Right now in Colorado, whether a child’s safety concerns are heard in court can depend on which type of case the child is in.

HB23-1024 strengthened child safety protections in dependency and neglect (DHS) cases by allowing courts to hear evidence of abuse or neglect earlier and prioritizing placement with safe family members instead of foster care.

However, those same protections do not apply in Title 14 family law cases — including guardianship and custody matters.

In Title 14 proceedings, credible child safety concerns raised by close relatives can be dismissed before a court ever reviews the evidence, due to procedural standing requirements. This creates an inconsistency in how child safety is treated across Colorado’s court systems.

Have you ever witnessed something concerning involving a child and felt powerless to help? Or reported something only to feel like nothing changed?
This petition is about ensuring courts can review safety concerns before harm escalates — regardless of which legal track a case falls under.

We are not asking for automatic visitation rights or to override parental authority.
We are asking for parity in child safety standards.

We urge Colorado lawmakers to revise HB23-1024, or adopt related statutory language, to:

• Extend the child safety evidentiary standards recognized in dependency cases to Title 14 family law proceedings
• Ensure courts may hear credible safety concerns raised by close relatives before dismissing cases on procedural grounds
• Promote consistency in how child safety is evaluated across Colorado courts

When the law recognizes that early review of safety concerns protects children in one court setting, that same principle should apply in others.

No child’s safety should depend on a procedural distinction between court types.

Protect all children. Close the legal gap.