Press Release

Michelle Barnes, executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), released the following statement on Gov. Jared Polis’ announcement of the Tom Clements Award for Outstanding Service, which was awarded to members of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) team.

Today, Gov. Jared Polis announced that educators, including licensed child care providers and staff, can receive the COVID-19 vaccination beginning Feb. 8.

CDHS and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless will fund 25 additional supportive housing apartments for unhoused individuals who have been ordered to outpatient competency restoration services, bringing the program total to 53 Denver-based units. 

The Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Early Childhood has announced the creation of two grant programs to support child care providers across the state. The funding will support child care businesses, which are essential to working families in Colorado.

As Coloradans continue to navigate life during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Colorado Department of Human Services wants to remind residents of grocery options available to families participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that allows the use of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to make safe, contactless purchases online.

CDHS has entered into a formal agreement with the Consulate of El Salvador in Aurora, the Consulate General of Guatemala in Denver, the Consulate General of Honduras in Dallas and the Consulate General of Mexico in Denver to share information and collaborate when a child or youth who is a national of one of those four countries is involved in an open child welfare case in Colorado.

Colorado Crisis Services continues to field a record-breaking number of calls and texts during the COVID-19 pandemic, topping 24,800 services last month alone. Calls and texts to the crisis line have steadily increased during the pandemic. Average monthly volume was up more than 33 percent between March and October, with an all-time high of 24,843 contacts in October. 

CDHS's Office of Early Childhood was awarded a $7.5 million Colorado Fatherhood Grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. The grant will provide services across seven sites in Colorado and is designed to serve adult fathers age 18 and older through fatherhood partnerships. The program will serve 1,820 eligible fathers over five years. 

In celebration of National Adoption Month and to encourage more Coloradans to adopt from foster care, CDHS recognized five adoptive families from across the state on Saturday in a virtual celebration. The families were joined by CDHS leadership, caseworkers and adoption professionals from county departments of human/social services, child placement agencies and the families’ loved ones from across the country for a virtual celebration. 

The Colorado Heart Gallery is celebrating its 15th anniversary this November for National Adoption Month. Since 2015, 290 children and youth who have been featured on the Colorado Heart Gallery have been adopted. The Colorado Heart Gallery features portraits, narratives and videos to help prospective families get to know children and youth in foster care who are awaiting adoption.