379 Matching Annotations
  1. Feb 2024
    1. parents are provided legal representation to address a range of civil legal problems that could create family instability
    1. Specifically, IV-B Reunification Services can include: (i) Indi-vidual, group, and family counseling. (ii) Inpatient, residential, oroutpatient substance abuse treatment services. (iii) Mental healthservices. (iv) Assistance to address domestic violence. (v) Ser-vices designed to provide temporary child care and therapeuticservices for families, including crisis nurseries. (vi) Peer-to-peermentoring and support groups for parents and primary caregivers.(vii) Services and activities designed to facilitate access to andvisitation of children by parents and siblings. (viii) Transporta-tion to or from any of the services and activities described in thissubparagraph
    2. mental health services; and
  2. www.acf.hhs.gov www.acf.hhs.gov
    1. Question 32. Does the policy at CWPM 8.1B #30 allow a title IV-E agency to claim title IV-E administrative costs of paralegals, investigators, peer partners or social workers that support an attorney providing independent legal representation to a child who is a candidate for title IV-E foster care or is in title IV-E foster care, and his/her parent, to prepare for and participate in all stages of foster care legal proceedings, and for office support staff and overhead expenses? Answer Yes, the policy permits a title IV-E agency to claim such title IV-E administrative costs to the extent that they are necessary to support an attorney in providing independent legal representation to prepare for and participate in all stages of foster care legal proceedings for candidates for title IV-E foster care, youth in foster care and his/her parents. The costs must be consistent with federal cost principles per 45 CFR Part 75 Subpart E. The title IV-E agency must allocate such costs so as to assure that the title IV-E program is charged its proportionate share of costs (See CWPM sections 8.1B and 8.1C).
    2. Question 30. May a title IV-E agency claim title IV-E administrative costs for attorneys to provide legal representation for the title IV-E agency, a candidate for title IV-E foster care or a title IV-E eligible child in foster care and the child's parents to prepare for and participate in all stages of foster care related legal proceedings? Answer Yes. The statute at section 474(a)(3) of the Act and regulations at 45 CFR 1356.60(c) specify that Federal financial participation (FFP) is available at the rate of 50% for administrative expenditures necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the title IV-E plan. The title IV-E agency's representation in judicial determinations continues to be an allowable administrative cost. Previous policy prohibited the agency from claiming title IV-E administrative costs for legal services provided by an attorney representing a child or parent. This policy is revised to allow the title IV-E agency to claim title IV-E administrative costs of independent legal representation by an attorney for a child who is a candidate for title IV-E foster care or in foster care and his/her parent to prepare for and participate in all stages of foster care legal proceedings, such as court hearings related to a child's removal from the home. These administrative costs of legal representation must be paid through the title IV-E agency. This change in policy will ensure that, among other things: reasonable efforts are made to prevent removal and finalize the permanency plan; and parents and youth are engaged in and complying with case plans.
  3. Dec 2023
    1. Colorado Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC

      Summary of Annotations Page 40 #1 Highlight Securing Basic Needs, Social Connections, and Appropriate Services • Housing, clothing, food, and transportation are frequently needed and critical to the client being successful in the treatment plan. For example, social workers and parents advocates helping the client access and secure these—from shopping with the client at Goodwill to filling out housing applications to getting on

      2 Highlight

      Checking in with the client regularly on what is working and what is not, and then advocating for adjustments to the treatment plan. F

      3 Highlight

      Treating the client as the expert on their own lives and asking them what they need to be successful. #4 Highlight Mitigating structural barriers to treatment engagement Page 41 #1 Highlight Conduct Legal and Social Science Research • Making sure attorneys are working with recent and relevant research when developing strategy (e.g., attachment theory and visitation strategy

      2 Highlight

      Reviewing Volume 7 and identifying areas applicable to the case #3 Highlight identifying areas of inaccuracy between case proceedings and Volume 7. #4 Highlight Making sure the treatment plan is using evidence-based practices matched to client need (e.g., a mental health service targeted at family functioning versus generic therapy#5 Highlight Reviewing services and strategies to ensure they are accessible (e.g., disability accommodations, language translation), culturally responsive (e.g., honors family customs), and trauma-informed (e.g., in a safe environment) and advocating for adjustments

      6 Highlight

      Attend family engagement meetings and appearance reviews to support the client, strategize in real time with other actors, and promote communication from other actors to the client in a way the client understands. • Daily communication with other actors that is necessary to move through the D&N process and enact strategy.

      7 Highlight

      Social workers and parent advocates lead out on promoting a meaningful treatment plan, providing specialized and focused contributions to support client needs, which then make legal advocacy and family strengthening more successful. In

      8 Highlight

      each member shares in the responsibility of moving the case forward by using available tools with different case actors, with

      9 Highlight

      attorneys leading this work as “team lead” Page 42

      1 Highlight

      Median Percentage of Time Contributed by Contractors to Supporting a Client in Addressing their Needs

      2 Highlight

      Attorneys are keenly aware of critical junctures when a case can stall out, irrevocable decisions are being made, or clients are being set up for failure

      3 Highlight

      are poised to activate and advance the team in ramping up communication, research, treatment support, and resource connections to disrupt pitfalls at these critical junctures. They are also most adept at navigating legal language and court actors.

      4 Highlight

      Social Workers have experience with D&N treatment plans and know how to navigate the resources and services named. Th#5 Highlight enables treatment plan advocacy and engagement to be more successful with a variety of child welfare and treatment actor Page 44

      1 Highlight

      Advocating for the client is the third major activity undertaken by the team—and work

      2 Highlight

      where high-quality legal representation shines.

      3 Highlight

      Advocating for the client happens both in and out of court, and this activity is als

      4 Highlight

      where the team most utilizes experts and investigators

      5 Highlight

      WHAT Does It Mean to Advocate for the Client

      6 Highlight

      Hold State Actors Accountable:

      7 Highlight

      accountable to their burden, responsibilities, and obligations by leveraging available mechanisms

      8 Highlight

      Ensure Appropriate Fact Finding:

      9 Highlight

      Ensuring due process by

      10 Highlight

      identifying and obtaining experts,

      11 Highlight

      investigators, or witnesse#12 Highlight obtaining and reviewing records, plans, reports, or other pertinent documents; observing visitations, related cases, or other meetings to obtain information

      13 Highlight

      to inform strategy development

      14 Highlight

      Preparing for litigated hearings, including preparing the client themselves, and representing the client in court.

      15 Highlight

      Hearing representation and fact finding are largely led by the attorney, in collaboration with experts and investigators.

      16 Highlight

      Social workers and parent advocates provide vital support to attorneys in accomplishing these tasks, as

      17 Highlight

      It is holding the Department accountable outside of a court issue [e.g., service referral

      18 Highlight

      and it is also holding the court accountable to keeping the Department honest and doing their reasonable efforts a

      19 Highlight

      making sure that they are actually connecting parents with the services that are needed

      20 Highlight

      You are the gatekeepers Page 45

      1 Highlight

      HOW Does the Team Accomplish This in Practice? HOLD STATE ACTORS ACCOUNTABLE

      2 Highlight

      following up with the Division of Child Welfare to ensure timely delivery of services an#3 Highlight Ensuring the treatment plan is done i

      4 Highlight

      collaboration with the parent

      5 Highlight

      tailored to need

      6 Highlight

      dynamics of the child-parent relationship (e.g., age, bonding issues

      7 Highlight

      Calling in when court reports are biased towards the negative and not elevating what the parenting is doing well (i.

      8 Highlight

      advocating for k

      9 Highlight

      placements

      10 Highlight

      Confronting systemic racism through simply being present

      11 Highlight

      elevating concerns to the team for strategy development

      12 Highlight

      “I find myself fighting that [visitation] fight a lot fo Page 46

      1 Highlight

      HOW Does the Team Accomplish This in Practice? ENSURE APPROPRIATE FACT FINDING

      2 Highlight

      Investigators, Experts#3 Highlight To secure evaluations, assessments, and diagnoses that can be used in strategy

      4 Highlight

      testify to appropriate services and supports for redressing allegations

      5 Highlight

      ensure a full, multi-angle account of client allegations and needs.

      6 Highlight

      Attending/observing family engagement meetings, visitations, and related cases to bear witness to what actually happens

      7 Highlight

      and be a source of information to the team and

      8 Highlight

      the courts.

      9 Highlight

      Checking in with the client regularly and knowing what is happening in their lives as a form of “working intelligence” for attorneys.

      10 Highlight

      Reviewing extensive medical records

      11 Highlight

      legal reports

      12 Highlight

      documents that inform root causes of systems involvement and identifying strategies positioned to help redress.

      13 Highlight

      Obtaining and reviewing discovery

      14 Highlight

      Trails records, investigation reports#15 Highlight Family Safety and Risk Assessme

      16 Highlight

      hold “same-page” information as the Department

      17 Highlight

      Attorney drafting of discovery requests

      18 Highlight

      motions.

      19 Highlight

      Preparing the Client for Court

      20 Highlight

      ensuring they know strategy for

      21 Highlight

      this court session

      22 Highlight

      what is appropriate for this hearing versus another space) Page 47

      1 Highlight

      calling in when court reports are biased and not uplifting client strengths they observed

      2 Highlight

      Fact finding is led by the attorney, with the support of social workers who commonly take on documentation review and provide working intelligence to the team.

