Our Partners
The CDHS Division of Child Welfare (DCW) is a unit of the Office of Children, Youth, and Family Services within the Colorado Department of Human Services. It manages services intended to protect children from harm and to assist families in caring for and protecting their children. CWTS works closely with the Learning and Development Team at DCW to operate the training system. Learn more about the members of the Learning and Development Team. Members of DCW staff also periodically provide or coordinate training for county agency staff to inform the workforce about new policies, initiatives, or best practices.
Training Steering Committee
The state’s Training Steering Committee (TSC) is responsible for oversight of training for state and county child welfare staff and foster parents. This committee is co-led by DCW and a county child welfare agency representative.
County Intermediary
A member of the state’s Division of Child Welfare team is assigned as an intermediary for each county. Skilled state staff are here to assist county department staff with the provision of best child welfare practices; ensuring successful outcomes (as are measured by CSTAT); to provide technical assistance, training, and respond to questions; and to offer any other requested or needed support. Find out who your county intermediary is and how to contact them.
The CCWSC, formerly the Child Welfare Stipend Program, aims to grow and support a well-educated and prepared child welfare workforce through social work education and post-graduation professional development.
The ‘Scholars Consortium’ is designed for undergraduate and graduate social work students interested in pursuing a career in public child welfare in Colorado. In addition, the CCWSC contributes to the child welfare workforce through research, evaluation, and professional development opportunities for program graduates and our partners.
The CCWSC is housed at Metropolitan State University of Denver and is a partnership between the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), Colorado county departments of human services and participating schools of social work throughout our state. Additional participating universities include:
- Colorado State University (CSU) Pueblo
- University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW)
- University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS)
- Colorado Mesa University (CMU)
The Scholars Consortium is an excellent way for undergraduate and graduate social work students to gain knowledge and experience to build a career in public child welfare in Colorado!
Through educational scholarships, the CCWSC supports eligible students throughout their educational journey, from admittance into the program to post-graduation job readiness and professional development. This highly competitive program promotes best practices in child welfare through social work education. Child welfare scholars complete a field placement (internship) in a Colorado county department of human/social services or Tribal human service agency. They also commit to working in a Colorado county department of human services or Tribal child welfare agency for at least one year for each year they receive a scholarship.
The CCWSC knows that learning doesn’t stop when Scholars graduate from their social work program. That’s why the CCWSC is committed to ongoing training and professional development opportunities for our Scholars and the broader child welfare field in Colorado and beyond. Learn more about the Child Welfare Scholars Consortium!
Contact Information:
Lara Bruce, MSW, CCWSC Project Director
Illuminate Colorado prevents child maltreatment and builds strong families through collective education, family support, & advocacy. Illuminate Colorado is a united network of four established organizations – Colorado Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, Prevent Child Abuse Colorado, Sexual Abuse Forever Ending, and the Colorado Chapter of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders – all partnering to build brighter childhoods for children across Colorado.
Contact Information:
Jade Woodard, Executive Director
Learning & Development Pool
The Colorado Child Welfare Training System is committed to constructing and maintaining strong connections between Child Welfare training and Child Welfare practices. One of the ways the CWTS achieves this is through partnerships with Child Welfare and community subject matter experts to enrich the learning experiences offered to Child Welfare staff.
Currently, participation in the CWTS Learning and Development Pool is BY INVITATION ONLY and the Learning and Development Pool is full for this fiscal year.
The Learning and Development Pool is involved with the CWTS through the following ways:
- Facilitation—as subject matter experts who provide facilitation of CWTS courses
- Development— as subject matter experts who provide curriculum development services, which range from sharing expertise to developing full curriculum packages
- Simulation— providing acting services specifically designed to enhance and broaden learning that occurs during CWTS simulation courses
- Mentorship—providing structured support and the sharing of knowledge and experience with those in child welfare management positions