2021 Colorado Code
Title 19 - Children's Code
Article 3 - Dependency and Neglect
Part 4 - Temporary Custody and Shelter
§ 19-3-403. Temporary Custody - Hearing - Time Limits - Restriction - Rules

1. A child who must be taken from his or her home but who does not require physical restriction may be given temporary care with his or her grandparent, upon the grandparent's request, if in the best interests of the child, in a shelter facility designated by the court or with the county department of human or social services and must not be placed in detention. If an appropriate shelter facility does not exist, the child may be placed in a staff-secure temporary holding facility authorized by the court.
2. When a child is placed in a shelter facility or a temporary holding facility not operated by the department of human services designated by the court, the law enforcement official taking the child into custody shall promptly so notify the court. He shall also notify a parent or legal guardian or, if a parent or legal guardian cannot be located within the county, the person with whom the child has been residing and inform him of the right to a prompt hearing to determine whether the child is to be detained further. The court shall hold such hearing within forty-eight hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. A child requiring physical restraint may be placed in a juvenile detention facility operated by or under contract with the department of human services for a period of not more than twenty-four hours, including Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.
3. Repealed. (3.5) When temporary custody is placed with the county department of human or social services pursuant to this section or section 19-3-405 or when an emergency protection order is entered pursuant to section 19-3-405 , the court shall hold a hearing within seventy-two hours after placement, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and court holidays, to determine further custody of the child or whether the emergency protection order should continue. Such a hearing need not be held if a hearing has previously been held pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. (3.6)
   1. 1. The office of the state court administrator shall prepare a form affidavit and advisement. The form affidavit and advisement shall be available at each judicial district to each parent attending a temporary custody hearing. The form affidavit and advisement shall: (a) (I)The office of the state court administrator shall prepare a form affidavit and advisement. The form affidavit and advisement shall be available at each judicial district to each parent attending a temporary custody hearing. The form affidavit and advisement shall:
         1. Advise the parent that he or she is required to provide the requested information fully and completely under penalties of perjury and contempt of court;
         2. Require the parent to list the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of, and any comments concerning the appropriateness of the child's potential placement with, every grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, half-sibling, and first cousin of the child;
         3. Provide a section in which the parent may list the names, addresses, telephone numbers of, and any comments concerning the appropriateness of the child's potential placement with, other relatives and kin who have a significant relationship with the child;
         4. Advise the parent that failure to identify these relatives in a timely manner may result in the child being placed permanently outside of the home of the child's relatives, if the child cannot be safely returned to the home of the child's parents;
         5. Advise the parent that the child may risk life-long damage to his or her emotional well-being if the child becomes attached to one caregiver and is later removed from the caregiver's home;
         6. Require the parent to acknowledge that he or she understands the advisements contained in the form; and
         7. Require the parent to sign and date the form.

      2. At the hearing, information may be supplied to the court in the form of written or oral reports, affidavits, testimony, or other relevant information that the court may wish to receive. Any information having probative value may be received by the court, regardless of its admissibility under the Colorado rules of evidence.
      3. The court shall advise the parents of the child that the child may be placed with a relative if, in the court's opinion, such placement is appropriate and in the child's best interests. The court shall order the parents to complete the form affidavit and advisement described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a) no later than seven business days after the date of the hearing or prior to the next hearing on the matter, whichever occurs first. The original completed form shall be filed with the court, and a copy delivered to the county department of human or social services no later than five business days after the date of the hearing. Each parent, the guardian ad litem, and counsel for each parent, if any, shall also receive copies of the completed form. The court may advise each parent of the penalties associated with perjury and contempt of court, if necessary. Each parent may suggest an adult relative or relatives whom he or she believes to be the most appropriate caretaker or caretakers for the child. If appropriate, the child or children shall be consulted regarding suggested relative caretakers. The court shall order each parent to notify every relative who may be an appropriate relative caretaker for the child that failure to come forward in a timely manner may result in the child being placed permanently outside of the home of the child's relatives, if the child is not able to return to the child's home. In addition, the court shall advise each parent that failure to identify these relatives in a timely manner may result in the child being placed permanently outside of the home of the child's relatives.
      4. The court shall order a county department of human or social services to exercise due diligence to contact all grandparents and other adult relatives within thirty days following the removal of the child and to inform them about placement possibilities for the child, unless the court determines there is good cause not to contact or good cause to delay contacting the child's relatives, including but not limited to family or domestic violence. A county department of human or social services shall provide notice to the relatives that the child has been removed from his or her home; options under federal, state, and local law to participate in the child's care or placement; options that may be lost by failing to respond; and requirements to become a foster parent, and services and supports available to the child placed in a foster home. The county department of human or social services shall advise each appropriate identified relative that the possibility for placement of the child in his or her home may terminate at a future date; request each such relative who is interested in becoming a placement option for the child to come forward at the earliest possible time to seek placement of the child in his or her home and to cooperate with the county department of human or social services to expedite procedures pertaining to the placement of the child in his or her home, if the child cannot be safely returned to the home of the child's parents. The department of human services shall promulgate rules for the implementation of this subparagraph (IV) and subparagraph (III) of this paragraph (a).
      5. The court may consider and give preference to giving temporary custody to a child's relative who is appropriate, capable, willing, and available for care if it is in the best interests of the child and if the court finds that there is no suitable birth or adoptive parent available, with due diligence having been exercised in attempting to locate any such birth or adoptive parent. The court may place or continue custody with the county department of human or social services if the court is satisfied from the information presented at the hearing that such custody is appropriate and in the child's best interests, or the court may enter such other orders as are appropriate. The court may authorize the county department of human or social services with custody of a child to place the child with a relative without the necessity for a hearing if a county department locates an appropriate, capable, and willing relative who is available to care for the child and the guardian ad litem of the child concurs that the placement is in the best interests of the child. If the county department of human or social services places a child with a relative without a hearing pursuant to the provisions of this subsection (3.6)(a)(V), the county department shall fully inform the court of the details concerning the child's placement on the record at the next hearing. If the court enters an order removing a child from the home or continuing a child in a placement out of the home, the court shall make the findings required pursuant to section 19-1-115 (6), if such findings are warranted by the evidence.