      3 Highlight

      Reminder Holding state actors accountable was a prime theme in qualitative narratives Page 48#1 Highlight How Frequently Does the Team Use Experts and Investigators? Importantly, use of experts and investigators is a strategy under ensuring appropriate fact finding,

      2 Highlight

      Parent Advocates

      3 Highlight

      find out what is really going on—

      4 Highlight

      barriers

      5 Highlight

      strengths—and

      6 Highlight

      knowledge and time necessary to review documentation

      7 Highlight

      accompany the client to meetings, creating deep sources of information for accountability, hearing preparation, and fact finding. Page 49

      1 Highlight

      I’ve had things like intellectual disability come to light and then I work with the attorney to adopt new things in the treatment plan and advocate for that i

      2 Highlight

      Just making sure we’re not missing something that is impeding our client’s ability.” Page 50

      1 Highlight

      comprehensively understand a client’s needs,

      2 Highlight

      to inform case strategy and amplify client voice.#3 Highlight Advocacy Support: Calling in systemic bias of the courts and of child welfare and

      4 Highlight

      advance

      5 Highlight

      socially responsive strategies

      6 Highlight

      ORPC model of interdisciplinary representation is

      7 Highlight

      model for systems change of child welfare proceedings. Page 56

      1 Highlight

      Office of the Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC): Interdiscplinary Teams for Successful Client-Centered Representation Page 58

      1 Highlight

      complex case needs

      2 Highlight

      histories can require additional advocacy

      3 Highlight

      specialized support to

      4 Highlight

      trau

      5 Highlight

      case higher risk for family separation a Page 59#1 Highlight have disabilities, and/or who face extensive resourcing challenges related to housing, food, and economic security. In addition, social workers bring experience in navigating the child welfare system and intimate knowledge of Volume 7 that supports attorneys

      2 Highlight

      Department obligations

      3 Highlight

      options for tailored client support.

      4 Highlight

      Mental Health

      5 Highlight

      Disability:

      6 Highlight

      Trauma,

      7 Highlight

      Clients facing housing, food, and economic insecurity need additional support and resource connections to break cycles of systems involvement and poverty.

      8 Highlight

      Volume 7 Accountability:

      9 Highlight

      Cases where the Department is not fulfilling obligations

      10 Highlight

      require extensive monitoring

      11 Highlight

      diligence;

      12 Highlight

      especially true when inexperienced caseworkers are assigned#13 Highlight show what is possible in #14 Highlight build client confidence #15 Highlight ensuring that family voice leads in every step of the case. #16 Highlight Social and Structural Inequities: Page 60 #1 Highlight team model is best suited for complex cases #2 Highlight where social and structural inequities are rampant, #3 Highlight model can act as a “leveling up” factor #4 Highlight outcomes are more equitably achieved

    1. Q20: May States use TANF and MOE funds to help resolve personal or family legal problems? A20: Yes, States may use their funds in this way as long as such expenditures are consistent with the purposes of the program (e.g., where legal problems are a threat to family stability
    2. 19: May States use TANF funds for costs associated with providing legal representation to members of needy families who are pursuing SSI benefits? A19: Yes,
  4. Nov 2023
    1. The new application incorporates significant recent regulatory changes to the longstanding disability discharge program, which went into effect over the summer.
  5. Oct 2023
    1. The Seven Stages of climate denial:
      • for: climate denial, climate denialism,

      • paraphrase

        1. It's not real
        2. It's not us
        3. It's not that bad
        4. We have time (delay, delay and delay)
        5. It's too expensive to fix
        6. Dismiss or undermine solutions
        7. It's too late: you should have warned us earlier
  6. Sep 2023
    1. Colorado Community Response (CCR) is a voluntary prevention program working with familiesthat have been screened out or assessed and closed without child welfare services. The program wasdeveloped around the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework to strengthen families andprevent child maltreatment. Program components include strength-based case management, family-driven goal setting, education, and support to improve financial well-being, flex funding, and resourcereferrals to support goal attainment. The program is awarded through a competitive solicitation. Awardshave been granted for the next five-year funding cycle (FFY 2022-2027), which began in July 2021. Thenext solicitation will be released in 2026. Reach out to Aaron Miller (aaronc.miller@state.co.us) for moreinformation.
    1. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TASK FORCEIn April 2019, Colorado Governor Jared Polis directed CDHS to spearhead the Governor’s Behavioral Health Task Force. The Task Force was charged with authoring a statewide strategic plan to transform Colorado’s behavioral health system with the goal of enabling every Coloradan with a behavioral health condition or in crisis to receive the services and support they need to live safe, productive lives in their own communities.
    1. 2019 CB issued revised and new policies that allow title IV-E agencies to claim federalfinancial participation (FFP) for administrative costs of independent legal representationprovided by attorneys representing children in title IV-E foster care, children who are candidatesfor title IV-E foster care, and their parents for “preparation for and participation in judicialdeterminations” in all stages of foster care legal proceedings.
    2. In April 2020, CB issued a new policy clarifying that administrative costs for paralegals,investigators, peer partners, or social workers may be claimed as title IV-E foster careadministrative costs to the extent they are necessary to support an attorney providingindependent legal representation to prepare for and participate in all stages of foster care legalproceedings for candidates for title IV-E foster care, youth in foster care and his/her parents andfor allowable office support staff and overhead expenses
    1. RPC who address ancillary civil issues earlier in a case can make a significant impact and reduce thenumber of out-of-home placements. This is because unresolved civil legal issues can drive continualchild welfare involvement in the lives of some indigent families. Indeed
      • TANF
      • Child support
      • DUI and warrant
      • Car title
      • Disability
      • FUP
    2. Providing early help with lawyers trained to address housing, immigration, domestic violence,healthcare, and public benefits issues may help “prevent children from entering foster care or helpchildren return home sooner.”93
    3. Contracting with professionals to assist in providing agency supports and to conductquality assurance, supervision, and mentoring of ORPC contractors such as attorneys,social workers, family advocates, and parent advocates; and,
  7. Aug 2023
    1. The bottom line is that many intentional communities exist because of wealthy patrons and benefactors, and courting philanthropy and start-up capital is part of the job of charismatic founders.
      • for: intentional communities - funding
      • comment
        • the fact that many intentional communities court wealthy benefactors means that they are not really autonomous or resilient but instead, parasitic on the very society they are trying to escape
        • and depending on 60% of your funding coming from workshops or spiritual tourism implies it isn't that resilient if eco-disaster were to strike.
  8. Jul 2023
    1. Vor der Pariser Konferenz zur Klimafinanzierung, bei der vor allem die sogenannte Bridgetown Agenda diskutiert werden soll, begründet Avinash Persaud, ein Berater der Premierministerin von Barbados, die Forderungen nach radikaler Veränderung und Aufstockung der Klimafinanzierung. Die Summen, die der globale Süden für klimaanpassung und Klimaschutz erhält, müssen potenziert werden, damit diese Länder der Klimakatastrophe wirksam begegnen können. Nicholas Stern und Vera Songwe beziffern den jährlichen klimafinanzbedarf des globalen Südens auf Billionen Dollar, etwa die Summe, die zurzeit für fossile Energien ausgegeben wird. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/18/countries-are-drowning-climate-expert-calls-for-urgent-rethink-on-scale-of-aid-for-developing-worldexpert:

  9. May 2023
    1. This is how wealthy individuals or corporations translate their economic power into political and cultural power
      • This is how wealthy individuals or corporations
        • translate their economic power
        • into political and cultural power
      • quote
    2. Climate Denialism funding

    1. In addition, the Child Welfare Reform Bill created a cash fund that can be used by child welfare agencies to fund prevention and intervention services
    2. Colorado’s goal is to ensure that all children, youth and families have access to the services they need regardless of where they happen to live in the state
    3. Colorado’s vision is that all children, youth, parents or kin caregivers with these risk factors will be eligible for Title IV-E prevention services—both those who are involved in the child welfare system and those who have not been the subject of a child maltreatment report but share characteristics that deem them at serious risk of out-of-home placement.

      families who ARE INVOLVED. ....AND.... NOT INVOLVED with the child welfare system

    4. Reunification, adoption or guardianship arrangements that are at risk of disruption
    5. the existing system cannot just be modified; rather, a fundamental shift in service delivery and support to families must occur.

      **annotations were started in a draft version of this document (HERE) and then continued here.

  10. www.blueprintsprograms.org www.blueprintsprograms.org
    1. Risk-sharing model that is based on a cooperative arrangement to blend staff,resources and funding between the partner agencies
    1. can also reach out to local providers directly.
    2. Medicaid: Coordination with your Regional Accountable Entity (RAE) and Medicaid will be vital. Whenconsidering where Medicaid may be able to pay first before other funding streams for Family Firstprevention services, a good place to start is with a conversation with the RAE and county at the tabletogether.
    3. Title IV-B Promoting Safe and Stable Families: PSSF funds are awarded via an RFP process forpurposes of providing family support services, family preservation services, reunification services, andadoption support services.
    4. Counties in many cases can use their TANFallocations and local reserves for prevention programs
    5. regarding the use of transition funds, the Department created a diverse15-member group, 6 of whom represent county human service departments, in July 2020. The group ischarged with reviewing and prioritizing funding proposals and developing recommendations for theDepartment. Funding opportunities on the prevention services side include:
    1. There are two main-levelquestions in the IV-E PreventionCriteria section.10. Click a radio button for thedesired response (only oneradio button can be selected).Note: If the selections made inthe IV-E Candidacy section arechanged, all answers in the IV-EPrevention Criteria panel will bedeleted.

      CDHS DEMANDS THIS BE FILLED OUT.....so FUNCTIONAL FAMILY THERAPY, HEALTHY FAMIIES AMERICA, PARENT-CHILD INTERACTION THERAPY.....WASN'T THOUGHT APPROPRIATE????

