ILLUMINATE COLORADO CAN FACILITATE AND PROVIDE EXPERT CASE CONSULTATION ON COMPLEX CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES ACROSS COLORADO WITHIN AS LITTLE AS 3 TO 5 BUSINESS DAYS IF NECESSARY.

This week, the Colorado Department of Human Services announced, due to a reprioritization of funding allocations and activities, Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) funds may be limited and the financial support for expert case consultations may be reduced or eliminated after September 30, 2019. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), [P.L. 108-36.], is a federal grant which is utilized to support a wide array of child welfare programs in Colorado. 

For the last four years, this funding has supported expert case consultations services provided by both the Kempe Center and Illuminate Colorado. We deeply appreciate the Department’s partnership to allow Illuminate the opportunity to give case workers, guardian ad litem (GAL) attorneys and law enforcement the support that they need to achieve the best possible outcomes for children, youth and families. Our organization remains committed to providing this support to any county department of human services, GAL or local law enforcement agency requesting consultation, now and into the future, to help improve the safety, permanency, and well-being of the children in Colorado. 

Child Abuse & Neglect Expert Staffing (CANES)

Illuminate’s Child Abuse & Neglect Expert Staffing (CANES) program is a multidisciplinary team of experts who provide timely and expert consultation on challenging and complex child welfare assessments, investigations, and cases. Our staff facilitate and provide expert case consultation on complex child abuse and neglect cases across Colorado within as little as 3 to 5 business days if necessary.

CANES has been an invaluable aid to those on the front-line navigating the complexities of child maltreatment in Colorado. One of the more than 110 professionals who needed our expert case consultation over the last four years put it best by saying, “The information that we have gained from these consultations has been instrumental and useful to improve our practice and provision of services to promote the health and well-being of many children, youth and families served in our community”. 

It is difficult to be an expert in all the issues that arise when trying to protect children and strengthen families. That is why easily accessing a network of experts is essential to achieving better outcomes for children, youth and families. Illuminate, and our many partner experts, are proud of the consultation we’ve provided case workers, police officers and GALs, on cases impacting the lives of 219 children over the last four years, as they made critical decisions on a variety of issues. 

Areas of Expertise

CANES Areas of Expertise include:

• Medical
• Legal
• Sexual Abuse
• Human Trafficking
• Domestic Violence
• Divorce and Custody Issues
• Child Development – 
• Developmental Expectations Developmental Delays
• Pediatric Mental Health
• Child Trauma
• Adult Behavioral Health –  Mental Health & Substance Use
• Adolescent Behavioral Health -Mental Health & Substance Use
• Suicide Prevention
• Homelessness

We are proud to support those professionals on the front-line in child protection.

We, like the Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth, and Families, continue to explore all funding options for this service; and hope that the necessary data sharing agreements can be put in place prior to September 30 to enable counties to share case-specific information with outside experts. Should that not be possible, Illuminate is committed to evolving the CANES program to operate under any new parameters to help prevent child maltreatment in Colorado.