Colorado-Specific Research on Child Custody Evaluators

October 13 at noon (MST)

Little is known about Colorado child custody evaluations and the professionals who complete them. Almost no public data can be located regarding evaluator backgrounds, how many custody evaluations occur in Colorado every year, and how many involve allegations of intimate partner violence (IPV). Effectively assessing IPV in child custody disputes is critical to ensure decision-making abilities and parenting time orders are ultimately in the best interest of children.

This webinar is based on a Capstone group project titled Colorado Child Custody Evaluators’ Professional Background and Practices of Intimate Partner Violence. With the permission of her MSW research group, Yolanda is sharing the results and key implications, so we may all better understand the role child custody evaluators play in assessing intimate partner violence (IPV) in child custody evaluations. This research project consisted of a self-administered anonymous survey of child custody evaluators in Colorado. Study results highlight consideration areas for Colorado including minimum standards, policy reform, and future research.

Presenter:

Yolanda Arredondo is the Intake and Assessment Administrator for the Colorado Division of Child Welfare. She graduated in December 2019 from Colorado State University with a Master of Social Work degree. She has worked in the child welfare field for 13 years and prior to that in the domestic violence field for 8 years.

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