      Referenced from the FFSPA Implementation Guide for Directors (HERE)

    1. InColorado,theintentofplacementpreventionservicesistoproactivelystrengthenandsupportfamiliesasearlyaspossible,beforetheyareincrisis,regardlessofwhethertheyareformallyinvolvedwiththechildwelfaresystemornot

      In Colorado, the intent of placement prevention services is to proactively strengthen and support families as early as possible, before they are in crisis, regardless of whether they are formally involved with the child welfare system or not.

    2. ColoradohasastrongfoundationandhistoryofprovidingpreventionandearlyinterventionservicesthroughtheuseofCoreServices,IV-EWaiverinterventions,CMPsandintegratedhumanservicesdelivery

      As previously described, Colorado has a strong foundation and history of providing prevention and early intervention services through the use of Core Services, IV-E Waiver interventions, CMPs and integrated human services delivery. In addition,

    3. Thepriorityistoprovideservicestothoseinneedasearlyaspossibletostrengthenfamilies,boosthealthandwell-being,andavoidmoredifficultandcostlycriseslater

      The priority is to provide services to those in need as early as possible to strengthen families, boost health and well-being, and avoid more difficult and costly crises later. It is clear that

    4. Thus“childwelfare”meanssomethingmuchbroaderinthisstate;withawidearrayofsupports,Coloradoaimstoaddresstherootcausesofcrisisandinstabilitythroughintegratedpreventionandservicedeliveryfocusedonsupportingwholefamilies

      Thus "child welfare" means something much broader in this state; with a wide array of supports, Colorado aims to address the root causes of crisis and instability through integrated prevention and service delivery focused on supporting whole families and individuals across generations.

    5. TitleIV-EWaiverDemonstrationProject(Waiver).TheColoradoWaiverfocusedonfiveinterventionstobuildonexistingchildwelfarepractice:FamilyEngagement,PermanencyRoundtables,Trauma-InformedAssessment,Trauma-InformedTreatmen

      (DCW) a Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Project (Waiver). The Colorado Waiver focused on five interventions to build on existing child welfare practice: Family Engagement, Permanency Roundtables, Trauma-Informed Assessment, Trauma-Informed Treatment and Kinship

    1. or purchased by the county if such county does
    2. not have a placement alternative commission for the county
    3. Two or more counties may jointlyprovide or purchase alternative services to families
    4. HOUSE BILL 11-1196

      House Bill 11-1196: Flexible Funding for Families, was signed into law. The bill redefined family preservation services to serve "appropriate families who are involved in, or who are at risk of being involved in the child welfare, mental health, and juvenile

  11. Apr 2023
    1. Many services are not on the evidence-based list. That does notmean, however, that they have not been evaluated for effectiveness. The agency should be able toexplain to the court how it has evaluated the effectiveness of a particular service.
    1. ORPC’s Federal Title IV-E Funding Priorities to Enhance the Quality of LegalRepresentation for Parents and FamiliesIn light of the priorities of the Children’s Bureau,89 the ORPC has developed a plan for use of IV-Ereimbursement funds that include the following new initiatives and expansions of existingprogramming:1. Increasing RPC access to an interdisciplinary team, which may include social workers, parentadvocates, experts, and other professionals
    2. Based on such successful outcomes, the Children’s Bureau “strongly urges all Title IV-E agencies toactively pursue utilization of Title IV-E funding to create, expand and sustain models of multi-disciplinary representation....”85 In other words, the federal government is actively urging childwelfare stakeholders across the country to use federal dollars to pay for paralegals, investigators, peeradvocates, and social workers to better respond to the overall needs of parents and families who maybe candidates for foster care.
    1. investigators and experts where appropriate, and participate in case planning and ongoingadvocacy for services, family time, and placements that support their clients’ objectives
    2. attorneys for parents and children should conduct independent investigations, utilize and engage
    1. Providing states improved access to federal funds for reunification services aligns with the federal Children’s Bureau’s renewed focus on reasonable efforts to achieve permanency requirements. Families should be provided all needed assistance to ensure the safe reunification of the child. (See reasonable efforts resources in Research to Cite: Reunification Services for the Family.)

      Families should be provided all needed assistance to ensure the safe reunification of the child

    2. Ensure reunification services begin promptly
    3. reunification services that can begin as soon as a child enters foster care
    4. The Title IV-B Family Reunification Services section de-scribes the services that should be provided to a child and family when the child has been removed from the home “to facilitate the reunification of the child safely and appropri-ately within a timely fashion and to ensure the strength and stability of the reunification.”60 These services may include counseling, substance use treatment, assistance to address domestic violence, peer mentoring, visitation, and transpor-tation
    5. Explore with child welfare stakeholders and local legal service providers whether to access IV-E funding for this area.
    6. The requirements for these services do not prohibit a state from offering other prevention services through state and local dollars or the more limited federal funding available through Title IV-B, Subpart 2, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program.8 Indeed, a broad service array responsive to specific community needs is encouraged and Family First funding may be just one funding stream used to support a more comprehensive service array.
    1. In our minds, there can be no more urgent task for a society than to ensure the health of its system of higher education.

      Really?! A conservative saying we should worry about the health of education as his fellows choke off funding to all levels of education in general?

      "Why are you turning blue and gasping for breath?" the Republican asks as he stands on the throat of education.

    1. Coloradowants:• All kids who need services to have access toservices and to be served in their family’s homeor in a relative’s home whenever possible• Families to have what they need to keep theirfamily safe and together, and• Services available without requiring the family tobe involved in the child welfare system

      YOU DO???!!!!!! THEN LET'S GET TO IT

    2. Counties will continue to use Child Welfare Block, Core and County-onlyfunding to provide services that best meet the needs of theircommunities

      Not all youth and families will benefit from the limited set of Clearinghouse approved services

      Counties will continue to use Child Welfare Block, Core and County-only funding to provide services that best meet the needs of theircommunities

  12. www.acf.hhs.gov www.acf.hhs.gov
    1. By definition, a candidate is a child for whom the title IV-E agency is either pursuing or making reasonable efforts to prevent a remova
    1. Expanded educational options such as Career and Technical Education (CTE) and enrollment in two-year and four-year institutions should be easily accessible to current and former foster youth. The committee recommends waiving tuition and fees for former foster youth who enroll in in-state postsecondary education and apply for the tuition waiver by age 30
    2. #1 Waive tuition and fees for Colorado state colleges, universities, and technical schools for current and former foster youth up to age 30
    3. All current and former foster youth will have access to the post-secondary education and training they need to succeed in their chosen career path
    1. Education and Training Vouchers (ETV) Up to $5,000 per year (based on cost of attendance and availability) Boundless Opportunities Scholarship $500 to $5,000 per year National Foster Parent Association Scholarship Independent status on the FAFSA - If a young person was in foster care on or after the age of 13, they qualify for this status which means that their parents income is not taken into consideration when calculating financial aid: College Opportunity Fund - Created by the Colorado Legislature, provides a stipend to eligible undergraduate students. Eligible undergraduate students must apply, be admitted and enroll at a participating Colorado institution. Both new and continuing students are eligible for the stipend. https://cof.college-assist.org/ **My Colorado Journey website - A great online resource for students: https://www.mycoloradojourney.com/journey

    1. Federal Funding In 2018 the United Stated Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, has interpreted administrative costs for foster care to include costs for children’s and parents’ attorneys. (Child Welfare Policy Manual, Section 8.1B, Question 30). For the first time, jurisdictions can seek federal reimbursement for the cost of legal representation for eligible children and their parents.  The resources listed below provide information about claiming federal Title IV-E Funds of the Social Security Act to pay for legal representation for children and parents.

      Family Justice Initiative

    1. What research shows:A landmark May 2019 study17 foundproviding parents multidisciplinaryrepresentation in child welfareproceedings significantly improvedcase outcomes. The multiyear studyin New York City compared out-comes for 9,582 families and their18,288 children, looking at differ-ences based on representation type:solo panel attorneys vs. multidis-ciplinary legal teams that includedattorneys, social workers, and parentadvocates. The study found multi-disciplinary representation promot-ed swift permanency outcomes by:■ reducing the time childrenspend in care,■ producing plans that allowedparents to safely care for theirchildren,■ reuniting families sooner, and■ increasing kin placements andguardianships.
    1. community. Access the analysis of residential providers’ transition plans, which shows the latest information on providers ready for QRTP approval that will be approved in Trails on October 1; providers that have submitted a complete application to become a QRTP and are close to approval; facilities pursuing a PRTF license; and facilities pursuing other options. CDHS Licensing is providing one on one coaching, transition planning and technical assistance to facilities that are applying to become a QRTP and/or need to adapt their business model.  Transition Funding: SB21-278 requires that CDHS assist residential placement providers in transitioning to models that are Title IV-E and medicaid eligible with Colorado Transition Act funding. About $1.1 million of the state’s transition funds were awarded in grants to providers.  Joint CDHS and HCPF Town Halls on Family First Providers cover up-to-date information on the following topics: Child placement rates for provider types; New rates for treatment and therapeutic foster care and age-based rates for standard foster care developed by the Foster Care Workgroup that will take effect July 1st; Identified QRTP needs and updated provider QRTP application process and information about aftercare services; HCPF rule clarification and implications; PRTF placement type and new rates; and Resources - where to find answers and how to get technical assistance. A recording of the June 3rd town hall can be accessed here. Notes for quick reference are also available to Directors on CHSDA’s site.

