Colorado § 26.5-4-104 - Colorado child care assistance program - department authority - cooperation with federal government - acceptance and administration of money.

§ 26.5-4-104. Colorado child care assistance program - department authority - cooperation with federal government - acceptance and administration of money.

(1) The department is the sole state agency for administering the state plan for the Colorado child care assistance program. The department, under the supervision of the executive director, shall administer and supervise the Colorado child care assistance program, which program is declared to be a state as well as a county purpose.

(2) (a) The department may accept on behalf of the state of Colorado the provisions and benefits of acts of congress designed to provide money or other property for the Colorado child care assistance program, which money or other property is designated for purposes within the function of the department, and may accept on behalf of the state any offers that have been or may from time to time be made of money or other property by any persons, agencies, or entities for the Colorado child care assistance program, which money or other property is designated for purposes within the function of the department; except that, unless otherwise expressly provided by law, the department shall not accept said money or other property unless the department has recommended acceptance to and received the written approval of the governor and the attorney general. Approval of the governor and the attorney general authorizes the acceptance of the money or property in accordance with the restrictions and conditions and for the purposes for which the money or property is intended.

(b) The state treasurer is designated as ex officio custodian of all money that the department receives pursuant to this subsection (2) from the federal government and from any other source for which the approval required in subsection (2)(a) of this section is obtained.

(c) The state treasurer shall hold money received pursuant to this subsection (2) separate and distinct from state money and is authorized to make disbursements of the money for the designated purpose or for administrative costs, which may be provided in grants, upon warrants issued by the state controller upon the voucher of the department.

(3) The department shall cooperate with the federal department of health and human services and other federal agencies in any reasonable manner, in conformity with the laws of this state, which may be necessary to qualify for federal aid, including the preparation of state plans, the making of reports in such form and containing such information as a federal agency may from time to time require, and the compliance with such provisions as the federal government may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of the reports.

(4) In administering money appropriated or made available to the department for the Colorado child care assistance program, the department is authorized to:

(a) Require as a condition for receiving grants-in-aid that each county in this state bear the proportion of the total expense of furnishing child care assistance as is fixed by law;

(b) Terminate grants-in-aid to a county of this state if the county does not comply with the laws and rules providing the grants-in-aid and the minimum standards prescribed by department rules;

(c) Undertake immediately the administration of child care assistance within a county of this state that has had any or all of its grants-in-aid terminated pursuant to subsection (4)(b) of this section; except that the county shall continue to meet the requirements of subsection (4)(a) of this section;

(d) Recover any money owed by a county to the state by reducing the amount of any payments due from the state in connection with CCCAP; and

(e) Take any other action that may be necessary or desirable for carrying out the provisions of this part 1.

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added, (HB 22-1295), ch. 123, p. 662, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2023: (2)(a) amended, (HB 23-1301), ch. 303, p. 1834, § 58, effective August 7.