Recommendations for Investing American Rescue Plan Act Funds to Prevent Child Maltreatment and Promote Family Well-Being

The pandemic has impacted so many different aspects of our communities, the challenge on local, state, and federal levels is to determining how to prioritize allocation of these American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Decision-makers within county and state agencies are having to balance and prioritize everything from physical infrastructure to community infrastructure.

The Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families members including; Colorado Counties Inc, State and local public health and human services departments, families with lived experiences and Illuminate Colorado, created the following recommendations for county commissioners to guide investing American Rescue Plan Act funds in early childhood and reap long-term benefits of these investments to build stronger communities and families.

The recommendations include an overview of why it is important to invest in the prevention of child maltreatment and promotion of family-well being, data on the pronounced needs and opportunities of families during pregnancy and through the first five years of life, and specific recommendations on how ARPA funds can be leveraged to support families in Colorado.

Share these recommendations with your decision-makers within county and state agencies.