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Child Welfare Allocation Committee

The Child Welfare Allocation Committee (CWAC) was created by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado to provide input to the Executive Director of Human Services relative to the development of an equitable model for allocation of the Child Welfare Service Block Allocation to the counties. In addition, the CWAC is obliged to annually review and revise the allocation formula as necessary to reflect the changes in cost of delivery of services, caseload and population, and any other county or state dynamics and make recommendations to the Executive Director.

Meetings

Agendas and Minutes

 

 

Members
Name Title Membership Representing Region
Mollie Bradlee Interim Director, CDHS Office of Children, Youth and Families Co-chair CDHS State
Wendy Buston-Andrade Commissioner, Prowers County Co-chair Association of Counties At Large – Balance of State 
Felix Lopez Commissioner, Las Animas County Member Association of Counties Southern Region
Jeanne McQueeney Commissioner, Eagle County Member Association of Counties Mountain Region
Carrie Warren-Gully Commissioner, Arapahoe County Member Association of Counties At Large County
Emma Pinter Commissioner, Adams County Member Association of Counties Front Range Region
Janet Rowland Commissioner, Mesa County Member Association of Counties At Large County
Gordon Westhoff Commissioner, Morgan County Member Association of Counties Eastern Region
Liz Smith Commissioner, Gunnison County Member Association of Counties Western Region
Anne-Marie Braga Executive Director, Denver Dept of Human Services Member Association of Counties County with greatest percentage of child welfare caseload
Cami Bremer Commissioner, El Paso County Member Association of Counties County with greatest percentage of child welfare caseload
Minna Castillo Interim Deputy Executive Director, CDHS Member CDHS State
Andrea Eurich Controller, CDHS Member CDHS State
Committee Staff Support

Eric Bua, Executive Assistant
CDHS Office of Children Youth and Families
eric.bua@state.co.us

Resources

Child Welfare Allocation Committee By-laws 

Special Projects

 

 

Bylaws

 

Child Welfare Allocation Committee

ARTICLE 1: ESTABLISHMENT, MISSION, PURPOSE

Section 1.1: Name

This Committee shall be called the Child Welfare Allocation Committee (CWAC).

Section 1.2: Establishment

The CWAC was established, through Senate Bill 97-218, by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado to provide input to the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Human Services (“Department” or “CDHS”) relative to the development of an equitable model for allocation of the Child Welfare Service Block Appropriation to the counties.

Section 1.3: Purpose

The statutory purpose of the CWAC is to provide input to the State Department, as to the development of the most equitable, cost efficient and effective formulas for distribution of the Child Welfare Services Block appropriation to Colorado's sixty-four counties; and further, to ensure that these funds are used in the most effective way with regard to the delivery of Child Welfare Services to the citizens of Colorado.

ARTICLE 2: MEMBERSHIP

Section 2.1: Goal of Membership

CWAC membership is intended to be inclusive of small, medium and large counties to encourage fair and equitable review and revision of the child welfare allocation formula.

Section 2.2: CWAC Membership

Voting CWAC members shall include representatives from counties and CDHS. For the purposes of these bylaws, “representative from a county” shall mean a county commissioner or in the case of the City and County of Denver, the Director of the Human Services Department.

The committee membership shall be as stated in C.R.S. 26-5-103.5 (Exhibit A)

ARTICLE 3: CWAC MEMBER EXPECTATIONS

Section 3.1: Term of Committee Members

  • Each appointed county commissioner may serve the duration of their term.
  • Each appointed county commissioner shall serve without compensation provided by the Department.
  • Any member unable to fulfill the duties of the appointment may be replaced. Notice shall be given to the appointing authority of any member who has missed two or more consecutive meetings.
  • Vacancies shall be filled by appointment in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

Section 3.2: CWAC Member Role and Responsibilities

The CWAC shall have the following duties (C.R.S. 26-5-103.5 and 104):

  • To provide input to the State Department with regard to the formulas to be utilized for capped and targeted allocations of funding to the counties, including the child welfare services, the allocation for additional child welfare staff, and the allocation for family and children’s program.
  • To meet regularly and adopt its own rules of procedure.
  • To perform any other duties which are consistent with the purposes for which the CWAC was created and which are reasonably necessary for the fulfillment of the CWAC’s responsibilities.
  • To forward annually any allocation recommendations to the Executive Director.
  • To submit, in the case of disagreement on the allocation formulas with the state department, alternative formulas to the Joint Budget Committee of the General Assembly.
  • To consult with the state department in adopting rules for when a county may exceed its capped or targeted allocation or allocations.
  • To annually review the allocation formulas and revise as necessary to reflect the changes in cost of delivery of services, caseload and population, and any other county or state dynamics.
  • To review, analyze, study, and evaluate allocation formulas by:
    • Conducting thorough analysis of all relevant information and thorough review of alternatives, by a process that may include consultation with subject matter experts when appropriate.
    • Considering what is best for all the affected clients not just a particular region or county.

