Colorado Human and Social Service departments administer a broad range of services to support Colorado’s families. These services include: financial support; medical assistance; housing; and child welfare services.
Human Services Departments are committed to offering financial assistance and protective services to children, families, and elderly and disabled adults in our communities.
- The Children, Youth, and Family Services Divisions provide protective services to children and teens, as well as foster care, adoption, adolescent services, court-ordered evaluations for parental rights following separation and divorce, teen parent programs and other services that help create strong, effective families.
- The Community Support Services Divisions support residents through financial assistance, including (but not limited to) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Aid to the Needy Disabled, Old Age Pension and the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. This division also provides protective services to at-risk adults following allegations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
- The Child Support Services Divisions help children get the financial and medical support they need and deserve by locating non-custodial parents, establishing paternity, and establishing/modifying/enforcing support orders and medical support orders.
Many Human Services Departments also provide Head Start programs, workforce development programs, housing services, and public and mental health services.
Colorado’s State Supervised, County Administered System
Colorado has a state-supervised and county-administered human services system. Under this system, county departments are the main provider of direct services to Colorado’s families, children, and adults. County Human/Social Services Departments, in partnership with their local communities, provide the safety net for Colorado’s residents.
Studies show that local governments are most responsive to local citizens and have a better understanding of the needs of local communities. Counties throughout Colorado have developed strong partnerships with local agencies and leveraged local funds to provide the best integrated services to Colorado residents.
CHSDA works in partnership with key state agencies, including the Colorado Department of Human Services, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and the Office of Information and Technology.