   2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (3.6) to the contrary, when the child is part of a sibling group and the sibling group is being placed out of the home, if the county department locates an appropriate, capable, willing, and available joint placement for all of the children in the sibling group, the court shall presume that placement of the entire sibling group in the joint placement is in the best interests of the children. Such presumption may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence that placement of the entire sibling group in the joint placement is not in the best interests of a child or of the children. (3.7) A child who is alleged to be a runaway from a state other than Colorado may be held in a shelter care or other appropriate facility for up to seven days, during which time arrangements shall be made for returning the child to the state of his residence.

4. 1. [Editor's note: This version of subsection (4)(a) is effective until July 1, 2024.] If it appears that any child being held in a shelter facility may have an intellectual and developmental disability, as provided in article 10.5 of title 27, the court shall refer the child to the nearest community-centered board for an eligibility determination. If it appears that any child being held in a shelter facility pursuant to the provisions of this article 3 may have a mental health disorder, as provided in sections 27-65-105 and 27-65-106, the intake personnel or other appropriate personnel shall contact a mental health professional to do a mental health disorder prescreening on the child. The court shall be notified of the contact and may take appropriate action. If a mental health disorder prescreening is requested, it shall be conducted in an appropriate place accessible to the child and the mental health professional. A request for a mental health disorder prescreening must not extend the time within which a hearing is to be held pursuant to this section. If a hearing has been set but has not yet occurred, the mental health disorder prescreening shall be conducted prior to the hearing; except that the prescreening must not extend the time within which a hearing is to be held pursuant to this section.
   2. If a child has been ordered detained pending an adjudication, disposition, or other court hearing and the child subsequently appears to have a mental health disorder, as provided in section 27-65-105 or 27-65-106, the intake personnel or other appropriate personnel shall contact the court with a recommendation for a mental health disorder prescreening. A mental health disorder prescreening shall be conducted at any appropriate place accessible to the child and the mental health professional within twenty-four hours of the request, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.
   3. If the mental health professional finds, as a result of the prescreening, that the child may have a mental health disorder, the mental health professional shall recommend to the court that the child be evaluated pursuant to section 27-65-105 or 27-65-106, and the court shall proceed as provided in section 19-3-506.
   4. Nothing in this subsection (4) precludes the use of emergency procedures pursuant to section 27-65-105.

5. The court may, at any time, order the release of any child being held pursuant to section 19-3-401 from shelter care or a temporary holding facility not operated by the department of human services without holding a hearing, either without restriction or upon written promise of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian to bring the child to the court at a time set or to be set by the court.
6. 1. After making a reasonable effort to obtain the consent of the parent, guardian, or other legal custodian, the court may authorize or consent to medical, surgical, or dental treatment or care for a child placed in shelter care or a temporary holding facility not operated by the department of human services.
   2. When the court finds that emergency medical, surgical, or dental treatment is required for a child placed in shelter care or a temporary holding facility not operated by the department of human services, it may authorize such treatment or care if the parents, guardian, or legal custodian are not immediately available.

