Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in Child Welfare

The bill creates multiple ways to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in Colorado's child welfare system. The state department of human services (department) is directed to work with county departments of human or social services to:

• Update the existing annual departmental EDI report using state data sources and national child welfare data clearinghouses;
• Identify necessary demographic or other data that is not currently collected in Colorado's child welfare case management system (system) and determine recommendations for improving data collection statewide;
• Identify additional necessary demographic or other data about children, families, and people working in the child welfare system that is not currently collected in the statewide comprehensive child welfare case management system, the child welfare worker training system, or other components and data systems of the child welfare system, and, in collaboration with counties, determine internal or external processes and make recommendations for improving data collection and reporting statewide;
• Provide a report on the state's progress in addressing data collection and data entry challenges in the system; and
• Provide a report on the state's progress in training child welfare staff on demographic data collection;
• Report on the state's progress in training the child welfare workforce in reducing bias and in promoting EDI, and on progress in the training's alignment with current research and best practices in promoting EDI.

The department shall strengthen EDI training for child welfare staff and management.

The bill requires the department to provide recommendations for training requirements for other child welfare agencies and to offer specific EDI training for mandatory reporters to address disparities in reporting in Colorado's child welfare system.

The department shall use an internal evaluator to evaluate local policies, rules, or practices and to work with counties on incorporating EDI principles into their child welfare work.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)