Colorado Moves Oversight Of Child Welfare Ombudsman From Department Of Human Services To Judicial Department

On June 2, 2015, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed legislation to move oversight of the Colorado Office of the Child Protection Ombudsman from the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to the state judicial department. The provisions of the legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 15-204, increase the autonomy of child protection ombudsman to give the office greater independence in investigating child safety issues, especially child injuries and death. The legislation requires the judicial department and office of the ombudsman to sign a memorandum of understanding by November 1, 2015 to clarify operational details to ensure the ombudsman’s independence.

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