Posts tagged child
Boulder County Selected for Innovative Child Welfare Program
Feb 10th
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County will soon join in an expansion of a visionary approach to child welfare that stabilizes families and helps keep children safe. The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) sent notification this week that in spring 2013 the state will begin providing assistance to the county in the form of training, coaching, technical assistance, and meetings to enhance the quality of the county’s Differential Response (DR) initiative.
Differential Response is an evidence-based approach to child welfare that involves identifying cases that are lower risk and partnering with the families to get them the help they need, rather than treating all cases in the same way. Boulder County has been using a more collaborative approach with families since 2009, and has seen tremendous success in its child welfare outcomes as a result.
“Children do best with their families when appropriate safety exists,” said Kit Thompson, director of the Family and Children Services Division of the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services. “What we’ve found is that by strengthening families, we give them the best chance to provide a safe, stable home for their children.”
Research indicates the Differential Response approach leads to families receiving more help sooner, which results in sustained child safety and improved family engagement. DR also helps ensure that families who need much closer attention in cases of abuse or neglect have those resources available to them.
The Colorado Consortium on Differential Response, a group of five counties in partnership with CDHS, has been working to implement DR across the state since 2010.
“Studying and implementing Differential Response allowed us to redefine the values and mission of our child protection work and challenged us to alter our daily thinking about how to collaborate with families, our community, and one another,” said Angela Lytle, Children Youth and Family Services division manager for the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services. Arapahoe County has seen tremendous success with Differential Response, and Lytle has been a strong advocate for expanding the practice statewide. “Congratulations to Colorado for demonstrating the courage to take this innovative work and expand it with diligence and fidelity to best meet the needs of Colorado families,” she said.
Boulder County will develop its own implementation plan for the DR expansion in partnership with the state and other counties currently involved in the pilot. Other counties in the expansion include Adams, Chaffee, Denver, La Plata, San Juan, Lincoln, Mesa, and Otero. A second round of counties will join the expansion in fall 2013.
Boulder police: BMW driver attempts to lure female teen into car
Jan 22nd
Boulder police are increasing patrols after a teenage girl told investigators that an unknown man tried several times to lure her into his car. The incident occurred at 5:17 p.m. on Jan. 21, 2013 in the area of Broadway and Spruce.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his late forties. The victim said he had dark skin and eyes, thick eyebrows and was wearing a dark green long-sleeve shirt. He was driving a newer model, light silver BMW 5-series four-door sedan. A composite sketch of the suspect and a photo of a similar car are attached.
The victim went into a nearby business to ask for help. The business owner saw the BMW, but was not able to see a license plate. The suspect left the area at that time and police are trying to locate the male and the associated vehicle.
Although this is the first time Boulder police have been made aware of the suspect, the victim said that yesterday’s incident was not the first time the suspect had approached her. She said that approximately four weeks earlier, a man who she believes is the same suspect tried to persuade her into his car near Viele Lake. The victim says that three weeks ago, the same suspect began honking his horn at her as he was stopped at a red light, trying to entice her into his car at Broadway and Alpine. All three times the victim says she ignored the suspect and continued walking.
Police remind community members to call 911 immediately if they see anything or anyone who seems suspicious.
Some good safety tips to remember include:
· Walk in groups and in well-lit areas.
· Make sure children know to never, ever get into a car with a stranger.
· If a stranger approaches a child, run away and yell for help.
· If a stranger tries to take a child, the child should yell, “Help! This isn’t my mom” or “This isn’t my dad,” and try to get away. Bite, kick and scratch if necessary.
· Report suspicious incidents immediately.
The case number is 13-868.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Tom Dowd at 303-441-3385. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
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Bomb threat, “Hit List” closes Niwot High
Jan 11th
Niwot High School in Boulder, Colo. is closed Friday as authorities investigate a threat to blow up the school and a 30-name “hit list.”
A threat that the school would “blow on the 11th” was found scrawled on a bathroom Monday and made public Tuesday. Officials decided to close the school when the threat escalated upon Thursday’s discovery of the threatening hit list filled with students’ names, The Longmont Times-Call reports.
Parents were notified of the decision and investigation in a letter Thursday. Deputies are using dogs to comb the school for bombs, and the school is offering a $1,000 reward for anyone with information about the perpetrator.
“We made a recommendation to the school district that they don’t have school on Friday for safety reasons, for the students,” Cmdr. Rick Brough of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office told KUSA-TV. “It gives us more time to do an investigation and see if we can identify who is responsible, and whether the threat is credible.”
Schools across the country are still on high alert as parents nervously sent their children back to class after the Dec. 14 Sandy Hook school shooting. Districts nationwide have tightened security measures and increased campus patrols, and hypersensitivity to any unusual activity or perceived threats have already resulted in numerous lockdowns.
“Ten years ago this wouldn’t have been a problem, and now it’s a real problem. And my child’s name is on the list, and it’s very concerning,” parent Ellen Ross told TheDenverChannel. “I just really hope that the parents talk to their kids and try to find out what is going on because some child knows. No child does this and doesn’t tell anybody. I really want the parents to talk to their kids and find out who’s doing this.”
Weekend activities, including a girls’ basketball game and wrestling tournament, have also been canceled, KDVR reports.
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