IEPS Notification Form (for pilot participants only)
If you are a healthcare provider at a birth hospital participating in the Infants Exposed Prenatally to Substances (IEPS) pilot, you can complete the notification by filling out the IEPS Notification Form.
Background information
The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) is launching an updated policy and process for the notification of infants exposed prenatally to substances to better meet federal reporting requirements.
Healthcare providers may now notify the Colorado child welfare system when they are involved in the delivery or care of infants affected by substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. This can be done by filling out the Infants Exposed Prenatally to Substances (IEPS) Notification Form.
Information collected in this form does not include identifying information about the infant or family. Data collected is aggregated and strictly used for required federal reporting and to better understand how common prenatal substance exposure is in Colorado and how state policies, like Plans of Safe Care, are working to support families. Information will not be shared or used for any other purpose.
Read more about federal requirements.
Notification is not to act as a report for potential abuse and/or neglect. If hospital staff have a concern about infant abuse or neglect, Colorado law requires that they report it to the Colorado child welfare hotline at 844-CO-4-KIDS or contact their local child welfare team.
Phased implementation
CDHS is collaborating with Colorado Hospital Substance Exposed Newborns Collaborative (CHoSEN), the Kempe Center, Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab, and Illuminate Colorado to support a three-phase implementation of the notification portal among Colorado birth hospitals. With each phase, selected birth hospitals will be provided training and support for implementation of the new notification process. Learnings from each phase will be used to rapidly modify and adapt tools for the successful implementation of the notification statewide.
State and county child welfare departments will also be engaged to:
- Support collaboration and communication between healthcare providers and child welfare staff;
- Monitor trends in child welfare reports versus notification of prenatal substance exposure; and
- Ensure the safety and well being of children.
Each phase will include:
- Initial training for birth hospital staff and local child welfare teams to review current tools, establish birth hospital workflows/teams, and develop clear feedback loops;
- Three months of testing implementation of new notification process and plan of safe care tools;
- Ongoing individual support from the state pilot team to birth hospital teams;
- Weekly drop-in office hour;
- At the end of three months, feedback on tools, notification process and workflows will be collected and reviewed; and
- During the fourth month, changes will be made to tools, notification process, and workflows based on feedback.
Implementation timeline
Phase 1: March 2025 to June 2025
- Onboard six Colorado birthing hospitals and local counties that have established more familiarity with Plans of Safe Care.
Phase 2: July 2025 to September 2025
- Include an additional three locations to support and learn from implementation in different regions/contexts.
Phase 3: October 2025 to December 2025
- Statewide rollout.