Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-101
Short title
This title shall be known and may be cited as the "Colorado Children's Code".
Colorado Revised Statutes Title 19 — Children's Code
Colorado · statute · Colo. Rev. Stat. tit. 19 · 471 active provisions
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-102
Legislative declaration
(1) The general assembly declares that the purposes of this title are: (a) To secure for each child subject to these provisions such care and guidance, preferably in his own home, as will best serve his welfare and the interests of society; (b) To preserve and strengthen family ties whenever possible, including improve…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-103
Definitions
As used in this title 19 or in the specified portion of this title 19, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) (a) "Abuse" or "child abuse or neglect", as used in part 3 of article 3 of this title 19, means an act or omission in one of the following categories that threatens the health or welfare of a child: (I) Any…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-104
Jurisdiction
(1) Except as otherwise provided by law, the juvenile court has exclusive original jurisdiction in proceedings: (a) Concerning any child committing a delinquent act, as defined in section 19-2.5-102; (b) Concerning any child who is neglected or dependent, as set forth in section 19-3-102; (c) To determine the legal cus…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-105
Right to counsel and jury trial
(1) All hearings, including adjudicatory hearings, shall be heard by a judge or magistrate without a jury, except as otherwise provided by this title. (2) The right to counsel is provided in this title 19. Nothing in this title 19 prevents the court from appointing counsel in addition to a guardian ad litem for a child…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-106
Hearings - procedure - record
(1) The Colorado rules of juvenile procedure shall apply in all proceedings under this title. (2) Hearings may be conducted in an informal manner. The general public shall not be excluded unless the court determines that it is in the best interest of the child or of the community to exclude the general public, and, in…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-107
Social study and other reports
(1) Unless waived by the court, an agency designated by the court shall make a social study and report in writing in all children's cases; except that: (a) Repealed. (b) Adoption reports shall be as provided in article 5 of this title. (2) For the purpose of determining proper disposition of a child, written reports an…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-108
Magistrates - qualifications - duties
(1) The juvenile court may appoint one or more magistrates to hear any case or matter under the court's jurisdiction, except where a jury trial has been requested pursuant to section 19-2.5-610 and in transfer hearings held pursuant to section 19-2.5-802. Magistrates shall serve at the pleasure of the court, unless oth…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-109
Appeals - child welfare appeals workgroup - created
(1) An appeal as provided in the introductory portion to section 13-4-102 (1), C.R.S., may be taken from any order, decree, or judgment. Appellate procedure shall be as provided by the Colorado appellate rules. Initials shall appear on the record on appeal in place of the name of the child and respondents. Appeals shal…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-110
Previous orders and decrees - force and effect
All orders and decrees in proceedings concerning dependency and neglect, delinquency, relinquishment, adoption, paternity, or contributing to dependency or delinquency entered by the court prior to October 1, 1987, shall remain in full force and effect until modified or terminated by the court, as provided in this titl…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-111
Appointment of guardian ad litem
(1) The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for every child under twelve years of age in all dependency and neglect cases pursuant to this title 19. (2) The court may appoint a guardian ad litem in the following cases: (a) For a child in a delinquency proceeding where: (I) No parent, guardian, legal custodian, cust…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-111.5
Court-appointed special advocate
The court may appoint a CASA volunteer pursuant to the provisions of part 2 of this article if the court finds that the appointment would be in the best interests of the child. The court may direct the manner in which a CASA volunteer and any guardian ad litem appointed in a case shall collaborate.
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-112
Search warrants for the protection of children
(1) A search warrant may be issued by the juvenile court to search any place for the recovery of any child within the jurisdiction of the court believed to be a delinquent child or a neglected or dependent child. (2) Such warrant shall be issued only on the conditions that the application for the warrant shall: (a) Be…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-113
Emergency protection orders
(1) The juvenile court is authorized to issue an ex parte written or verbal emergency protection order for the protection of a child pursuant to this section. A judge or magistrate shall be available in the juvenile court in each judicial district to issue by telephone emergency protection orders at all times when the…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-114
Order of protection
(1) The court may make an order of protection in assistance of, or as a condition of, any decree authorized by this title. The order of protection may set forth reasonable conditions of behavior to be observed for a specified period by the parent, guardian, legal custodian, custodian, person to whom parental responsibi…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-115
Legal custody - guardianship - placement out of the home - petition for review for need of placement - rules
(1) (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, in awarding legal custody of a child pursuant to this title 19, the court may, if in the best interests of the child, give preference to the child's grandparent who is appropriate, capable, willing, and available to care for the child, if the court finds that there is no sui…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-115.3
Missing children and youth from out-of-home placement - required reporting to law enforcement
If a child or youth for whom the department of human services or a county department of human or social services has legal custody pursuant to the provisions of this title 19 is determined by the agency to be missing, the agency having legal custody of the child or youth shall report the disappearance immediately, and…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-115.5
Placement of children out of home - legislative declaration
(1) (a) (I) The general assembly hereby finds that the number of children in out-of-home placement has increased significantly. The general assembly further finds that the facility in which a child is placed out of home is often not located in the same school district as the child's school district of residence. Nevert…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-115.7
Foster care prevention services - provision of services - rights and remedies - exchange of information
(1) A county department of human or social services may provide both child welfare and prevention services, including but not limited to foster care prevention services, as defined in section 19-1-103, to families, kin caregivers, children, juveniles, and youth. (2) Nothing in this section affects any existing rights o…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-116
Funding - alternatives to placement out of the home - services to prevent continued involvement in child welfare system
(1) The state department of human services shall reimburse allowable expenses to county departments of human or social services for foster care. The state department's budget request for foster care must be based upon the actual aggregate expenditure of federal, state, and local funds of all counties during the precedi…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-123
Expedited procedures for permanent placement - children under the age of six years - designated counties
(1) (a) The expedited procedures for the permanent placement of children under the age of six years required by article 3 of this title 19 must be implemented on a county-by-county basis beginning July 1, 1994. The state department of human services, in consultation with the judicial department and the governing boards…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-124
Providers of children's services using federal or state moneys - use of state accounting standards
In order to ensure financial accountability, on and after July 1, 1997, all service providers receiving federal or state moneys through the state for the provision of services to children, youth, and families pursuant to this title shall use the accounting standards of the governmental accounting standards board.
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-125
Family stabilization services
(1) It is the intent of the general assembly to assist in the provision of appropriate and necessary short-term services to help stabilize families that are at risk of having their children placed in out-of-home placement when those families voluntarily request such services. It is further the intent of the general ass…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-127
Responsibility for placement and care
(1) "Responsibility for placement and care", for purposes of compliance with federal requirements pursuant to the federal "Social Security Act", 42 U.S.C. sec. 672 (a)(2), means the specified entity is considered to have the responsibility for placement and care of a child if: (a) A county department of human or social…
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1-129
Department - research authorized - prenatal substance exposure - newborn and family outcomes - report
(1) The state department of human services may conduct research as related to the definition of "abuse" in section 19-1-103 concerning the incidence of prenatal substance exposure and related newborn and family health and human services outcomes as the result of a mother's lawful and unlawful intake of controlled subst…
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