      QRTP licensed facilities and funding for them

  13. Mar 2023
    1. The Family First Transition Act temporarily suspends the requirement that at least 50% of title IV-E prevention services expenditures be for “well-supported” practice for two fiscals years
    2. The Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) creates an expanded entitlement/50% reimbursement of federal funds to provide services to keep children and youth safely with their families.
    3. Supported and well-supported services in Colorado’s prevention plan should be paid for using the Core Services Program allocation, Child Welfare Services Block, or State General Fund.
    1. 26-5.3-105. Eligibility requirements - period of eligibility - services available.(1) Families with children at imminent risk of out-of-home placement shall be eligible for emergency assistance. Assistance shall be available to or on behalf of a needy child under twenty-one years of age and any other member of the household in which the child lives if:
    2. Emergency assistance provided pursuant to this article shall be used for, but shall not be limited to, the following: (a) Twenty-four-hour emergency shelter facilities or caretakers for children who must be removed from their homes in emergency situations; (b) Counseling, including crisis counseling available by telephone twenty-four hours a day; (c) Information referral; (d) Intensive family preservation services; (e) In-home supportive homemaker services; (f) Services used to develop and implement a discrete case plan, as provided by the federal “Social Security Act”; (g) Day treatment services for children.
    3. 26-5.3-105. Eligibility requirements - period of eligibility - services available.(1) Families with children at imminent risk of out-of-home placement shall be eligible for emergency assistance. Assistance shall be available to or on behalf of a needy child under twenty-one years of age and any other member of the household in which the child lives if:
    1. $100 million for Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) State grants to improve the child protective services system of each state.
    2. ARP created a new $1 billion Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund for grant recipients operating a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in order to provide immediate economic relief to families with the lowest incomes who are unable to meet their added expenses or debt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  ARP provides grantees with the flexibility to extend eligibility to a broader group of families in need and not limit eligibility to traditional TANF recipients.
    3. ARP aims to address systemic inequities by cutting child poverty in half and funding essential services such as child care, Head Start, preventative child welfare interventions, family violence prevention, energy assistance, and short-term pandemic emergency assistance, and it is a bold step forward in the fight for our children’s future.

      short-term pandemic emergency assistance

    4. $100 million for Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) State grants to improve the child protective services system of each state.
    1. Thus, a state, tribe, or territory may use the standards it has developed for needy families to receive TANF-funded NRST benefits or may opt to set a different standard for PEAF-funded NRST benefits that better suits the pandemic situation in its service area.  Because PEAF is not TANF assistance (as defined in the regulations at 45 CFR 260.31 and 45 CFR § 286.10) the TANF assistance requirements and prohibitions do not automatically apply.  The grantee may decide to align the benefit with TANF, but does not have to align them.  Depending on the eligibility criteria that the grantee establishes for PEAF-funded NRST benefits, it may provide benefits to families not otherwise eligible for TANF assistance, including: Families that have been sanctioned under TANF Families that have reached the federal or other time limit on receiving  TANF Families with more income or assets than the standard for TANF, but who are currently in need Families that have reached a TANF NRST benefit lifetime or annual limit
    2. Thus, a state, tribe, or territory may use the standards it has developed for needy families to receive TANF-funded NRST benefits or may opt to set a different standard for PEAF-funded NRST benefits that better suits the pandemic situation in its service area.  Because PEAF is not TANF assistance (as defined in the regulations at 45 CFR 260.31 and 45 CFR § 286.10) the TANF assistance requirements and prohibitions do not automatically apply.  The grantee may decide to align the benefit with TANF, but does not have to align them.  Depending on the eligibility criteria that the grantee establishes for PEAF-funded NRST benefits, it may provide benefits to families not otherwise eligible for TANF assistance, including: Families that have been sanctioned under TANF Families that have reached the federal or other time limit on receiving  TANF Families with more income or assets than the standard for TANF, but who are currently in need Families that have reached a TANF NRST benefit lifetime or annual limit
    1. Is there a way for legal organizations in a given locality to access this funding in the eventthe local IV-E agency decides not to seek federal funds for representation for children andparents?o No. Funds must be claimed through the state IV-E agency. If you are an individualattorney or attorney organization interested in learning if your jurisdiction isplanning to take advantage of this funding opportunity, your best first step is tocontact your state court improvement program (CIP).
    2. Will jurisdictions have to redirect IV-E funds from current programs or give up somethingto support legal representation for parents and children?o No. Title IV-E funds are an open-ended entitlement. The federal policy changemeans that new/additional IV-E dollars are now available to support high-qualitylegal representation for children and parents.

      whole page is IMPORTANT

    3. he Children’sBureau has been clear that their preference is that newly available federal fundssupport improved representation for parents and children – not act as a substitutefor state investment. The new federal funds should be used to invest in improvedrepresentation
    4. Generally, representing parents and children in child welfareproceedings requires that attorneys are competent in the relevant laws andlitigation skills
    5. Can jurisdictions submit a claim for federal reimbursement for costs for non-attorneymembers of an interdisciplinary legal representation team for children and parents?o Yes. The Child Welfare Policy Manual clarifies that the Title IV-E agency may claimadministrative costs for the parent and/or child legal representation team, includingparalegals, investigators, peer partners or social workers that support attorneysproviding independent legal representation for children who are candidates for titleIV-E foster care or are in title IV-E foster care, and their parents, to prepare for andparticipate in all stages of foster care legal proceedings, and for office support staffand overhead expenses. See Child Welfare Policy Manual, Section 8.1B, Question 32
    6. Title IV-E funds available to reimburse jurisdictions for attorneys for parents andchildren are separate and distinct from IV-E funds available for prevention servicesunder FFPSA.
    7. he Children’sBureau has been clear that their preference is that newly available federal fundssupport improved representation for parents and children – not act as a substitutefor state investment. The new federal funds should be used to invest in improvedrepresentation
    8. Will jurisdictions have to redirect IV-E funds from current programs or give up somethingto support legal representation for parents and children?o No. Title IV-E funds are an open-ended entitlement. The federal policy changemeans that new/additional IV-E dollars are now available to support high-qualitylegal representation for children and parents.

      whole page is IMPORTANT

    9. Title IV-E funds available to reimburse jurisdictions for attorneys for parents andchildren are separate and distinct from IV-E funds available for prevention servicesunder FFPSA.
    10. Can jurisdictions submit a claim for federal reimbursement for costs for non-attorneymembers of an interdisciplinary legal representation team for children and parents?o Yes. The Child Welfare Policy Manual clarifies that the Title IV-E agency may claimadministrative costs for the parent and/or child legal representation team, includingparalegals, investigators, peer partners or social workers that support attorneysproviding independent legal representation for children who are candidates for titleIV-E foster care or are in title IV-E foster care, and their parents, to prepare for andparticipate in all stages of foster care legal proceedings, and for office support staffand overhead expenses. See Child Welfare Policy Manual, Section 8.1B, Question 32
    1. What funding is available to support legal representation forparents and children?A recent federal policy change provides a new funding source for legalrepresentation for parents and children.9 The change allows states to seekfederal reimbursement under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act for thecost of providing legal representation to eligible children and parents. Thepurpose of the funding is to invest in improving legal representation forchildren and parents.10Excellent resources exist explaining the details of this new funding.11Becoming knowledgeable about this funding source, raising awarenesswithin the child welfare legal community, and supporting efforts to lever-age it to improve representation quality in your jurisdiction are key judi-cial roles. However, elements of high-quality legal representation do notdepend on new funding sources, so it is equally key to ensure attorneysadhere to fundamental representation standards that guide their practice.1
    1. Building a Multidisciplinary Legal Team: The role of social workers and peermentors in representing parents and children could be eligible for reimbursement whena multidisciplinary team addresses prevention. Funding is available for time-limitedprevention services for mental health, substance abuse disorder, and in-home parentskill-based programs for children or youth who are candidates for foster care
    2. Pre-Petition Legal Advocacy: Funding is available to reimburse expenses forattorneys, paralegals, social workers, peer partners, investigators, support staff, andoverhead for independent child and parent legal representation prior to the filing of adependency petition

      Orgs: National Council for State Courts National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts' Response to Mental Illness

    3. Pre-Petition Legal Advocacy: Funding is available to reimburse expenses forattorneys, paralegals, social workers, peer partners, investigators, support staff, andoverhead for independent child and parent legal representation prior to the filing of adependency petition

      Orgs: National Council for State Courts National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts' Response to Mental Illness

    4. Building a Multidisciplinary Legal Team: The role of social workers and peermentors in representing parents and children could be eligible for reimbursement whena multidisciplinary team addresses prevention. Funding is available for time-limitedprevention services for mental health, substance abuse disorder, and in-home parentskill-based programs for children or youth who are candidates for foster care
    1. We now are thrilled to report on remarkable developments which should focus the field on the importance and ability of providing high-quality legal representation to parents in dependency cases. We have long believed two things about parental representation in child welfare cases:
    2. Until now, we could rely only on personal experiences and anecdotes. No longer. In May 2019, a study commissioned by Casey Family Programs and jointly investigated by Casey, New York University, and Action Research was published validating this belief.[2]
    3. Despite its importance in terms of the consequences poor parents and children suffer from coercive intervention in their families, the field has been undervalued for far too long.
    4. Giving parents free representation by lawyers does more than advance social justice. It is a smart investment because it furthers the state’s goal of reducing the time children spend in foster care. The study showed
    5. Despite its importance in terms of the consequences poor parents and children suffer from coercive intervention in their families, the field has been undervalued for far too long.
    6. We are long past the time of regarding a parent’s lawyer as an antagonist to be tolerated only because the statute requires one. It’s now time to recognize parents’ lawyers and other members of the multidisciplinary legal team as allies to the system, committed to the identical values that drive it: Keep no child from his or her parents, for even one night, except when necessary to protect the child from a risk of serious harm.

      Keep no child from his or her parents, for even one night, except when necessary to protect the child from a risk of serious harm.

