Child Welfare
The Child Welfare Subcommittee meets to discuss issues, programs and ideas geared towards prevention and response to abuse/neglect of children ages 0-18.
According to data from the Colorado Child Fatality Prevention System, about 50 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly, sometimes called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), each year in Colorado while they sleep. Most of these sleep-related infant deaths are preventable.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following to create a safe sleep environment:
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Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night.
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Use a firm sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib, covered by a fitted sheet.*
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Breastfeed your baby.
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Share your room, but not your bed, with your baby for the first six months to a year.
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Your baby shouldn't sleep in an adult bed, on a couch or on a chair, alone, with you or with anyone else.
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Keep soft objects, toys, crib bumpers and loose bedding out of your baby's sleep area.
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Give your baby a dry pacifier that isn't attached to a string for naps and at night.
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Don't smoke or allow smoking around your baby.
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Don't drink alcohol or use illegal drugs during pregnancy or after the baby is born.
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Don't let your baby get too hot during sleep.
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Get regular health care during pregnancy.
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Follow your health care provider's guidance on your baby's vaccines and regular health checkups.
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Avoid products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death.
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Don't use home heart or breathing monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS.
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Give your baby plenty of "tummy time" when he or she is awake and someone's watching.
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Swaddling does not reduce the risk of SIDS.
Community planners, policy makers and community foundations play a role by helping to build communities that support families. The Colorado Child Maltreatment Prevention Framework for Action shares a vision for communities to work collectively and locally to prevent child maltreatment. For each community in Colorado, it will guide planning and mobilize action to ensure all children are valued, healthy and thriving. The Jefferson County Child Maltreatment Prevention Plan was completed in November 2020 and communities are discussing how they can play a part in bringing the ideas to life.
Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is committed to promoting health and preventing injury and disease for the residents of Jefferson County, Colorado. Public Health is what we as a society do collectively to prevent illness and premature death and promote health in our neighborhoods and communities. Health Family programs and services include clinics (immunization, pregnancy testing, children and teen, and men's health), home visitation services, nutrition education, Women, Infant and Children (WIC), tobacco prevention, and health care access. Please call 303-232-6301, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for schedules and more information.
The free, online Mandatory Reporter Training is for individuals who are required by law to make reports of child abuse and/or neglect. The training is designed to be flexible, so the amount of time it takes you to complete it may vary. Please count on spending approximately two hours. If you need to stop and come back, don't worry -- if you're using the same computer, the training will automatically take you to where you left off. If you need to login from a different computer, just remember the section you were on and you can easily navigate to your page by using the links on the Table of Contents. This online resource should be used by both mandated and non mandated reporters of child abuse and/or neglect to further their understanding of definitions and the process once a report is made.
Triad, the Early Childhood Council for the counties of Clear Creek, Gilpin, and Jefferson, is part of a system of Early Childhood Councils designated under Colorado HB1062. Triad is composed of public and private stakeholders engaged in collaborative planning and decision making to improve quality, access, and equity outcomes for young children.