Summary — HB 25-1097: Placement Transition Plans for Children
Status: Governor signed (May 28, 2025)
Introduced: January 27, 2025
Primary sponsors: Lindsey Daugherty; Dafna Michaelson Jenet; Meg Froelich; Lindsay Gilchrist (plus numerous cosponsors)
Note: Full bill text not provided. This summary is based on the bill title and available bill history. For exact statutory language, effective date, and implementation details, consult the enrolled bill or the office of the Colorado General Assembly.
Purpose / Intent
The bill, titled "Placement Transition Plans for Children," is intended to improve planning and supports when children experience changes in placement. Although the enrolled bill text is not included here, the title and legislative context indicate the focus is on requiring formalized transition planning that promotes stability, continuity of services, and better coordination among child welfare agencies, caregivers, schools, and health providers when children move between placements (for example, foster, kinship, residential, or therapeutic placements).
Key themes and likely provisions
(Exact statutory language should be confirmed in the enrolled bill. The following describes elements commonly included in legislation of this type.)
- Required transition plans: Mandates that a written placement transition plan be prepared whenever a child is moved to a new placement.
- Content of plans: Plans typically address educational continuity (school enrollment, records, transportation), medical and mental health information and medication management, permanency/placement goals, individualized needs, and contact/visitation arrangements.
- Timelines: Requirements for when a transition plan must be created and/or reviewed (e.g., prior to placement change or within a defined number of days after placement).
- Roles and coordination: Specifies responsibilities of child welfare caseworkers, foster/kin caregivers, birth parents as appropriate, schools, and health care providers in preparing and implementing the plan.
- Information sharing and records transfer: Procedures to transfer school and health records promptly to minimize disruption in services and care.
- Training and oversight: May direct the state child welfare agency to develop guidance, training, or monitoring to ensure compliance.
- Protections and confidentiality: Ensures sensitive health and education information is shared in a manner consistent with privacy laws.
Who would be affected
- Children and youth in out-of-home care (foster, kinship, residential, group homes).
- Birth parents and legal guardians.
- Foster and kin caregivers and placement providers.
- Child welfare caseworkers and county/state child welfare agencies.
- Schools, health care and mental health providers involved in a child's care.
- Courts and child welfare oversight entities, to the extent plans are made part of case practice or court filings.
Legislative and procedural timeline
- Introduced in House: 2025-01-27 (assigned to Health & Human Services)
- Passed both chambers with amendments and concurrence during April–May 2025
- Sent to Governor: 2025-05-13
- Governor signed into law: 2025-05-28
Implementation / Next steps
- Check the enrolled bill text for precise requirements, definitions, and effective date.
- Expect the state child welfare agency to issue implementation guidance, templates, or rulemaking if the law assigns regulatory duties.
- Counties, providers, schools, and health systems will need to update intake, records-transfer and case management processes and provide staff training to comply.
For the exact statutory changes, cross-references, and effective date, review the enrolled bill (final legislative text) or contact bill sponsors or the Office of Legislative Legal Services.