    7. Lawyering really matters and providing parents the right kind of legal representation in child welfare cases can mean the difference between preserving a family and seeing it permanently destroyed.

      difference between preserving a family and seeing it permanently destroyed

    1. “A CASA is appointed by a judge to provide information directly to the judge—not to provide legal representation,” Milner said. “The policy specifically covers attorneys … and support staff that help prepare attorneys for the legal representation of a child or parent as part of an independent legal team.”
    2. Funding: - CSP - FFPSA - ORPC - case consultant, expert witness - Medicaid - behavioral health care - Admin. of Child & Families rescue plan PEAF funds

    1. American Bar AssociationStandards of Practice for Attorneys RepresentingParents in Abuse and Neglect Cases
    2. American Bar AssociationStandards of Practice for Attorneys RepresentingParents in Abuse and Neglect Cases
    1. earn about funding options to pay for precourt legal advocacy andassociated cost-savings. Early legal advocacy programs tend to relyon several funding sources, including:■ federal funding under Title IV-E of and Title IV-B the SocialSecurity Act,■ state funding,■ private foundation grants,■ court improvement program funding,■ contracts with child welfare agencies or legal aid offices, and■ donations.
    2. earn about funding options to pay for precourt legal advocacy andassociated cost-savings. Early legal advocacy programs tend to relyon several funding sources, including:■ federal funding under Title IV-E of and Title IV-B the SocialSecurity Act,■ state funding,■ private foundation grants,■ court improvement program funding,■ contracts with child welfare agencies or legal aid offices, and■ donations.
    1. Counties will continue to use their Child Welfare Block, Core, Collaborative Management Program and other funding sources such as Promoting Safe and Stable Families grants, as well as partner with prevention partners and local providers, to provide a continuum of prevention services that best meet the needs of families in their communities. [see:“What funding opportunities are available to help build a continuum of prevention programs in your area?”]
    2. Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention services can be expensive to build and sustain. Partnerships with your behavioral health, public health, home visiting, juvenile justice, collaborative management program, and others in your county and/or region will be key.  Reach out to and start a conversation with your local providers and state partners at CDHS that oversee respective prevention programs.More information is also available in a recorded lunch and learn session, “Funding to Support Prevention Services and Cross-System Financing Strategies,” hosted in partnership by CDHS and CHSDA:  Session Recording and Powerpoint. Counties will continue to use their Child Welfare Block, Core Services Program, Collaborative Management Program and other funding sources, to provide a continuum of prevention services that best meet the needs of families in their communities.  Federal Family First Transition Act Funds: The Family First Transition Act provides critical funding and flexibility to ensure a smooth and successful roll-out of Family First in Colorado. CDHS received over $7.7 Million in transition funding to spend flexibly on implementation efforts. Due to the overwhelming interest from stakeholders regarding the use of transition funds, the Department created a diverse 15-member group, 6 of whom represent county human service departments, in July 2020. The group is charged with reviewing and prioritizing funding proposals and developing recommendations for the Department. Funding opportunities on the prevention services side include: From 2020-2023, CDHS will be awarding up to $1.5 million ($500,000 each calendar year) for efforts that align with 1) Expanding the prevention services continuum in a way that addresses locally identified needs, meets Family First requirements, addresses inequities across the state, and emphasizes cultural responsiveness, and/or 2) Addresses known and potential barriers to Family First implementation. CDHS selected awards for the second round of Family First transition fund grants to support local Family First implementation activities in September 2021.More information about the recipients of awards  is also available: first round awardees; second round awardees. Federal Title IV-E Prevention in the Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund: The new federal reimbursement that Colorado receives on Title IV-E prevention services will be deposited into the Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund and distributed via an RFP process for purposes of building and expanding programs and services identified in the federal clearinghouse or under evaluation for purposes of petitioning the federal government for inclusion in the clearinghouse. Note: A separate fund is available within the Trust Fund for mini-grants for training on child sexual abuse prevention and training on strengthening protective factors. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF):  Individual county allocations are derived from Colorado’s county block grant using a formula based on economic and demographic factors. TANF funds beyond basic cash assistance are designed to be flexible and can be used for a wide array of services and supports. County departments of human/social services have flexibility in determining the most effective approach for accomplishing the four federal purposes of TANF within their local area and within the parameters established by the state and federal government (Broad-based eligibility: lawfully present, income under $75,000, and a child in the home). Counties in many cases can use their TANF allocations and local reserves for prevention programs. Title IV-B Promoting Safe and Stable Families: SSF funds are awarded via an RFP process for purposes of providing family support services, family preservation services, reunification services, and adoption support services. PSSF awards include a match requirement for 30% of all awarded funds. Awards have been granted for the next five-year funding cycle (FFY 2022-2027), which begins October 2021. The next solicitation will be released 2026. Eligible applicants for a PSSF solicitation include County Departments of Social/Human Services, local Government agencies, and any private or not-for-profit community-based organization. Entities that are not a county department of human services will require a letter of support for the county departments of human services in the counties where they will be offering services. 2021 Stimulus funding: Colorado received an additional $847,869 in stimulus funds for PSSF as a part of COVID relief. This one-year funding is likely to support the first cohort of Child First sites. Reach out to Jill Jordan (jill.jordan2@state.co.us) for more information. Medicaid: Coordination with your Regional Accountable Entity (RAE) and Medicaid will be vital. When considering where Medicaid may be able to pay first before other funding streams for Family First prevention services, a good place to start is with a conversation with the RAE and county at the table together. Counties can also reach out to local providers directly. There is also a group working on the claiming logistics in seeking to address Medicaid as the “Payer of first resort.” You can reach out to Brad Borges (bradly.borges@state.co.us), Ann Bartholomew (ann.bartholomew@state.co.us), and Kelly Sawka (kelly.sawka@state.co.us) for more information.  Home Visiting: Historically, home visiting programs in Colorado have used a myriad of funding sources to build and sustain services. Colorado uses a combination of the following funding sources to fund different home visiting programs. Counties can reach out to the state intermediaries of respective home visiting programs for more information: Federal Funding Sources: Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Stimulus dollars for the MIECHV program will be available to existing MIECHV sites. State Funding Sources: General fund with line item for specific models; Tobacco or similar taxes dedicated to early childhood support; TGYS; and, Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund. Local Funding Sources: County Core dollars, local taxes Private Philanthropy Note: The Home Visiting Investment Task Force began meeting in November 2020 to develop a strategy to scale a continuum of home visiting services in Colorado. After the initial phase of work, the group has been reauthorized to continue with implementation around the Task Force Recommendations and Home Visiting Plan. For more information, please reference the group’s reauthorized charter, membership, and meeting details. Title II of the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA): Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Funding in Colorado is currently being used to support cohorts of local communities in creating local child maltreatment prevention plans that align with the Colorado Child Maltreatment Prevention Framework for Action. A request for interest for the next cohort of planning sites is anticipated to be released in late 2021. A request for proposals for implementation funding will be released in late 2022 with funding to start in October 2023. Reach out to Essie Santillano (esmeralda.santillano@state.co.us) for more information.  Colorado Community Response (CCR) is a voluntary prevention program working with families that have been screened out or assessed and closed without child welfare services. The program was developed around the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment. Program components include strength-based case management, family-driven goal setting, education, and support to improve financial well-being, flex funding, and resource referrals to support goal attainment. The program is awarded through a competitive solicitation. Awards have been granted for the next five-year funding cycle (FFY 2022-2027), which began in July 2021. The next solicitation will be released in 2026. Reach out to Aaron Miller (aaronc.miller@state.co.us) for more information. SafeCare is a voluntary in-home behavioral parenting program that targets risk factors for maltreatment by teaching parents/caregivers skills in three topic areas: home safety, child health, and parent-child/parent-infant interaction. SafeCare targets parents/caregivers of children ages 0 to 5 who have a history of child maltreatment or who have risk factors that may lead to maltreatment. As of July 2021, SafeCare is available in 38 counties across Colorado and is supported by the Kempe Center as the state intermediary. SafeCare is funded by state general funds. Colorado’s Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program (TYGS): Funds are provided to community-based organizations that serve children, youth and their families with programs designed to reduce youth crime and violence, youth marijuana use and prevent child abuse and neglect and school dropout. Eligible TGYS applicants include local governments, schools, nonprofit organizations, state agencies and institutions of higher education. TGYS operates on a three-year grant cycle. The current grant cycle runs July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023. Contact Kristi Griffith (kristi.griffith@state.co.us) for more information.  Behavioral Health: CDHS’s Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) has previously released solicitations for the High Risk Families Cash Fund to support capacity for and provide services to high-risk parents, including pregnant and parenting women, and for services for high-risk children and youth with behavioral health disorders. The Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families (CPTF) aims to significantly reduce child fatalities and child maltreatment for all children zero to five by positively and proactively supporting strong and healthy family formation. The partnership’s three main priorities are: 1) Systems Alignment: Align state and county human services, public health, and health care systems to place family well-being at the center. Focus on funding, data, and policy across systems; 2) Early Touch Points: Strengthen the well-being system service array to improve outcomes for parents and infants throughout pregnancy and the first year of life; and 3) Community Norms: Change community norms related to social connectedness to increase access to information on child development and informal support with parenting with the intent to reduce parental stress and decrease child maltreatment. Counties can engage via three levels--participate, magnify and/or demonstrate--on any or all priority areas. Demonstration sites receive technical support and may be eligible to receive funding for projects. This resource for county directors provides specific examples of ways to engage w/ CPTF and what the Partnership offers, as well as current demonstration site projects and upcoming opportunities. Email Krishna Dahya (kdahya@illuminatecolorado.org) for more information about engaging in the Partnership. Private Philanthropy Local CYDC Funding: The Colorado Youth Detention Continuum (CYDC) is implemented locally within each of the state’s 22 judicial districts. The Colorado General Assembly appropriates funds for CYDC programming and the Statewide Advisory Board is responsible for developing an allocation formula and allocating the funds. Jurisdictions use their allocations for a variety of purposes, including in some cases, providing treatment services to prevent or shorten out-of-home placement and further penetration into the system. Each local CYDC program has a Juvenile Services Planning Committee (JSPC) and a local coordinator to oversee implementation of local CYDC services.
    3. Counties will continue to use their Child Welfare Block, Core, Collaborative Management Program and other funding sources such as Promoting Safe and Stable Families grants, as well as partner with prevention partners and local providers, to provide a continuum of prevention services that best meet the needs of families in their communities. [see:“What funding opportunities are available to help build a continuum of prevention programs in your area?”]
