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Creating New Governance Structures

Creating New Governance Structures
(Fall 1994 Networkshop)

Colorado

Colorado's initiatives were introduced by Claudia Zundel, Family Center Coordinator at the Colorado Department of Social Services.

Colorado's Family and Children's Initiative was preceded by several programs initiated by Governor and Mrs. Romer and by the Department of Education. The first, known as Communities for Drug-Free Colorado, gave communities important experience in collaborative decisionmaking and problem solving. A second, First Impressions, raised public awareness of early childhood issues, created public initiatives, and helped start a statewide information and referral system for child care. Finally, an Interagency Coordinating Council, implemented within the Department of Education, led departments to work together to explore what it means to be family-centered and to incorporate families in decisionmaking.

In 1989, Colorado participated in a Policy Academy on Families and Children at Risk, convened by the Council of Governors' Policy Advisors (CGPA). A team comprised of the Governor's Cabinet members, local government officials, and private sector representatives (including foundations) developed a strategic plan and established the following set of goals. All families and children will have:

• social, emotional, intellectual, mental, and physical well being to ensure optimum growth and development;
  
  
• nurturing, stable, and safe environments;
  
  
• the educational achievement, knowledge, and skills to lead productive and satisfying lives; and
  
  
• employment and income sufficient to meet basic family needs.
  
  

The goals were adopted in the private sector by the Colorado Children's Campaign, a non-profit children's advocacy group, which added 13 specific outcomes and measures to the plan. The Campaign gathers data and issues an Annual Report Card, with comparisons by county on seven of the outcomes. In 1989, although nine departments offered hundreds of programs for families and children, most indicators showed situations to be worsening. The Policy Academy team concluded:

• The existing service delivery approach was destabilizing or even supplanting families.
  
  
• A better approach would be outcome-focused, and programs and communities would be held responsible for achieving outcomes.
  
  
• Focus should be on prevention rather than crisis response.
  
  
• Relationships with parents should be based on partnership rather than a "client-expert" model.
  
  
• Service plans should be neighborhood-based.

Governor Romer appointed a Commission on Families and Children to oversee implementation of the strategic plan. Composed of parents, representatives of the private sector, service providers, and heads of the Cabinets of Education, Social Services, Institutions, and Health, the Commission works in three main areas:

1. Family Centers. These pilot projects for service delivery change are established within communities through state planning grants of not more than $25,000, followed in six months by implementation grants of up to $200,000. Monies for the Family Center program were pooled from existing funding streams in the Departments of Education, Health, and Social Services; the Division of Criminal Justice; the Governor's Job Training Office; and Communities for a Drug-Free Colorado. As a result, communities had only one contract and one set of monitoring requirements. By fall 1993, nine Family Centers were being implemented and two were in "advanced" planning (beyond an initial six-months period). Family Center programs are benefitting from the training, technical assistance, and facilitation activities of a state-level Family Center Council. The Council, now permanently established in statute, is composed of representatives from participating agencies, local government, and parent members of local center advisory councils.
   
   
2. Family-impact analysis. This tool examines the effects that policies and procedures generated by a piece of legislation have on families. Seven agencies have received feedback from such analysis to help them streamline policy implementation and make it more productive.
   
   
3. Restructuring. Because agreement about principles and goals has been achieved, restructuring is seen within agencies as an opportunity for reform in service delivery. One outcome will be the creation of a Department of Human Services, combining the Department of Social Services, the Department of Institutions (including mental health, developmental disabilities, and the Division of New Services), and parts of the Department of Health (e.g., Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division). In facilitating a highly inclusive process, state-level restructuring has created conflict and raised difficult issues. At the local level, the state is providing only a process for restructuring; decisions about service-delivery areas and governing structures are being made within communities.

Some of Colorado's state agencies are engaged in parallel initiatives to those spearheaded by the Commission on Families and Children. For example, through its Prevention Initiatives Unit, the Colorado Department of Education has combined its programs on teen suicide, health curriculum, child care, and other programs addressing prevention. As another example, the State Efforts Group for Early Childhood is a collaboration among agencies that is attempting to help communities develop comprehensive packages to make the best use of available early childhood funding streams. Agencies also have pooled early childhood training dollars and created joint RFPs to allow communities to receive funds based on their own unique training needs. Finally, the Colorado Preschool Project, a state-funded program for at-risk four- and five-year-olds, has led to significant progress in the area of school readiness. In this project, local districts have the discretion to purchase services from Head Start, from other non-profit providers, or from for-profit venues.