CO HB1390

Creates a voluntary "authorization agreement" option allowing parents experiencing crisis to temporarily delegate parental care to a screened and trained unrelated family caregiver for up to 6 months (or longer if parent is deployed to active military duty) while maintaining legal custody.

Requires qualified nonprofit organizations licensed as "substitute care organizations" to conduct fingerprint-based criminal background checks and child abuse/neglect background checks on all adults in the caregiver's household, perform home studies, and provide mandatory reporter training.

Clarifies that authorization agreements do not constitute abandonment or child abuse/neglect and cannot independently adversely affect parental rights; children under these agreements are not considered in foster care or custody of county/state departments.

Mandates substitute care organizations collect and report annual aggregate data on agreements to the state department of human services, including number of families served, average child age, length of stay, common reasons for agreements, and outcomes.

Appropriates $33,245 to the department of human services for 2018-19 fiscal year (0.4 FTE) to implement the act; establishes custodial power of attorney provisions allowing parents to delegate specific parental rights for education, medical decisions, and school matters.