DENVER (June 3, 2021) — Today, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) announced the creation of the Safe Child Care Task Force, its members and its first public meeting date. The task force will recommend necessary reforms in child care settings to keep children safe, inform parents and care providers about licensed and unlicensed care options, and work to help prevent illegal child care. The task force will review local laws and regulations as well as national best practice models to make recommendations for reforms in Colorado.
“Child care providers who are operating illegally and putting children's lives at risk must be stopped,” said CDHS Executive Director Michelle Barnes. “The Safe Child Care Task Force includes experts from across Colorado, and will shape recommendations that keep children safe and help to prevent tragedies from occurring. Families need to know their children are safe in child care, and this task force will help Colorado meet that need.”
The task force committee members were chosen based on a variety of qualifications and were carefully reviewed to ensure they are a fair representation of Coloradans and the people providing, needing and accessing child care across Colorado.
Agencies represented include:
- Illuminate Colorado
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Child Fatality Prevention Systems
- Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman
- Colorado Association of Family Child Care Homes President
- Colorado Parent Coalition
- Mile High United Way, representing Family, Friend, and Neighbors (FFN)
- Early Childhood Councils
- Early Childhood Leadership Commission
- Colorado Legislators
- Colorado Children’s Campaign
- Local Public Health and Law Enforcement
- County Human Services
- Parents
- Colorado Department of Public Safety
- CDHS Office of Early Childhood
- CDHS Office of Children Youth and Families (OCYF)
- CDHS Administrative Review Division (ARD)
“These members represent licensed child care; family, friend and neighbor care; law enforcement; parent groups; child abuse prevention experts; and many more diverse stakeholders,” said Mary Alice Cohen, director of the Office of Early Childhood. “We look forward to engaging with all of these groups to help us protect children, inform families, and ensure Colorado’s procedures for addressing illegal care reflect national best practices.”
The first task force meeting will be June 10. Members of the public can attend all task force meetings. More information about the task force and meeting registration information is available here. Citizens can also subscribe to updates and communications about the task force here.
Families seeking more information about finding child care can visit www.coloradoshines.com.
Safe sleep is a vital part of keeping infants safe, no matter who is caring for them. More Information about safe sleep can be found at https://www.coloradoshines.
Media contact:
Madlynn Ruble
Deputy Director of Communications
madlynn.ruble@state.co.us
303.866.3411