CIP - Colorado Supreme Court - Court Improvement Program

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Improving Systems to Benefit Families and Children

The Court Improvement Program (CIP) was created as a result of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (also known as the Family Preservation and Support Act ). The Act required an original assessment on how Colorado handles its cases involving children, in particular dependency and neglect cases. Numerous recommendations were made as to how to improve the cases, and the Court Improvement Program was created to oversee the implementation of these recommendations.

The CIP is primarily concerned with improving the way the individual courts in Colorado handle dependency and neglect cases in order to improve the safety, permanency and well-being outcome for the children and families the court serves. The federal government awards close to $500,000 to help Colorado achieve its goals and improving outcomes. Through the efforts of judicial officers, court staff, and other child welfare stakeholders involved with the process, Colorado continues to innovate when it comes to working with these very sensitive cases.

In 2019, the Executive Committee of CIP created a strategic vision that by 2025, the Colorado CIP will increase permanency and well-being for all children by: reducing re-entry, increasing timely permanency, and reducing the number of subsequent petitions.  In addition to the strategic vision, and consistent with the requirements set forth in the Federal Administration for Children, Youth and Families Program Instruction ACYF-CB-PI-24-04, in 2021, the CIP developed a strategic plan Colorado’s Court Improvement Program (CIP)’s 5 Year Strategic Plan (2021-2026) was developed over several months by the multidisciplinary Taskforce.  View the Colorado’s Court Improvement Program (CIP)’s 5 Year Strategic Plan (2021-2026) here: Link to Strategic Plan

Dependency & Neglect (D&N) Parent's Handbook: 

This Handbook is intended as a resource to help answer questions and empower parents to be informed about their rights and the process of a D&N in Colorado. This Handbook is not a substitute for legal advice and parents should always consult their attorneys to answer questions related to their specific case. The D&N Parent's Handbook was created as a project of the Children's Justice Act Grant through the Colorado Department of Human Services. This Handbook was written and reviewed by a multidisciplinary group, including Lived Experts (parents who were previously involved in a D&N case in Colorado), Judicial Officers, Representatives from the Office of Respondent Parent's Counsel, the Office of the Child's Representative, Colorado County Attorneys, the Colorado Department of Human Services, and the Colorado Court Improvement Program. 

Link to Handbook