    4. Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention services can be expensive to build and sustain. Partnerships with your behavioral health, public health, home visiting, juvenile justice, collaborative management program, and others in your county and/or region will be key.  Reach out to and start a conversation with your local providers and state partners at CDHS that oversee respective prevention programs.More information is also available in a recorded lunch and learn session, “Funding to Support Prevention Services and Cross-System Financing Strategies,” hosted in partnership by CDHS and CHSDA:  Session Recording and Powerpoint. Counties will continue to use their Child Welfare Block, Core Services Program, Collaborative Management Program and other funding sources, to provide a continuum of prevention services that best meet the needs of families in their communities.  Federal Family First Transition Act Funds: The Family First Transition Act provides critical funding and flexibility to ensure a smooth and successful roll-out of Family First in Colorado. CDHS received over $7.7 Million in transition funding to spend flexibly on implementation efforts. Due to the overwhelming interest from stakeholders regarding the use of transition funds, the Department created a diverse 15-member group, 6 of whom represent county human service departments, in July 2020. The group is charged with reviewing and prioritizing funding proposals and developing recommendations for the Department. Funding opportunities on the prevention services side include: From 2020-2023, CDHS will be awarding up to $1.5 million ($500,000 each calendar year) for efforts that align with 1) Expanding the prevention services continuum in a way that addresses locally identified needs, meets Family First requirements, addresses inequities across the state, and emphasizes cultural responsiveness, and/or 2) Addresses known and potential barriers to Family First implementation. CDHS selected awards for the second round of Family First transition fund grants to support local Family First implementation activities in September 2021.More information about the recipients of awards  is also available: first round awardees; second round awardees. Federal Title IV-E Prevention in the Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund: The new federal reimbursement that Colorado receives on Title IV-E prevention services will be deposited into the Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund and distributed via an RFP process for purposes of building and expanding programs and services identified in the federal clearinghouse or under evaluation for purposes of petitioning the federal government for inclusion in the clearinghouse. Note: A separate fund is available within the Trust Fund for mini-grants for training on child sexual abuse prevention and training on strengthening protective factors. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF):  Individual county allocations are derived from Colorado’s county block grant using a formula based on economic and demographic factors. TANF funds beyond basic cash assistance are designed to be flexible and can be used for a wide array of services and supports. County departments of human/social services have flexibility in determining the most effective approach for accomplishing the four federal purposes of TANF within their local area and within the parameters established by the state and federal government (Broad-based eligibility: lawfully present, income under $75,000, and a child in the home). Counties in many cases can use their TANF allocations and local reserves for prevention programs. Title IV-B Promoting Safe and Stable Families: SSF funds are awarded via an RFP process for purposes of providing family support services, family preservation services, reunification services, and adoption support services. PSSF awards include a match requirement for 30% of all awarded funds. Awards have been granted for the next five-year funding cycle (FFY 2022-2027), which begins October 2021. The next solicitation will be released 2026. Eligible applicants for a PSSF solicitation include County Departments of Social/Human Services, local Government agencies, and any private or not-for-profit community-based organization. Entities that are not a county department of human services will require a letter of support for the county departments of human services in the counties where they will be offering services. 2021 Stimulus funding: Colorado received an additional $847,869 in stimulus funds for PSSF as a part of COVID relief. This one-year funding is likely to support the first cohort of Child First sites. Reach out to Jill Jordan (jill.jordan2@state.co.us) for more information. Medicaid: Coordination with your Regional Accountable Entity (RAE) and Medicaid will be vital. When considering where Medicaid may be able to pay first before other funding streams for Family First prevention services, a good place to start is with a conversation with the RAE and county at the table together. Counties can also reach out to local providers directly. There is also a group working on the claiming logistics in seeking to address Medicaid as the “Payer of first resort.” You can reach out to Brad Borges (bradly.borges@state.co.us), Ann Bartholomew (ann.bartholomew@state.co.us), and Kelly Sawka (kelly.sawka@state.co.us) for more information.  Home Visiting: Historically, home visiting programs in Colorado have used a myriad of funding sources to build and sustain services. Colorado uses a combination of the following funding sources to fund different home visiting programs. Counties can reach out to the state intermediaries of respective home visiting programs for more information: Federal Funding Sources: Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Stimulus dollars for the MIECHV program will be available to existing MIECHV sites. State Funding Sources: General fund with line item for specific models; Tobacco or similar taxes dedicated to early childhood support; TGYS; and, Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund. Local Funding Sources: County Core dollars, local taxes Private Philanthropy Note: The Home Visiting Investment Task Force began meeting in November 2020 to develop a strategy to scale a continuum of home visiting services in Colorado. After the initial phase of work, the group has been reauthorized to continue with implementation around the Task Force Recommendations and Home Visiting Plan. For more information, please reference the group’s reauthorized charter, membership, and meeting details. Title II of the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA): Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Funding in Colorado is currently being used to support cohorts of local communities in creating local child maltreatment prevention plans that align with the Colorado Child Maltreatment Prevention Framework for Action. A request for interest for the next cohort of planning sites is anticipated to be released in late 2021. A request for proposals for implementation funding will be released in late 2022 with funding to start in October 2023. Reach out to Essie Santillano (esmeralda.santillano@state.co.us) for more information.  Colorado Community Response (CCR) is a voluntary prevention program working with families that have been screened out or assessed and closed without child welfare services. The program was developed around the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment. Program components include strength-based case management, family-driven goal setting, education, and support to improve financial well-being, flex funding, and resource referrals to support goal attainment. The program is awarded through a competitive solicitation. Awards have been granted for the next five-year funding cycle (FFY 2022-2027), which began in July 2021. The next solicitation will be released in 2026. Reach out to Aaron Miller (aaronc.miller@state.co.us) for more information. SafeCare is a voluntary in-home behavioral parenting program that targets risk factors for maltreatment by teaching parents/caregivers skills in three topic areas: home safety, child health, and parent-child/parent-infant interaction. SafeCare targets parents/caregivers of children ages 0 to 5 who have a history of child maltreatment or who have risk factors that may lead to maltreatment. As of July 2021, SafeCare is available in 38 counties across Colorado and is supported by the Kempe Center as the state intermediary. SafeCare is funded by state general funds. Colorado’s Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program (TYGS): Funds are provided to community-based organizations that serve children, youth and their families with programs designed to reduce youth crime and violence, youth marijuana use and prevent child abuse and neglect and school dropout. Eligible TGYS applicants include local governments, schools, nonprofit organizations, state agencies and institutions of higher education. TGYS operates on a three-year grant cycle. The current grant cycle runs July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023. Contact Kristi Griffith (kristi.griffith@state.co.us) for more information.  Behavioral Health: CDHS’s Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) has previously released solicitations for the High Risk Families Cash Fund to support capacity for and provide services to high-risk parents, including pregnant and parenting women, and for services for high-risk children and youth with behavioral health disorders. The Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families (CPTF) aims to significantly reduce child fatalities and child maltreatment for all children zero to five by positively and proactively supporting strong and healthy family formation. The partnership’s three main priorities are: 1) Systems Alignment: Align state and county human services, public health, and health care systems to place family well-being at the center. Focus on funding, data, and policy across systems; 2) Early Touch Points: Strengthen the well-being system service array to improve outcomes for parents and infants throughout pregnancy and the first year of life; and 3) Community Norms: Change community norms related to social connectedness to increase access to information on child development and informal support with parenting with the intent to reduce parental stress and decrease child maltreatment. Counties can engage via three levels--participate, magnify and/or demonstrate--on any or all priority areas. Demonstration sites receive technical support and may be eligible to receive funding for projects. This resource for county directors provides specific examples of ways to engage w/ CPTF and what the Partnership offers, as well as current demonstration site projects and upcoming opportunities. Email Krishna Dahya (kdahya@illuminatecolorado.org) for more information about engaging in the Partnership. Private Philanthropy Local CYDC Funding: The Colorado Youth Detention Continuum (CYDC) is implemented locally within each of the state’s 22 judicial districts. The Colorado General Assembly appropriates funds for CYDC programming and the Statewide Advisory Board is responsible for developing an allocation formula and allocating the funds. Jurisdictions use their allocations for a variety of purposes, including in some cases, providing treatment services to prevent or shorten out-of-home placement and further penetration into the system. Each local CYDC program has a Juvenile Services Planning Committee (JSPC) and a local coordinator to oversee implementation of local CYDC services.
    1. months and a youth 13 or older is in care for 12 consecutive or 18 non-consecutive months.These ongoing oversight requirements exist to ensure that children are in a QRTP only as long asis necessary to meet their treatment needs. The level of acuity of care that a QRTP offers isdesigned to serve as an intensive and time-limited intervention, not a long-term placement.Evidence demonstrates that children fare best in families,
    2. Is there no limit on QRTP placement length if the placement is continuallyassessed and confirmed by the court and approved by HHS at the appropriateintervals?While Family First does not create a hard deadline for moving children out of a QRTP
    3. If a child moves from one QRTP program to another, will a new 30-dayassessment/60-day court review be required?Yes. The assessment and court review process apply to each QRTP setting in which ajurisdiction places a child. [§475A(c)(1)(A); P.L. 115-123 §50742]
    4. Family First requires a QRTP to provide discharge planning and family-based aftercare supportfor at least six months post-discharge.
    5. s Chafee the only source of funding for services to support the transition toadulthood for youth in foster care?No. Local, state and federal child welfare funds support all youth, including older youth, in thecare of the child welfare system. The obligation to provide services to prepare youth for thetransition to adulthood, beginning at least at age 14, is separate from the Chafee funding streamand applies to all youth in care. The obligation to support planning for the transition to adulthoodand provide transition services beginning at age 14 is part of the case planning and case reviewobligation in federal law. In addition, requirements around transition planning that must occurbefore youth age 18 or older discharge from the child welfare system apply to all youthregardless of the funding source for the services. Chafee funds are designated to fund services forvarious populations of older youth who are or were in the foster care system in making theirtransition to adulthood. Federal law notes that Chafee funds must supplement other funds thatStates and Tribes draw on to build a high-quality system of supports for older youth.[§475(1)(D)(“case plan”); §475(5)(C)(“case review”); §475(5)(H); §477(d)(2)]
    1. (66) “Foster care” means the placement of a child or youth into the legal custody or legal authority of a county department of human or social services for physical placement of the child or youth in a kinship care placement; supervised independent living placement, as defined in section 19-7-302; or certified or licensed facility, or the physical placement of a juvenile committed to the custody of the state department of human services into a community placement.