Section 3.3: CWAC Co-Chair Duties and Powers

  • The State Co-Chair will be the Department’s Director of the Office of Children, Youth, and Families. If the State Co-Chair is unable to attend a meeting either in person or over the phone, the State Co-Chair is allowed to name a delegate and have the delegate attend and vote on the State Co-Chair’s behalf.
  • The State Co-Chair will jointly preside over CWAC meetings, call for meetings, and will carry the resolution of the CWAC on the annual allocation upon final vote.
  • The County Co-Chair will be a county commissioner, approved by a vote of the county representatives on the CWAC. The County Co-Chair will hold a term of 2 years, at which time rotation of the County Co-Chair willoccur.
  • The County Co-Chair will jointly preside over the CWAC meetings and establish a defined relationship with counties and the CWAC for purposes of representation and information sharing.

ARTICLE 4: CWAC Subcommittees

Section 4.1: Subcommittee Creation

The CWAC shall designate standing or temporary sub-committees as needed. Subcommittee Co-Chairs are appointed by the CWAC and selected to meet the needs of each committee. Subcommittees will have one Co-Chair representing the Department and one Co-Chair representing counties.

Section 4.2: Subcommittees; Task Group or Workgroup Expectations

All CWAC subcommittees must:

  • Adhere to the specific purpose of the group, as identified by the CWAC.
  • Adhere to either ongoing or specific timeframes, as identified by the CWAC.
  • Provide formal updates to the CWAC as requested.

Section 4.3: Subcommittees; Task Group or Workgroup Membership

The CWAC Co-Chairs and members under shall determine composition of the group and shall attempt to ensure geographic diversity.

ARTICLE 5: MEETING EXPECTATIONS AND BYLAWS

Section 5.1: Frequency of Meetings

The CWAC meets at the call of its Co-Chairs, at least two times per year, and on such other occasions as deemed necessary by the CWAC.

Subcommittees and advisory bodies shall meet upon the call of their respective Co- Chairs.

Section 5.2: Open Meetings Law

The CWAC shall follow the Colorado Open Meetings Law; specifically, public notice of the CWAC meetings and agenda information shall be posted for the public.

Section 5.3: Quorum

A quorum for the transaction of business shall constitute no less than a simple majority of the voting members.

Section 5.4: Voting

Action by the CWAC will be determined by a minimum of seven affirmation votes to pass.

A CWAC member may, at the discretion of the presiding Co-Chair, answer questions from other members.

The Co-Chairs may bring an issue before the CWAC for vote by phone or email. There shall be at least 48 hours’ notice, and supporting documentation, unless the Co-Chairs agree to waive the notice requirement in an emergency situation.

Section 5.5: Bylaws Amendment Process

The bylaws may be changed at any time as approved by a quorum. Bylaws will be reviewed every year and amended as needed.

EXHIBIT A: C.R.S. 26-5-103.5

(2)(a) THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF THIRTEEN MEMBERS, TEN OF WHOM MUST BE APPOINTED BY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THREE OF WHOM MUST BE APPOINTED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT, AND THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF TWO NON-VOTING MEMBERS WHO MUST BE APPOINTED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT.

  1. THE TWO NONVOTING MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT MUST HAVE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
  1. FEDERAL FUNDING RELATED TO CHILD WELFARE;
  2. THE FEDERAL "FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION SERVICES ACT OF 2018", AS DEFINED IN SECTION 26-5-101 (4.5);
  3. INTERESTS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH A DISABILITY; OR
  4. INTERESTS OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING POVERTY.

(c) Of the appointments-made MEMBERS APPOINTED by county commissioners, only one representative per county may serve on the committee at the same time, and:

(I) One MEMBER must be appointed by the COUNTY commissioners of each of the following regions, as those regions are defined in subsection

(2)(d) of this section:

(A) The Eastern region;

(B) The Front Range region;

(C) The Mountain region;

(D) The Southern region; and

(E) The Western region

(II) Three MEMBERS must be at-large appointments. Of the three at-large appointments, two MEMBERS must be appointed by the COUNTY commissioners of the counties described in section 26-5-104 (4)(b)(I), and one must be appointed by the COUNTY commissioners who represent the counties described in section 26-5-104 (4)(b)(II); AND PAGE 2-SENATE BILL 19-031

(III) Two MEMBERS MUST BE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TWO COUNTIES IN THE STATE WITH THE GREATEST PERCENTAGE OF THE STATE'S CHILD WELFARE CASELOAD. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN THE TWO COUNTIES WITH THE GREATEST PERCENTAGE OF THE STATE'S CHILD WELFARE CASELOAD SHALL EACH APPOINT ONE MEMBER FROM THEIR COUNTIES TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE.

(e) As USED IN THIS SUBSECTION (2), "COUNTY COMMISSIONERS" MEANS:

(I) THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN EACH COUNTY;

(II) IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, THE DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND WELFARE ACTIVITIES; AND

(III) IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF BROOMFIELD, THE CITY COUNCIL OR A BOARD OR COMMISSION APPOINTED BY THE CITY AND COUNTY OF BROOMFIELD.

(d)  For the purposes of this subsection (2):
(I)  The eastern region is comprised of Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties;
(II)  The front range region is comprised of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties, and the city and county of Broomfield and the city and county of Denver;
(III)  The mountain region is comprised of Chaffee, Clear Creek, Custer, Eagle, Fremont, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson, Lake, Park, Pitkin, Summit, and Teller counties;
(IV)  The southern region is comprised of Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties; and
(V)  The western region is comprised of Archuleta, Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Juan, and San Miguel counties.

Last modified 11/14/2019