A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning measures to support early childhood health by
Page 1, Line 102integrating early childhood health-care systems into
Page 1, Line 103communities.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill creates the child care health consultation program (consultation program) in the department of early childhood (department) to expand access to child care health consultants (consultants) and to support whole-child health and well-being in licensed and license-exempt child care and learning settings.
The department shall:
- Contract with an implementation partner (consultant partner) to facilitate the implementation and administration of the consultation program;
- Create a model of child care health consultation (model of care) to provide standards and guidelines to ensure the consultation program is implemented effectively;
- Develop with the consultant partner a statewide professional development plan to support consultants in meeting the expectations outlined in the model of care; and
- Develop a statewide data collection and information system to collect and analyze implementation data and selected consultation program outcomes to identify areas for improvement, promote accountability, and provide insights on how to improve consultation program outcomes to benefit young children and their families.
- Establish an application and selection process with the department for select medical practices to participate in the primary care program;
- Review applications from medical practices and select applicants to participate in the primary care program;
- Work with selected applicants to complete assessments on the applicants' community health-care systems, health and well-being practices, and related concerns; and
- Train and support the medical practices selected to participate in the primary care program to maintain fidelity to the evidence-based model.
The department shall submit a report on the consultation program to the joint budget committee by October 1, 2027, and by each October 1 thereafter.
The bill creates the pediatric primary care practice program (primary care program) in the department. The purpose of the primary care program is to provide funding and support to a pediatric primary care medical practice (medical practice) to integrate into the medical practice a professional who specializes in whole-child and whole-family health and well-being.
The department shall contract with an implementation partner (primary care partner) to create and implement the primary care program. The primary care partner shall create and implement a team-based, research-informed pediatric primary care practice evidence-based model (evidence-based model). The evidence-based model must be a comprehensive approach to guide pediatric care medical practices to deliver services to children from birth to 3 years of age and their families.
The primary care partner shall:
The executive director of the department may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of the consultation program and the primary care program.
Page 3, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 3, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, addpart 10 to article 3 of title 26.5 as follows:
Page 3, Line 3PART 10
PEDIATRIC PRIMARY
Page 3, Line 4CARE PRACTICE PROGRAM
Page 3, Line 526.5-3-1001. Definitions.As used in this part 10, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 3, Line 6(1) "Implementation partner" means a state public or
Page 3, Line 7private entity that has experience implementing and operating
Page 3, Line 8nationally supported evidence-based, research-informed pediatric primary care programs.
Page 3, Line 9(2) "Pediatric primary care practice evidence-based
Page 3, Line 10model" or "evidence-based model" means the team-based,
Page 3, Line 11research-informed pediatric primary care practice evidence-based model described in section 26.5-3-1002 (2).
Page 3, Line 12(3) "Pediatric primary care practice program" or
Page 3, Line 13"program" means the pediatric primary care practice program described in section 26.5-3-1002 (1).
Page 3, Line 1426.5-3-1002. Pediatric primary care practice program -
Page 3, Line 15created - model - rules. (1) (a) The department shall implement
Page 3, Line 16and operate the pediatric primary care practice program. The
Page 3, Line 17purpose of the program is to provide funding and support to a
Page 3, Line 18pediatric primary care medical practice to integrate into the
Page 4, Line 1medical practice a professional who specializes in whole-child and whole-family health and well-being.
Page 4, Line 2(b) The department shall contract with an
Page 4, Line 3implementation partner to implement, operate, and administer
Page 4, Line 4the program. The implementation partner shall demonstrate experience and expertise in:
Page 4, Line 5(I) Placing professionals who specialize in whole-child
Page 4, Line 6and whole-family health and well-being with pediatric primary care medical practices;
Page 4, Line 7(II) Identifying the concerns of families and health-care professionals about child development and family needs; and
Page 4, Line 8(III) Offering support strategies, guidance, and community resources to families.
Page 4, Line 9(2) (a) The implementation partner shall create and
Page 4, Line 10implement a team-based, research-informed pediatric primary
Page 4, Line 11care practice evidence-based model. The evidence-based model
Page 4, Line 12must be a comprehensive approach to guide pediatric primary
Page 4, Line 13care medical practices to deliver services to children from
Page 4, Line 14birth to three years of age and their families. The
Page 4, Line 15evidence-based model must demonstrate improvements in
Page 4, Line 16physical health, behavioral health, developmental outcomes,
Page 4, Line 17and social outcomes for children from birth to three years of age and their families.
Page 4, Line 18(b) In addition to creating and implementing the
Page 4, Line 19evidence-based model described in subsection (2)(a) of this section, the implementation partner shall:
Page 4, Line 20(I) With the department, establish an application and
Page 5, Line 1selection process for pediatric primary care medical practices to participate in the program;
Page 5, Line 2(II) Review applications from pediatric primary care
Page 5, Line 3medical practices and select eligible medical practices to participate in the program;
Page 5, Line 4(III) Work with pediatric primary care medical practices
Page 5, Line 5selected for the program to complete assessments on the
Page 5, Line 6medical practices' community health-care systems, health and
Page 5, Line 7well-being practices, and related concerns, when necessary or as required by the evidence-based model; and
Page 5, Line 8(IV) Train and support the pediatric primary care medical
Page 5, Line 9practices selected for the program to maintain fidelity to the evidence-based model.
Page 5, Line 10(3) (a) To be eligible for the program, a pediatric primary
Page 5, Line 11care medical practice must incorporate the evidence-based
Page 5, Line 12model into the medical practice. The department and the
Page 5, Line 13implementation partner shall prioritize the selection of
Page 5, Line 14pediatric primary care medical practices that offer children
Page 5, Line 15from birth to three years of age and their families the following services:
Page 5, Line 16(I) An evaluation of the relationship between the child
Page 5, Line 17and the caregiver through assessments, interventions, and referrals;
Page 5, Line 18(II) Child development, social-emotional, and behavioral health screenings;
Page 5, Line 19(III) Screenings that identify family risk factors and
Page 5, Line 20needs, including perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, social determinants of health, and other risk factors;
Page 6, Line 1(IV) Access to short-term behavioral health consultations; and
Page 6, Line 2(V) Ongoing, preventative team-based well-child visits.
Page 6, Line 3(b) A pediatric primary care medical practice selected for
Page 6, Line 4the program shall partner with professionals who specialize in
Page 6, Line 5whole-child and whole-family health and well-being and who
Page 6, Line 6use data and outcomes to demonstrate adherence to the evidence-based model.
Page 6, Line 7(4) The department may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this part 10.
Page 6, Line 826.5-3-1003. Funding. (1) The department, in partnership
Page 6, Line 9with the department of health care policy and financing and the
Page 6, Line 10behavioral health administration in the department of human
Page 6, Line 11services, shall explore funding sources to implement the
Page 6, Line 12program and the requirements of this part 10, including
Page 6, Line 13potential funding options through the children's basic health
Page 6, Line 14plan, set forth in article 8 of title 25.5, and the state medical assistance program, set forth in articles 4 to 6 of title 25.5.
Page 6, Line 15(2) On or before January 1, 2026, the department shall
Page 6, Line 16report to the joint budget committee any identified funding sources for this part 10.
Page 6, Line 17(3) The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts,
Page 6, Line 18grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this part 10.
Page 6, Line 19(4) The department is not obligated to implement this part
Page 6, Line 2010 until the department has sufficient appropriations to cover the costs of the program.
Page 7, Line 1SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 7, Line 2takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 7, Line 3ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 7, Line 4that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 7, Line 5of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 7, Line 6act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 7, Line 7effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 7, Line 8November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.