      College is paid for by a minimum of "FosterEd" SB-22008

      d) "QUALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO WHO HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION WHO: (I) HAS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT'S THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY; https://hyp.is/kOoDes3CEe2Iby_asyPAJQ/leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2022a_008_signed.pdf

    2. (66) “Foster care” means the placement of a child or youth into the legal custody or legal authority of a county department of human or social services for physical placement of the child or youth in a kinship care placement; supervised independent living placement, as defined in section 19-7-302; or certified or licensed facility, or the physical placement of a juvenile committed to the custody of the state department of human services into a community placement.

      College is paid for by a minimum of "FosterEd" SB-22008

      d) "QUALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO WHO HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION WHO: (I) HAS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT'S THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY; https://hyp.is/kOoDes3CEe2Iby_asyPAJQ/leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2022a_008_signed.pdf

    1. d) "QUALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO WHOHAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHEREDUCATION WHO:(I) HAS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT'STHIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY; OR

      Per 19-1-103 3/28/2023

      (66) “Foster care” means the placement of a child or youth into the legal custody or legal authority of a county department of human or social services for physical placement of the child or youth in a kinship care placement; supervised independent living placement, as defined in section 19-7-302; or certified or licensed facility, or the physical placement of a juvenile committed to the custody of the state department of human services into a community placement.

      https://hyp.is/laE6Hs3CEe2h4UOMUVHSiQ/advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=244c30d1-4395-4c7e-af62-bd6eee86abb6&nodeid=AATAACAABAAD&nodepath=/ROOT/AAT/AATAAC/AATAACAAB/AATAACAABAAD&level=4&haschildren=&populated=false&title=19-1-103.+Definitions.&config=014FJAAyNGJkY2Y4Zi1mNjgyLTRkN2YtYmE4OS03NTYzNzYzOTg0OGEKAFBvZENhdGFsb2d592qv2Kywlf8caKqYROP5&pddocfullpath=/shared/document/statutes-legislation/urn:contentItem:65RX-F6F3-CGX8-030R-00008-00&ecomp=8gf59kk&prid=87fc2b3c-1d15-45c4-b981-ccfa0617d916

    2. d) "QUALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO WHOHAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHEREDUCATION WHO:(I) HAS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT'STHIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY; OR

      Per 19-1-103 3/28/2023

      (66) “Foster care” means the placement of a child or youth into the legal custody or legal authority of a county department of human or social services for physical placement of the child or youth in a kinship care placement; supervised independent living placement, as defined in section 19-7-302; or certified or licensed facility, or the physical placement of a juvenile committed to the custody of the state department of human services into a community placement.

      https://hyp.is/laE6Hs3CEe2h4UOMUVHSiQ/advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=244c30d1-4395-4c7e-af62-bd6eee86abb6&nodeid=AATAACAABAAD&nodepath=/ROOT/AAT/AATAAC/AATAACAAB/AATAACAABAAD&level=4&haschildren=&populated=false&title=19-1-103.+Definitions.&config=014FJAAyNGJkY2Y4Zi1mNjgyLTRkN2YtYmE4OS03NTYzNzYzOTg0OGEKAFBvZENhdGFsb2d592qv2Kywlf8caKqYROP5&pddocfullpath=/shared/document/statutes-legislation/urn:contentItem:65RX-F6F3-CGX8-030R-00008-00&ecomp=8gf59kk&prid=87fc2b3c-1d15-45c4-b981-ccfa0617d916

    1. In 2022, legislators passed SB 22-008 which created a program to provide higher education tuition assistance to foster students.  FosterEd provides free tuition to current and former foster students at all of Colorado’s public colleges and universities.
    2. In foster care from age 13+

      She is eligible for free college from "SB 22-008 which created a program to provide higher education tuition assistance to foster students. FosterEd provides free tuition to current and former foster students at all of Colorado’s public colleges and universities," b/c she was "placed in foster care" as defined in CRS 19-1-103

      [SB 22-008]: d) "QUALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO WHOHAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHEREDUCATION WHO:(I) HAS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT'STHIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY; OR

      CRS 19-1-103 Definition "foster youth": (66) “Foster care” means the placement of a child or youth into the legal custody or legal authority of a county department of human or social services for physical placement of the child or youth in a kinship care placement; supervised independent living placement, as defined in section 19-7-302; or certified or licensed facility, or the physical placement of a juvenile committed to the custody of the state department of human services into a community placement.

    3. In 2022, legislators passed SB 22-008 which created a program to provide higher education tuition assistance to foster students.  FosterEd provides free tuition to current and former foster students at all of Colorado’s public colleges and universities.
    4. In foster care from age 13+

      She is eligible for free college from "SB 22-008 which created a program to provide higher education tuition assistance to foster students. FosterEd provides free tuition to current and former foster students at all of Colorado’s public colleges and universities," b/c she was "placed in foster care" as defined in CRS 19-1-103

      [SB 22-008]: d) "QUALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO WHOHAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHEREDUCATION WHO:(I) HAS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT'STHIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY; OR

      CRS 19-1-103 Definition "foster youth": (66) “Foster care” means the placement of a child or youth into the legal custody or legal authority of a county department of human or social services for physical placement of the child or youth in a kinship care placement; supervised independent living placement, as defined in section 19-7-302; or certified or licensed facility, or the physical placement of a juvenile committed to the custody of the state department of human services into a community placement.

    1. This program makes available vouchers of up to $5,000 per year per youth for post secondary education and training for eligible youth.

      Colorado Chafee program: Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood - Activities and programs allowable under the Chafee program include help with education, employment financial management, housing, emotional support, and assured connections to caring adults for older youth in foster care

    2. This program makes available vouchers of up to $5,000 per year per youth for post secondary education and training for eligible youth.

      Colorado Chafee program: Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood - Activities and programs allowable under the Chafee program include help with education, employment financial management, housing, emotional support, and assured connections to caring adults for older youth in foster care

    1. Office of Family Assistance An Office of the Administration for Children & Families
    1. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) provides critical and unprecedented support to children, families, and communities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn, which have been exacerbated by historic racial injustices.  As one of the largest stimulus packages in U.S. history, ARP endowed ACF with $47.5 billion in supplemental funding to further our mission and meet the needs of the children, families, and communities we serve now, as well as build a strong foundation for the next generation.

      Administration for Children and Families (US HHS)

    1. 26-5.3-104. Emergency assistance for families with children at imminent risk of being placed out of the home.(1) The executive director of the state department is hereby authorized to include in the state temporary assistance for needy families plan the establishment and implementation of an emergency assistance program for families with children at imminent risk of being placed out of the home. The purpose of the program shall be to meet the needs of the family in crisis due to the imminent risk of out-of-home placement by providing emergency assistance in the form of intake, assessment, counseling, treatment, and other family preservation services that meet the needs of the family which are attributable to the emergency or crisis situation.
    1. If a service is not deemed medically necessary, Medicaid cannot be used,
    2. the Child Welfare Reform Bill created a cash fund that could be used by child welfare agencies to fund prevention and intervention services.
    3. The law also created a task force to help ensure alignment of state policies with the federal 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act (including how to incentivize certain services/placements), among other duties. I

      Who's this task force?? Find them

    4. counties determine how TANF dollars are spent and can therefore determine whether TANF is going to be used to help the child welfare agency close out if they over-spend
    5. County local funds are primarily property taxes.

      Boulder county has among the highest property taxes in the country and the highest user of non certified kinship placement.

