CIP - Colorado Supreme Court - Court Improvement Program

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Improving Systems to Benefit Families and Children

The Court Improvement Program (CIP) was created as a result of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (also known as the Family Preservation and Support Act ). The Act required an original assessment on how Colorado handles its cases involving children, in particular dependency and neglect cases. Numerous recommendations were made as to how to improve the cases, and the Court Improvement Program was created to oversee the implementation of these recommendations.

Federal Court Improvement Program funds are now authorized through Section 438 of the Social Security Act and authorizes “funding for the highest court of each state to assess the role, responsibilities and effectiveness of state courts in carrying out state laws guiding child welfare proceedings and to implement improvements based on those assessments including: to provide for the safety, well-being, and timely permanence of children in foster care; to support engagement of families in child welfare cases; and to improve collaboration between the courts and the child welfare agency around data collection and analysis, training, and around the Child and Family Services and title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews”. ACYF-CB-PI-21-04

In 2019, the Executive Committee of CIP created a strategic vision that by 2025, the Colorado CIP will increase permanency and well-being for all children by: reducing re-entry, increasing timely permanency, and reducing the number of subsequent petitions.  In addition to the strategic vision, and consistent with the requirements set forth in the Federal Administration for Children, Youth and Families Program Instruction ACYF-CB-PI-24-04, in 2021, the CIP developed a strategic plan Colorado’s Court Improvement Program (CIP)’s 5 Year Strategic Plan (2021-2026) was developed over several months by the multidisciplinary Taskforce. For a copy of the Colorado’s Court Improvement Program (CIP)’s 5 Year Strategic Plan (2021-2026) , please email CourtImprovementProgram@judicial.state.co.us

Dependency & Neglect (D&N) Parent's Handbook: 

This Handbook is intended as a resource to help answer questions and empower parents to be informed about their rights and the process of a D&N in Colorado. This Handbook is not a substitute for legal advice and parents should always consult their attorneys to answer questions related to their specific case. The D&N Parent's Handbook was created as a project of the Children's Justice Act Grant through the Colorado Department of Human Services. This Handbook was written and reviewed by a multidisciplinary group, including Lived Experts (parents who were previously involved in a D&N case in Colorado), Judicial Officers, Representatives from the Office of Respondent Parent's Counsel, the Office of the Child's Representative, Colorado County Attorneys, the Colorado Department of Human Services, and the Colorado Court Improvement Program. 

Link to Handbook