Support

SB 15-087 Safe Placement of Children

in Foster Care Homes
Based on a Strike Below Amendment

Senator Newell/Representative Singer

Background/Problem:

A Channel 7 investigative report discovered that there were gaps in records of required
background checks being conducted of potential foster care parents.
Thus, CDHS did an initial internal audit and found that there were indeed gaps, as with
Denver Human Services that had only 53% of required background checks completed
before placing a child in a home. Although, one or two were at 100% compliance, some
counties were as low as 12%.
As a result, during and after the audit, some children have even been removed from their
placements based on negative background check results or Findings of re-abuse of the
children.
This has demonstrated a critical need to emphasize consistency across all counties to
ensure all required background checks are indeed occurring before a child is placed in a
home.

Solution/Components of the Bill:

This bill will standardize current background check processes for placing a child in a home
to ensure a child is in no physical, emotional, or sexual harm.
A county department or child placement agency shall not certify or recertify a foster care
home until Five types of background checks are performed on the applicant or any adult
residing with the applicant to determine:
o Whether he or she has been convicted of certain speciFied crimes;
o Is a registered sex offender in the states sex offender registry, or in another states
registry;
o Has been identiFied as having a Finding of child abuse or neglect through a check of
the automated TRAILS system and such Finding has been determined to be an unsafe
placement for a child;
Requires that the background checks be performed for any adult residing in the substitute
care home.
Requires that the same Five types of background checks be performed for emergency
placements with relatives and for relatives providing noncertiFied kinship care.
Addresses direct access by county departments to state and national criminal databases.
The state board of human services shall adopt rules governing the background checks and
documentation and what shall be done if the background checks expose disqualifying
factors.
Reorganizes statutes regarding the regulation of foster care homes, kinship foster care
homes, and noncertiFied kinship care to clarify the countys and States responsibilities for
background checks.
DeFines kin, kinship foster care home, non-certiFied kinship care, and informal kinship
care.
Supporters

Colorado League of Women Voters

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), all Colorado Chapters
Rocky Mountain Childrens Law Center
Colorado Association of Family and Childrens Agencies
Colorado State Foster Parent Association
Chris Langley, Lakewood Police Department