    6. County child welfare agencies can also refer TANF-eligible families to the local TANF agency for supportive services in lieu of using Core Services dollars for supportive services.
    7. Funding sources Many funding sources are used by the state and local child welfare agencies in Colorado.
    8. Counties are required to meet each block’s requirements but have flexibility to choose how to spend their allocations. For example, if a cost can be covered by both the Child Welfare Services block and the Core Services block, counties can choose to apply the cost to either block. However, if a cost can be billed to Medicaid, Medicaid must be used first.
    9. The state provides county child welfare agencies with three block allocations to finance their activities and services: Child Welfare Services block. Also known as the “child welfare block,” this is the largest of the three block allocations and can be used for administration, out-of-home placements, and other child welfare-related services and activities. If a county under-spends this allocation, they can transfer the under-spent funds to the other two block allocations. Family and Children’s Programs block. Also known as “Core Services,” this block provides funding for services for children and families to allow children to remain in their home, return home, or stay in the least-restrictive placement possible.
    10. The placements and services ordered by the courts can affect financing (e.g., ordering the use of more expensive congregate care placements). Judges also need to make judicial determinations in a particular way for a child to be deemed eligible for Title IV-E (see below for more on Title IV-E).
    11. Colorado stakeholders decided to enhance understanding of the state’s child welfare financing landscape by contracting with Child Trends
    1. Treatment Necessary health care services must be made available for treatment of all physical and mental illnesses or conditions discovered by any screening and diagnostic procedures.
    2. Diagnostic Services When a screening examination indicates the need for further evaluation of an individual's health, diagnostic services must be provided. Necessary referrals should be made without delay and there should be follow-up to ensure the enrollee receives a complete diagnostic evaluation. States should develop quality assurance procedures to assure that comprehensive care is provided.
    3. Other Necessary Health Care Services States are required to provide any additional health care services that are coverable under the Federal Medicaid program and found to be medically necessary to treat, correct or reduce illnesses and conditions discovered regardless of whether the service is covered in a state's Medicaid plan. It is the responsibility of states to determine medical necessity on a case-by-case basis.
    1. Toni spent months reading up on federal Medicaid law, and she learned the state-federal health insurance program is supposed to cover all medically necessary treatments for eligible children.
    2. To Get Mental Health Help For A Child, Desperate Parents Relinquish Custody
  14. Dec 2022
  15. Nov 2022
    1. This was roughly the same time the idea of Sponsorware was brought to my attention (thanks Caleb Porzio!). This is where I started offering custom domains (and beta features) to sponsors of the project (grandfathering people with existing custom domains, of course).

      I've mentioned before (most recently, I think, in a response to the Postcard creator) that it feels a little scummy to demand people pay to be able to use custom domains. It's like holding someone hostage and demanding ransom for their release.

      I've thought about alternatives. I won't mention past ones here. Instead I'll sketch out a new one.

      1. Sell support billed at a realistic rate, considering the costs (e.g. a flat price of something like $125 for up to ~2 hours), where buyer pays upfront

      2. Maybe throw in a domain for "free" (i.e. included), so if the buyer isn't already bringing their own, they'll have one by the end

      3. Any unused balance (e.g. completion of support task only took half an hour) gets credited to the account

      4. Set up a wiki (a real wiki—not a GitHub-style anti-wiki) for the documentation; point out that it's in folks' best interests to help each other out and keep it up to date and even record their own notes for their own setup here if they want to avoid paying the support fee

      The idea is to charge a high enough upfront fee for something that may not immediately consume up to its budget cap—such that you can, over time, recover own investment while making it feel like the buyer is getting all the value out of their payment.

  16. Oct 2022
  17. Jul 2022
    1. to do our own work to develop our own teams to 00:13:48 grow our own networks so based on that we decided to organize a movement to build these kinds of new models to arrive at much more sustainable public goods funding not just sustainable ideally regenerative 00:14:01 systems with possible externalities they're not just sustaining themselves at some level but actually creating a lot more value around themselves and we hope to also create structures for much better value alignment within these networks 00:14:13 so we decided to throw an event uh last year uh so it's less than a year ago um there's probably a number of other people that helped put this on if um uh i in my memory yesterday i remembered a set of folks who are here uh which i 00:14:26 want to thank for for driving this and really creating this this event but it really takes a village to put this on especially the pl events team um uh and many others who have helped uh and since then we've now had uh three 00:14:37 events two virtual one and one in person and we're scaling the community in the size of the conversations the um systems that we're reviewing the mechanisms that we're exploring the studies that we're doing and so on uh so 00:14:50 in this conference we've gone from you know 11 18 talks and now 56 really encourage you to like attend all of them simultaneously of course you can do that of course you can later in time they're all recorded 00:15:02 and we're also very fortunate to be working with a whole bunch of other folks in the ecosystem building out the broader public goods movement in the blockchain space great uh 00:15:15 thanks to the github community and shelling point and many other manila groups that are very focused on building regenerative structures so all of this leaves me uh very hopeful um you know our impact so far has been 00:15:28 to explore a set of funding mechanisms here's a few uh that i pulled from the youtube uh channel a bunch of these mechanisms are explained explaining explored and so on some of them also have kind of experimental review still early days so 00:15:41 a lot of it is still kind of not very systematic not very well experimented upon and so on but i'd love to kind of crank that up and get to drastically better study to the point where we can like analyze these systems with the same 00:15:53 level of rigor that we analyze things like network protocols or like hardware devices and things like that we've also [Music] sort of revived the impact certificates um 00:16:05 idea and and field we've um gotten to explore a number of novel entity types i know that a few of these are actually getting booted up now which is really awesome impact for just a few months of talking about things um and we've 00:16:19 created some uh we've talked about some coordination systems that could be um extremely useful i think this is a very promising area but probably under under um understudied and an area that that is 00:16:31 maybe harder or seems um diffic much more difficult to get traction on so it doesn't get studied as much

      Funding the Commons Event

  18. Jun 2022
  19. Apr 2022
    1. ReconfigBehSci on Twitter: "RT @Craig_A_Spencer: The U.S. ‘has the chance to elevate vaccine manufacturing around the world, both by immediately making two @WHO–certif…’ / Twitter. (n.d.). Retrieved 16 June 2021, from https://twitter.com/SciBeh/status/1389983507917672449

    1. Over the next month, Curry said troopers will be able to sign up to work federally funded overtime to specifically seek out and enforce distracted driving.

      This is what following the PR schedule - instead of actual data is really about. It lets them cozy up and fill their bellies with overtime from the public trough.

      American tax extortion victims should be demanding to know why Delaware County troopers are getting Federal overtime dollars to address a problem that is projected to be half as bad as last year.

  20. Mar 2022
  21. rom-rb.org rom-rb.org
    1. We are looking for sustainable sponsorship. If your company is relying on rom-rb or simply want to see rom-rb evolve faster to meet your requirements, please consider backing the project
  22. Feb 2022
  23. Jan 2022
    1. Routen, A., O’Mahoney, L., Ayoubkhani, D., Banerjee, A., Brightling, C., Calvert, M., Chaturvedi, N., Diamond, I., Eggo, R., Elliott, P., Evans, R. A., Haroon, S., Herret, E., O’Hara, M. E., Shafran, R., Stanborough, J., Stephenson, T., Sterne, J., Ward, H., & Khunti, K. (2022). Understanding and tracking the impact of long COVID in the United Kingdom. Nature Medicine, 28(1), 11–15. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01591-4

    1. In a recent paper, Pierre Azoulay and co-authors concluded that Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s long-term grants to high-potential scientists made those scientists 96 percent more likely to produce breakthrough work. If this finding is borne out, it suggests that present funding mechanisms are likely to be far from optimal, in part because they do not focus enough on research autonomy and risk taking.

      Risk taking and the potential return are key pieces of progress.

      Most of our research funding apparatus isn't set up with a capitalistic structure. Would that be good or bad for accelerating progress?

    2. Along these lines, the world would benefit from an organized effort to understand how we should identify and train brilliant young people, how the most effective small groups exchange and share ideas, which incentives should exist for all sorts of participants in innovative ecosystems (including scientists, entrepreneurs, managers, and engineers), how much different organizations differ in productivity (and the drivers of those differences), how scientists should be selected and funded, and many other related issues besides.

      These are usually incredibly political questions that aren't always done logically.

      See for example Malcolm Gladwell's podcast episode My Little Hundred Million.

  24. Dec 2021
    1. oh by the way did i tell you it's hard like probably it's it's also really hard but i really don't want to stop here on a on a low note

      This is a great video on the reality of open source software. Open source hardware also faces similar funding issues.

      As long as open source is fundamentally dependent on the private sector, it will exist within at best a parasitic relationship. To truly develop an autonomous open source model requires a structural change in funding that allows it to stand alone and apart from corporate sponsorship.

      This is a classic chicken-and-egg situation. We want people to sponsor us, but many of those people also work for the private sector. Governments and NGOs may sponsor us, but they also depend on private sector for tax and donation revenues.

      This requires a much deeper discussion that unpacks the fundamental assumptions that underpin our economic, social and political systems. The structural challenges of funding open source exposes the constraints of our current system.

      Unless we examine the fundamental assumptions by which our current civilization operates, we cannot make the structural changes that would enable open source to reach its full potential, which is maximum access to shared intellectual and material resources for the benefit of all.

    1. In a world where labs become sustainable by spinning out products, researchers need some way to de-risk their initial work, when they won’t have any new products or technologies to sell. I think this is an effective place for open-ended research grant programs.

      This is a lovely idea, but it feels like it's just kicking the can down the road. Who's funding these grants? Where do those monies come from? That's the real problem.

  25. Nov 2021
    1. Or the PIs who enjoy and excel at raising funds can do so and even re-deploy it to the right scientists, akin to founders who become angel investors and venture capitalists.

      Sounds like a Self-Organized Funding Allocation (SOFA): https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol24/iss3/art29/

  26. Oct 2021
  27. Sep 2021
    1. We need more SCOSS-like experimentation. We need initiatives with short iterations of conceptualization and execution, a sort of trial-and-error mentality as we navigate this complex issue. We need research organisations and libraries to create budget lines for open infrastructures. We need funders to start supporting the maintenance of open infrastructures like the eLife Innovation Initiative or the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation.

    1. There are two components to the Funding Rate: the Interest Rate and the Premium. The Premium is the reason why the price of the perpetual contract will converge with the price of the underlying asset.

      What determines the Funding Rate?