Public Policy

We are at the forefront of hundreds of policy wins for children

For more than three decades, Children’s Law Center has been a leading voice in public policy development, improvement and reform. We work to make children a political priority at the local, state and federal levels, by being the voice for children who are voiceless. We have been involved in the establishment of key child welfare system reforms and continue to offer expertise in cutting-edge policies and innovations that make a difference for children.

Policy Creation and Reform

RMCLC's leadership and voice was instrumental in the following policy advancements

Colorado House Bill HB19-1288
Foster Youth Sibling Bill of Rights – The bill outlines protections that siblings should receive, when in the best interests of each sibling, including being placed together, having regular contact, and otherwise having their relationships encouraged while in foster care.
Creation of the first ever Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman Office.
Colorado Senate Bill SB13-255
Child Fatality Review Teams – This bill was passed to reduce the number of child abuse deaths in Colorado. It ensures that all child abuse fatalities are reviewed, the cause of these deaths are identified, and recommendations are made to prevent such deaths in the future.
Colorado House Bill HB13-1271
Creation of a Statewide Child Abuse Hotline – Prior to the passage of this bill there were literally hundreds of ways to report child abuse—an ad hoc approach that resulted in significant danger to Colorado’s children. This important piece of legislation creates a single phone number for citizens to report abuse.
Colorado House Bill 14HB1273
Concerning Human Trafficking – This bill strengthens the criminal penalties for adults who sexually traffic children, provides protection for child victims of human trafficking when they testify in court and created a statewide human trafficking council.
Founder of the Children’s Law Center, Shari Shink, started the first CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) program in Denver which was incubated at RMCLC.
Creation of the Office of the Child Representative
Statewide Administrative Review Division
Colorado Legislature Children’s Caucus – Since 2014, the Children’s Law Center has been the proud host of the annual Colorado Children’s Caucus. This caucus provides a forum for all members of the Colorado General Assembly to discuss challenging issues faced by Colorado’s maltreated youth such as:
- Child Sex Trafficking in Colorado
- A Foster Care Youth Panel
- Disrupted Adoptions in Colorado
- Providing Services for Colorado’s Homeless Youth

Doing Our Part

To Change The World

The Children’s Law Center has been proud to host the Colorado Children’s Caucus since 2014.

Taking Action

Doing Something

We have consistently been a part of community policy-making efforts by serving on a number of statewide committees.

Educating

Informing The World

We provide information to policy makers and state leaders.

Statewide Committees

Governor’s Child Welfare Executive Leadership Council
Governor’s Child Abuse Hotline Steering Committee
Governor’s Child Welfare Action Committee
Co-Chair of Child Abuse Public Awareness Campaign
Colorado Foster Care and Permanence Task Force
Colorado Youth Development Plan
State Child Fatality Review Board
Human Trafficking Council
Best Practices Court Teams
Pathways to Success Steering Committee