Residents say child-welfare services and public benefits helped keep family intact
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Two residents speaking during the public comment period described relying on child-welfare services, public benefit programs and nonprofit supports to keep their families together.
One speaker, identified here as Resident 1, a parent, said, “I have my 14 year old who is in a voluntary case. My 18 and 19 year olds both had cases. They were dependency cases.” Resident 1 later added, “I really believe that we would all be separated and not not a family at all. I'm not sure that some of us would even be alive without some of these services that we've had.”
Resident 2, also a parent, described being a “single mom of 3” and noted the family’s use of child-care and health programs. “My kids received, CCAP, CHP plus, and food stamps,” Resident 2 said, and added that the younger children attend daycare. Resident 2 also said, “We have access to case management. We have access to therapy, both individual and family.”
Both speakers described services that ranged from financial assistance to direct child-welfare interventions. Resident 1 said two children, named in the remarks as Trey (14) and Haley (18), received tutoring after school difficulties, and an oldest child, Alan, was served by Denver Children's Home: “She really helped him get to a place where he was able to go into foster care and that, in his words, saved his life,” Resident 1 said.
Resident 2 addressed public perceptions about benefit use, saying, “People think that, oh, you're getting food stamps, then you don't have a job. You don't, you know, you're not doing what you're supposed to. But we do. There's a lot of families that work very hard, and they still need that extra little help.” Resident 2 also praised staff: “All the people that work here are just great. They go out of their way to help you to make sure that you have what you need and to make you feel better about what's going on.”
The comments described a mix of supports including case management, therapy (individual and family), tutoring, child-care assistance (CCAP), CHP+ health coverage and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (“food stamps”), as well as foster-care placements and nonprofit involvement. The speakers framed these supports as essential at times of crisis and expressed hope services would continue to be available to the communities they serve.
These remarks were delivered during public comment and did not propose or create any formal action by the meeting body. No motions or votes were recorded in the transcript related to these statements.
One speaker, identified here as Resident 1, a parent, said, “I have my 14 year old who is in a voluntary case. My 18 and 19 year olds both had cases. They were dependency cases.” Resident 1 later added, “I really believe that we would all be separated and not not a family at all. I'm not sure that some of us would even be alive without some of these services that we've had.”
Resident 2, also a parent, described being a “single mom of 3” and noted the family’s use of child-care and health programs. “My kids received, CCAP, CHP plus, and food stamps,” Resident 2 said, and added that the younger children attend daycare. Resident 2 also said, “We have access to case management. We have access to therapy, both individual and family.”
Both speakers described services that ranged from financial assistance to direct child-welfare interventions. Resident 1 said two children, named in the remarks as Trey (14) and Haley (18), received tutoring after school difficulties, and an oldest child, Alan, was served by Denver Children's Home: “She really helped him get to a place where he was able to go into foster care and that, in his words, saved his life,” Resident 1 said.
Resident 2 addressed public perceptions about benefit use, saying, “People think that, oh, you're getting food stamps, then you don't have a job. You don't, you know, you're not doing what you're supposed to. But we do. There's a lot of families that work very hard, and they still need that extra little help.” Resident 2 also praised staff: “All the people that work here are just great. They go out of their way to help you to make sure that you have what you need and to make you feel better about what's going on.”
The comments described a mix of supports including case management, therapy (individual and family), tutoring, child-care assistance (CCAP), CHP+ health coverage and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (“food stamps”), as well as foster-care placements and nonprofit involvement. The speakers framed these supports as essential at times of crisis and expressed hope services would continue to be available to the communities they serve.
These remarks were delivered during public comment and did not propose or create any formal action by the meeting body. No motions or votes were recorded in the transcript related to these statements.
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