About the EIP Awards

The Excellence in Practice Awards were established to recognize county caseworkers, supervisors, administrators, county units or other county staff members who have demonstrated excellence in the field of Child Welfare during the past year.

In 2008, we expanded the awards to honor lawyers, judicial officers, judicial staff members and multidiscplinary court teams.

The EIP awards salute all those who demonstrate in their daily work a commitment to Safety, Permanency and Well-Being – the three Child Welfare core outcomes identified in the Child and Family Service Plan.

If you know someone who has been instrumental in delivering services, developing programs or implementing innovative ways to help Colorado’s children and families, you can now nominate them online.

The Excellence in Practice Committee, a sub-committee of the Summit Steering Committee, will review all nominations and make its recommendations to the Child Welfare Administration for a final decision regarding award recipients.

Award recipients will be notified and will be responsible for making arrangements to attend the awards presentation to be held on Thursday, June 4, 2009, during the Colorado Summit on Children, Youth and Families in Keystone.

Definitions of Safety, Permanency and Well-Being

Outcome 1 – Safety
To ensure the safety of all children who come to the attention of the Colorado Department of Human Services and/or County Departments of Social/Human Services. Children in the Child Welfare system are secure and protected from harm as evidenced by reduced recurrences of child abuse and/or neglect in all settings, including home, kinship care, out-of-home placement, adoption, independent living and guardianship.

Outcome 2 – Permanency
Children will be in a permanent living situation in a timely fashion. Safe, permanent and nurturing living environments will be obtained for all children who come to the attention of a Department of Human/Social Services agency.

Outcome 3 – Child and Family Well-Being
Children and families will live in safe and stable environments with access to a continuum of quality services appropriate to their needs.
Children will have safe, stable, permanent and nurturing living environments that are respectful of their needs.

Sponsored by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Welfare, the Office of the State Court Administrator and the Office of the Child's Representative