The Colorado Department of Human Services has been awarded a $1 million grant from the federal government to help educate youth and young adults about “responsible parenting and the impacts of income changes over a lifetime.”

The grant funding going to the Division of Child Support Services within DHS is part of a $10.9 million award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, which is split up between eight different child support agencies across the country. 

According to a release from DCSS, the funds will be used “to develop 11 programs that educate parents and young adults about the financial, legal and emotional responsibilities of parenthood.” 

“Young adults will be recruited regionally to assist with the production of marketing materials, short videos and webcasts, and spreading the message through social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat,” the agency said in a release. 

DCSS director Larry Desbien noted in the release that “successful youth development doesn’t happen passively and we are excited to bring these education opportunities to our youth.” 

“We’re combining child support expertise with youth expertise to lead our future generations into successful pursuits of their life goals,” he said. 

As a condition of accepting the grant, DCSS will participate in the Charting a Course for Responsible Parenting and Economic Mobility Demonstration over a three-year period. According the federal HHS, the first year of that demonstration “will be devoted to refining the program design, evaluation plans, and curricula; formalizing collaborative partnerships with public and private agencies serving teens and young adults; and pilot testing.” 

Years two and three, per the agency, will focus on implementation, tracking, evaluation and refining program activities.