp
2024 Colorado Family First Prevention Services Planprevention cpp
CO4Kids FF Implementation FAQ’sprevention cpp
Accessing Services for Children and Youthprevention cpp
Protective Factorsprevention cpp
We All Play A Role in Strengthening Familiesprevention cpp
Child Welfare Prevention Task Groupprevention cpp
How Your Regional Accountability Entity (RAE) Can Help with Care Coordinationprevention cpp
2023-2024 Prevention Resource Guide – Child Welfare Information Gatewayprevention cpp
Separating Poverty From Neglect in Child Welfareprevention cpp
Core Services Dashboardcore cpp
Core Funding Hierarchy Graphiccore cpp
Core Quick List 2024core cpp
Core FAQcore cpp
Core Services Plan Templatecore cpp
Core Services Plan Training (WBT)The Core Services Program was established in 1994 to provide funding for strength-based resources and …core cpp
Annual Progress and Services Reportsfederal-reports cpp
2024 Colorado Family First Prevention Services Plan (document)federal-reports cpp
Informed Supervision WBTsexual-abuse cpp
Red Team Facilitation Trainingdifferential-response cpp
The Colorado Sex Offender Management Boardsexual-abuse cpp
Colorado Children’s Alliance- CO CAC Accrediting Bodysexual-abuse cpp
Child Sexual Abuse Resporses to Support Families, One Pagersexual-abuse cpp
The Birds, the Bees and the Storksexual-abuse cpp
Supporting Families When Children and Youth Display Problematic Sexual Behaviorssexual-abuse cpp
The Capacity Building Center for State’s Webinar on Safety Planninghuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
NCMEC Connect Learning Platformhuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
The Colorado Human Trafficking Councilhuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
Leading Practice Through Group Supervisiondifferential-response cpp
DR Learning Exchange: Behavior-Based Safety and Support Plans 2023-2024safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Supervisor Learning Exchange 6: Supporting New Staff Through Safety Through Engagement 2023-2024safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Building Safety When Parents Use Substancessafety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Superman Has Nothing on You! Supervising to Safety and Risksafety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Individualized Safety Planning with Families (WBT)safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Enhancing Practice Through Group Supervisiondifferential-response cpp
Hotline/Red Team (New Hotline Workers Only) Note: if you are a new caseworker, register for Caseworker Academydifferential-response cpp
Marijuana, Children, and Familiessubstance-use cpp
Enhancing Practice with Families Impacted by SA-In Service Trainingsubstance-use cpp
Best Practice Tips for RED Teamsdifferential-response cpp
New Caseworker Academydifferential-response cpp
Agency Response Guidedifferential-response cpp
Web-based Training on Legalized Marijuana: Considerations for Child Safetysubstance-use cpp
A Closer Look at Sexually Acting Out Youthsexual-abuse cpp
NTDC Right-Time Training: Sexual Traumasexual-abuse cpp
The Colorado Project 2023human-trafficking-cpp cpp
Human Trafficking Townhallhuman-trafficking-cpp cpp
Understanding Opioid Use Disorder: Protective Factors, Child Safey, and Interventionsubstance-use cpp
Building Safety when Parents Use Substancessubstance-use cpp
In Depth Substance Abuse and familiessubstance-use cpp
The Opioid Crisis: What Caseworkers Need to Knowsubstance-use cpp
Caseworker Learning Exchange: But the UA was clean? Behavior vs. Lab Worksubstance-use cpp
Safe & Together: Intersections-When Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse and Mental Healthsubstance-use cpp
The Toxicology Resource Guide: An Online Resource for Child Welfare Professionalssubstance-use cpp
Fentynal 101substance-use cpp
Fentanyl and Naloxonesubstance-use cpp
The Substance Abuse Puzzlesubstance-use cpp
Support Plan Toolkit, caseworker-resources differential-response cpp
Colorado Family Risk Assessment Instructions, , caseworker-resources colorado-family-safety-and-risk-assessments safety-and-risk-assessments cpp
Colorado Family Risk Assessment, , caseworker-resources colorado-family-safety-and-risk-assessments safety-and-risk-assessments cpp