Arapahoe County staff ask commissioners to sign child welfare core services plan to secure state funds

Jessica Williamson of Arapahoe County Human Services asked the Board of Commissioners at a study session to approve and sign the county’s Child Welfare Core Services Plan so it can be routed to the Colorado Department of Human Services.

"Our allocation for this fiscal year is set for 5,877,000," Williamson said, and she explained the plan covers services designed to keep children at home, stabilize families and support foster placements and reunification. She added that the county’s share for some lines is "a little over $714,000," funded from property tax for human services.

Williamson told commissioners the plan as drafted is slightly above the allocation (the draft totaled 5,924,000, about $47,000 over allocation) and asked for the board’s approval so staff could obtain signatures and submit the plan by the state deadline. She said the plan is required to receive state funding and that staff will closely monitor spending to avoid overspending.

The core plan is due to the state on August 3, staff said; Williamson requested that her team route the document through DocuSign for signatures and that attorneys or Contract Insight review it as required. The board signaled support and gave informal approval to proceed with signature routing.