Arapahoe County commissioners gave staff permission to finalize and sign the county Core Services plan for fiscal year 2025–26, a state‑allocated program intended to prevent and respond to out‑of‑home placements for children.

Director Dan McKelvick (Human Services) opened the department presentation and said the county brings subject matter experts to the board each year to explain how the funds will be used. Jessica Williamson, human services, described the allocation and said the county’s total Core allocation for 2025–26 is $6,726,751.

Williamson said staff structured the plan to prioritize services that keep children safely in their homes or shorten time in foster care, and that the plan uses the required sequence of resources (for example, Medicaid or private insurance must be exhausted before Core funds are used). She recited the funding breakdown the department used in planning: “These monies are for families with kids who are at risk for out of home placement, and kids who are actually in out of home placement. This year, our allocation for the 2025, 2026, fiscal year is $6,726,751…”

Nicole Brown (Human Services) described categories of services: home‑based supports and staff positions that provide life‑skills and family engagement, day‑treatment education‑linked services, substance‑use and mental‑health treatment, targeted economic assistance (rental or utility assistance), and partnerships with community providers for medical and developmental assessments (the county’s KICS clinic was presented as a county‑designed program to provide rapid pediatric and developmental care for children entering care).

Why it matters: Core Services funds are state general‑fund allocations that county human services use to prevent entry to foster care and to support reunification. Williamson said the county’s Core plan had historically been underspent in Arapahoe County and that staff redirected allowable positions and resources to align spending with the current allocation.

Board action and next steps: The board signaled unanimous approval to authorize the chair to execute the Core Services plan. At the meeting a commissioner asked, “Do we have thumbs up to authorize the chair of the board of county commissioners to sign the core services plan for fiscal year 2025, 2026?” Williamson and Dan noted that the plan slightly exceeded the allocation on an initial draft and that staff built checks to keep spending within the approved allocation. Commissioners indicated assent (five thumbs up on the record) and staff said they would follow internal counsel procedures for finalizing signatures and placement on consent if appropriate.

Commissioner discussion: Commissioner Fields asked about how neglect is defined for families experiencing housing instability; department leaders responded that poverty and homelessness do not automatically equal neglect and described prevention and school‑based reporting partnerships intended to identify needs without unnecessary removal. The department emphasized use of prevention teams and community resources to avoid foster placements where possible.

Ending: Staff will file the Core Services plan and complete administrative signatures; they will return with performance and expenditure updates as required by state reporting cycles.