7. The court may also issue temporary orders for legal custody as provided in section 19-1-115. The court shall enter visitation orders consistent with section 19-3-217.
8. Any law enforcement officer, employee of the division in the department of human services responsible for youth services, or other person acting under the direction of the court who in good faith transports any child, releases any child from custody pursuant to a written policy of a court, releases any child from custody pursuant to any written criteria established pursuant to this title, or detains any child pursuant to court order or written policy or criteria established pursuant to this title shall be immune from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise result by reason of such act. For purposes of any proceedings, civil or criminal, the good faith of any such person shall be presumed.

(a) [ ] If it appears that any child being held in a shelter facility may have an intellectual and developmental disability, as provided in article 10.5 of title 27, the court shall refer the child to the nearest case management agency, as defined in section 25.5-6-1702 , for an eligibility determination. If it appears that any child being held in a shelter facility pursuant to this article 3 may have a mental health disorder, as provided in sections 27-65-105 and 27-65-106 , the intake personnel or other appropriate personnel shall contact a mental health professional to do a mental health disorder prescreening on the child. The court must be notified of the contact and may take appropriate action. If a mental health disorder prescreening is requested, it must be conducted in an appropriate place accessible to the child and the mental health professional. A request for a mental health disorder prescreening must not extend the time within which a hearing is to be held pursuant to this section. If a hearing has been set but has not yet occurred, the mental health disorder prescreening must be conducted prior to the hearing; except that the prescreening must not extend the time within which a hearing is to be held pursuant to this section.

History. Source: L. 87: Entire title R&RE, p. 776, § 1, effective October 1. L. 89: (1), (2), (3)(a), (5), and (6) amended, p. 928, § 5, effective April 23. L. 90: (2), (4)(a), (5), and (6) amended, (3) repealed, and (3.5) to (3.7) added, pp. 1035, 1037, §§ 2, 6, effective April 3; (8) added, p. 1019, § 6, effective April 20; (3.5) amended, p. 1033, § 24, effective July 1. L. 91: (1) and (3.6) amended, p. 264, § 8, effective May 31. L. 93: (3.6) amended, p. 2016, § 6, effective July 1. L. 94: (2), (5), (6), and (8) amended, p. 2683, § 201, effective July 1. L. 97: (3.5) amended, p. 518, § 6, effective July 1. L. 2000: (3.6) amended, p. 1123, § 1, effective August 2. L. 2001: (3.6) amended, p. 846, § 8, effective June 1. L. 2003: (3.6) amended, p. 2623, § 3, effective June 5. L. 2005: (3.6) amended, p. 676, § 2, effective July 1. L. 2006: (4) amended, p. 1401, § 57, effective August 7. L. 2009: (3.6)(a)(III) and (3.6)(a)(IV) amended,(SB 09-245), ch. 436, p. 2423, § 1, effective June 4. L. 2010: (4) amended,(SB 10-175), ch. 188, p. 791, § 44, effective April 29. L. 2017: (4) amended,(SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1314, § 162, effective May 25. L. 2018: (1), (3.5), and (3.6)(a)(V) amended,(SB 18-092), ch. 38, p. 420, § 56, effective August 8. L. 2021: (7) amended,(HB 21-1101), ch. 481, p. 3427, § 2, effective September 1; (4)(a) amended,(HB 21-1187), ch. 83, p. 327, § 10, effective July 1, 2024.

This section was contained in a title that was repealed and reenacted in 1987. Provisions of this section, as it existed in 1987, are similar to those contained in 19-2-103 as said section existed in 1986, the year prior to the repeal and reenactment of this title.

For the legislative declaration contained in the 2001 act amending subsection (3.6), see section 1 of chapter 241, Session Laws of Colorado 2001. For the legislative declaration contained in the 2005 act amending subsection (3.6), see section 1 of chapter 194, Session Laws of Colorado 2005. For the legislative declaration in SB 17-242, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2017. For the legislative declaration in SB 18-092, see section 1 of chapter 38, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.

Annotator's note. The following annotations include cases decided under former provisions similar to this section.

Shelter hearing is a preadjudicatory stage of the case and is not intended to resolve the rights of natural parents to the legal custody of their child. S.L. v. Dist. Court, 676 P.2d 12 (Colo. 1984); W.H. v. Juvenile Court, 735 P.2d 191 (Colo. 1987).

The policies underlying both the expedited procedures and sibling group preference do not permit the application of the shorter incarceration period so as to terminate parental rights concerning an older child whose parent is subject to the longer incarceration period. The termination of parental rights concerning the older child must still be subject to the longer allowable incarceration period. People ex rel. T.M., 240 P.3d 542 (Colo. App. 2010).