Colorado Revised Statutes Title 19. Children's Code § 19-1-109. Appeals--child welfare appeals workgroup--created--reports

(2)(a) The people of the state of Colorado shall have the same right to appeal questions of law in delinquency cases as exists in criminal cases.

(b) An order terminating or refusing to terminate the legal relationship between a parent or parents and one or more of the children of such parent or parents on a petition, or between a child and one or both parents of the child, shall be a final and appealable order.

(c) An order decreeing a child to be neglected or dependent shall be a final and appealable order after the entry of the disposition pursuant to section 19-3-508. Any appeal shall not affect the jurisdiction of the trial court to enter such further dispositional orders as the court believes to be in the best interests of the child.

(3)(a) The child welfare appeals workgroup is established in the state judicial department and referred to in this subsection (3) as the “workgroup”. The purpose of the workgroup is to consider necessary changes to practices, rules, and statutes to ensure that appeals in cases concerning relinquishment, adoption, and dependency and neglect are resolved within six months after being filed.

(b) Beginning January 1, 2022, the workgroup shall monitor, for two years, the implementation of the recommendations of the workgroup's 2021 final report, determine if other issues are contributing to appellate delay, study opportunities to reduce delay in child welfare appeals, and provide training. No later than January 1, 2023, the judicial department shall report to the health and human services committee of the senate and the public and behavioral health and human services committee of the house of representatives, or any successor committees, on the status of the workgroup's data collection; identified necessary resources; progress made on implementation of the recommendations; outstanding recommendations; additional changes to practices, rules, and statutes necessary to ensure that appeals are resolved within six months of filing; and the impact those recommendations are having on appellate delay. No later than July 1, 2024, the workgroup shall also issue a final report.