Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It’s Wednesday November 11th, and we’re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories, and a quick summary of other important things happening in our state.

Today, we’re discussing the 80 plus cases that are being reinvestigated after Moffat County child welfare officials discovered that a caseworker had fabricated reports going back years, including detailing home visits to check on children that never actually happened.

Before we begin, let’s take a look at what happened on this day in Colorado history - adapted from Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

Today, we take you back to November 11th, 1923, when a large gas well was discovered. The gusher blew for forty days before crews could cap it and harness the tremendous fuel reserve centered on the town of Wellington.

Now, our feature story.

Today, Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown is here to provide some details as to exactly what’s going on in Moffat.

Jennifer, thank you so much for joining us today. To start, can you describe what happened in Moffat County's child welfare division?

And we reported on the story back in October, can you talk about any developments that have happened since then?

That’s really shocking, so what are county officials saying about this situation? Have there been any official statements?

Thank you, Jennifer. And for those of you listening who want to stay up to date on this story, we encourage you to check our website coloradosun.com.

As Jennifer just said, Moffat County commissioners, as well as officials at the county human services department, have refused to answer questions about the system failure that affected potentially hundreds of children. But, we at the Sun have learned that the county’s human services director left the position the day after The Sun published its story exposing the fraudulent casework.

The Moffat County Human Services Department, which oversees child welfare and adult protective services, has struggled with high staff turnover for several years. So many caseworkers and supervisors have left in the past few years in fact, that at one point last year, the child welfare division had about 100 overdue assessments of abuse and neglect cases.

So for now, residents of Moffat County are questioning prior interactions with the child welfare division and whether children, as well as at-risk adults with disabilities, have been harmed by the negligence.

Before we go here are a few stories you should know about today:

A judge on Monday delayed the trial of a man accused of killing his 13-year-old son in southwest Colorado nearly a decade ago after members of his defense team reported experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus.

-

The Denver school district has reassigned campus safety officers to work in elementary classrooms, as the district struggles with staffing shortages during the pandemic.

-

Colorado’s coronavirus deaths so far haven’t spiked like cases have. But health leaders say that’s not a reason for complacency.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com.

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It&rsquo;s Wednesday November 11th, and we&rsquo;re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories, and a quick summary of other important things happening in our state. Today, we&rsquo;re discussing the 80 plus cases that are being reinvestigated after Moffat County child welfare officials discovered that a caseworker had fabricated reports going back years, including detailing home visits to check on children that never actually happened. Before we begin, let&rsquo;s take a look at what happened on this day in Colorado history - adapted from Derek R Everett&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Colorado Day by Day&rdquo;: Today, we take you back to November 11th, 1923, when a large gas well was discovered. The gusher blew for forty days before crews could cap it and harness the tremendous fuel reserve centered on the town of Wellington. Now, our feature story. Today, Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown is here to provide some details as to exactly what&rsquo;s going on in Moffat. Jennifer, thank you so much for joining us today. To start, can you describe what happened in Moffat County's child welfare division? And we reported on the story back in October, can you talk about any developments that have happened since then? That&rsquo;s really shocking, so what are county officials saying about this situation? Have there been any official statements? Thank you, Jennifer. And for those of you listening who want to stay up to date on this story, we encourage you to check our website&nbsp;<a href="http://coloradosun.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://coloradosun.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605161998455000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEE2pA3lqUMLjKOKCN1dtsKW2vKhg">coloradosun.com</a>. As Jennifer just said, Moffat County commissioners, as well as officials at the county human services department, have refused to answer questions about the system failure that affected potentially hundreds of children. But, we at the Sun have learned that the county&rsquo;s human services director left the position the day after The Sun published its story exposing the fraudulent casework. The Moffat County Human Services Department, which oversees child welfare and adult protective services, has struggled with high staff turnover for several years. So many caseworkers and supervisors have left in the past few years in fact, that at one point last year, the child welfare division had about 100 overdue assessments of abuse and neglect cases. So for now, residents of Moffat County are questioning prior interactions with the child welfare division and whether children, as well as at-risk adults with disabilities, have been harmed by the negligence. Before we go here are a few stories you should know about today: A judge on Monday delayed the trial of a man accused of killing his 13-year-old son in southwest Colorado nearly a decade ago after members of his defense team reported experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus. - The Denver school district has reassigned campus safety officers to work in elementary classrooms, as the district struggles with staffing shortages during the pandemic. - Colorado&rsquo;s coronavirus deaths so far haven&rsquo;t spiked like cases have. But health leaders say that&rsquo;s not a reason for complacency. For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.coloradosun.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605161998455000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGEu01loYKvCieEJr-IOJnVLcjwQw">www.coloradosun.com</a>. The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you. Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you&rsquo;ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don&rsquo;t forget to tune in again tomorrow.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

Advertisement