2012
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       SENATE RESOLUTION 12-004
       
       
       BY SENATOR(S) Newell and Boyd,  Aguilar, Bacon, Carroll, Foster,
       Giron, Harvey, Heath, Hodge, Hudak, Jahn, Johnston, Lambert,
       Lundberg, Morse, Neville, Nicholson, Scheffel, Schwartz, Shaffer B.,
       Spence, Steadman, Tochtrop, White, Williams S., Brophy, Cadman,
       Grantham, Guzman, King K., King S., Mitchell, Renfroe, Roberts.
       
       
          CONCERNING RECOGNITION OF THE OFFICE OF
       COLORADO'S CHILD PROTECTION OMBUDSMAN. 
       
       
          WHEREAS, Child abuse and neglect is a serious and reprehensible
       problem in Colorado; and
       
          WHEREAS, The protection of children from abuse and neglect
       through prevention measures must be one of Colorado's highest priorities;
       and
       
          WHEREAS, The children and families served by our child protection
       system, as well as the general public, must have a high level of
       confidence that the system performs and acts in a child's best interests;
       and
       
          WHEREAS, The response of our child protection system must always
       be open to change and to embrace best practices as they evolve and
       emerge; and 
       
          WHEREAS, The Office of Colorado's Child Protection Ombudsman
       was established as an independent entity in 2010 by a unanimous vote of
       the Colorado House of Representatives and Senate; and
       
          WHEREAS, The Office of Colorado's Child Protection Ombudsman
       opened in mid-May 2011 and is managed and hosted by the National
       Association of Counsel for Children on the Anschutz medical campus in
       Aurora; and
       
          WHEREAS, The Office of Colorado's Child Protection Ombudsman
       was created to be an independent, trusted intermediary between the public
       and child protective services in Colorado and to provide independent
       investigations of child welfare complaints; and
       
          WHEREAS, The Office of Colorado's Child Protection Ombudsman
       is statutorily charged with the power and duty to facilitate a process of
       independent and impartial review of family and community concerns,
       request information, and conduct case reviews related to child protection
       issues; and
       
          WHEREAS, Because it is independently operated, the Office of
       Colorado's Child Protection Ombudsman reports annually to the
       Governor, General Assembly, and executive director of the department
       of human services regarding systemic issues and recommendations for
       improvements to the child protection system; and
       
          WHEREAS, By working closely with child protective services, foster
       care, adoption, and juvenile justice services, the Office of Colorado's
       Child Protection Ombudsman works to be a strong advocate for the
       children of Colorado; and 
       
          WHEREAS, The Office of Colorado's Child Protection Ombudsman
       also serves as a resource and systems navigator to families, stakeholders,
       and the general public by assisting with individual cases and providing
       ongoing public education on child protection issues; and
       
          WHEREAS, Since opening in May 2011, the Office of Colorado's
       Child Protection Ombudsman has received 114 contacts, and 84 of those
       have been closed or resolved; and
       
          WHEREAS, The Ombudsman staff has met at least monthly with the
       department of human services and continues to provide monthly reporting
       about the development of the Office and its activities; and 
       
          WHEREAS, Ombudsman staff have spoken with or presented to more
       than 60 groups and events, reaching more than 3,500 people, in addition
       to meeting or visiting with 10 county departments of human services and
       19 county directors from across the state; now, therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-eighth General Assembly of
       the State of Colorado:
       
          That we, the members of the Colorado Senate, applaud the work of the
       Office of Colorado's Child Protection Ombudsman and encourage
       independence, transparency, and accountability with all parties involved
       in Colorado's child protection system so that we may best serve and
       protect the children of our state.
       
          Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to the
       Honorable John Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado; the Colorado 
       Department of Human Services; and the Office of Colorado's Child
       Protection Ombudsman.
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Brandon C. Shaffer                    Cindi Markwell
       PRESIDENT OF                            SECRETARY OF
       THE SENATE                                THE SENATE