ARTICLE 5.3 EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AT IMMINENT RISK OF OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT ACT

• Jurisdiction: Colorado

ARTICLE 5.3 Emergency Assistance for Families with Children at Imminent Risk of Out-of-Home Placement Act

26-5.3-101. Short title.
26-5.3-102. Legislative declaration.
26-5.3-103. Definitions.
26-5.3-104. Emergency assistance for families with children at imminent risk of being placed out of the home.
26-5.3-105. Eligibility requirements - period of eligibility - services available.
26-5.3-106. State's savings - cash fund created - use of moneys in fund - plan required.

■ 26-5.3-101. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Emergency Assistance for Families with Children at Imminent Risk of Out-of-Home Placement Act".

Source: L. 93: Entire article added, p. 1998, § 1, effective June 9.

■ 26-5.3-102. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:

(a) The state of Colorado recognizes its obligation to protect and provide for the children in Colorado's child welfare system;

(b) The children at imminent risk of being placed out of the home are likely to be placed out of the home immediately if intervention services are not made available to such children and their families;

(c) Community and home-based services are effective in helping to avoid the need to place children out of their homes and to reunite children with their families. However, alternatives to out-of-home placement are available only to a small percentage of children in the state due to insufficient statewide resources.

(d) Families with children at imminent risk of being placed out of the home are families in crisis and in need of emergency assistance to avoid such placement or to reunite families when an emergency has resulted in an out-of-home placement, which assistance includes, but is not limited to, intensive family preservation services and other services designed to maintain a child at home;

(e) Federal financial participation is available to provide emergency assistance to needy families with children in the form of intake, assessment, counseling, treatment, and other family preservation services that meet needs of the family which are attributable to the emergency or crisis situation;

(f) The provision of emergency assistance is likely to reduce the escalating state general fund costs of out-of-home placements, thereby making moneys available for other necessary children and family services or programs; and

(g) Because the child welfare system is a contributing factor to the state's expenditures, it is important to maximize...