Promoting Safe and Stable Families

The Need

Unique communities require unique solutions, even for the everyday challenges facing Colorado families. More than ever before, the pandemic demonstrated the importance of community-based approaches that ensure families with young children are safe and stable. Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) programs in Colorado will benefit from receiving additional funding to meet the growing needs of families and prevent long-term negative impacts created by the pandemic. 

The Strategy

PSSF focuses on developing, expanding and operating coordinated programs of community-based family support services toward family preservation, family reunification and adoption. These programs support families with children from birth to 17 years old.

Key Outcomes and Learnings 

Impact

PSSF provided supplemental funding to new and existing programs and agencies to support families experiencing pandemic-related hardships. Funds were used for crisis intervention, concrete supports, fatherhood support groups, kinship navigation, adoption support, respite care and workforce development. Additionally PSSF partially supported the 2022 Strengthening Colorado Families and Communities Conference and enhancements to the CDEC data system. 

Learning

Due to the short timeframe for stimulus-specific PSSF funding, sites were challenged with releasing the funds to families and community resources through available methods. There also were concerns about starting new programs and services that could not be sustained beyond the federal fiscal year.