Colorado Code
Part 1 - General Provisions
§ 19-1-116. Funding - Alternatives to Placement Out of the Home - Services to Prevent Continued Involvement in Child Welfare System

(1.5) No later than July 1, 1994, each county in the state shall assure access to alternatives to out-of-home placements for families with children and youth who are at imminent risk of out-of-home placements. Beginning September 1, 2011, a county may also provide access for families to alternative services to prevent continued involvement with the county department child welfare system. Beginning September 1, 2018, a county may also provide access to alternative services for former foster care youth, as defined in section 26-5-101, who are no longer in the custody of the department but need limited assistance from the county. Two or more counties may jointly provide or purchase alternative services to families in the respective counties. Such services shall either be provided for under the plan adopted by placement alternative commissions in accordance with subsection (2)(b) of this section or purchased by the county if such county does not have a placement alternative commission for the county. If a county purchases alternative services, the county shall ensure that the services purchased meet the goals of placement alternative commission plans, as described in subsection (2)(b)(I) of this section.

(2) (a) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (2)(a) is effective July 1, 2024. ] The county commissioners in each county may appoint a placement alternatives commission consisting, where possible, of a physician or a licensed health professional, an attorney, representatives of a local law enforcement agency, representatives recommended by the court and probation department, representatives from the county department of human or social services, a local mental health clinic, and the county, district, or municipal public health agency, a representative of a local school district specializing in special education, a representative of a local case management agency, as defined in section 25.5-6-1702, representatives of a local residential child care facility and a private nonprofit agency providing nonresidential services for children and families, a representative specializing in occupational training or employment programs, a foster parent, and one or more representatives of the lay community. At least fifty percent of the commission members must represent the private sector. The county commissioners of two or more counties may jointly establish a district placement alternatives commission. A placement alternatives commission may be consolidated with other local advisory boards pursuant to section 24-1.7-103.

Source: L. 87: Entire title R&RE, p. 707, § 1, effective October 1. L. 90: (1), (2)(b), (2)(e), and (3) amended and (2)(d) repealed, pp. 1013, 1015, §§ 1, 4, effective July 1. L. 93: (1.5) added and (2) and (4) amended, p. 2002, § 2, effective June 9; (7) added, p. 2095, § 1, effective July 1; (4) amended, p. 1135, § 66, effective July 1, 1994. L. 94: (1), (2)(a), (2)(b)(I), (2)(e), (3), (4)(b), (5), and (7)(c) amended, pp. 2659, 2736, §§ 147, 363, effective July 1; (7) amended, p. 1798, § 1, effective July 1. L. 96: (2)(b)(I) amended, p. 82, § 3, effective March 20; (3) amended, p. 1256, § 143, effective August 7. L. 97: (2)(a) amended, p. 1191, § 12, effective July 1. L. 98: (3) amended, p. 729, § 16, effective May 18; (4)(a) amended, p. 821, § 23, effective August 5. L. 2001: (3) repealed, p. 1176, § 5, effective August 8. L. 2010: (2)(a) amended, (HB 10-1422), ch. 419, p. 2075, § 35, effective August 11. L. 2011: (1.5) and (2)(b)(I) amended, (HB 11-1196), ch. 160, p. 553, § 3, effective August 10. L. 2018: (1.5) amended, (HB 18-1319), ch. 217, p. 1391, § 4, effective May 18; (1), (2)(a), (6), (7)(c)(I), (7)(d), and (7)(e) amended, (SB 18-092), ch. 38, p. 408, § 31, effective August 8. L. 2021: (2)(a) amended, (HB 21-1187), ch. 83, p. 326, § 7, effective July 1, 2024.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 1993 act amending subsection (4), see section 1 of chapter 230, Session Laws of Colorado 1993. For the legislative declaration contained in the 1996 act amending subsection (3), see section 1 of chapter 237, Session Laws of Colorado 1996. For the legislative declaration in SB 18-092, see section 1 of chapter 38, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.