Dolores County Resources

Child Find is a component of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that requires states to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, from birth to age 21, who are in need of early intervention (for children birth through three) or special education services (for children ages three and up). Every school district or Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) has Child Find professionals who are trained to evaluate children in a variety of areas, including cognitive functioning, physical functioning, hearing and vision, speech and language and social and emotional development. Evaluations are conducted by the Child Find team at no cost to parents. The Child Find for Dolores County is located in the San Juan BOCES.
Contact Kristin Spiegel
p: 970.247.3261; f: 970.403.1748
email: kspiegel@sjboces.org
address: 201 East 12th Street, Durango, CO 81301


States have different eligibility guidelines for their early intervention programs and special education services. In Colorado, early intervention services for children birth to three years of age are provided through Early Intervention Colorado. In order to receive early intervention supports and services, the family and child must be Colorado residents. The child must be under three years of age and either have a developmental delay or be diagnosed with a physical or mental condition with a high probability of resulting in a significant developmental delay. Click here for a list of medical conditions that have a high probablility of resulting in developmental delay. The Early Intervention Colorado program for Dolores County is Community Connections.
Contact Trish Peters:
p: 970.565.8389; f: 970.565.8520
email: swkids@cci-colorado.org
address: 325 South Pine Street, Cortez, CO 81321

Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) is a first-of-its-kind family civics program. Program graduates spend more than 120 hours to develop skills needed to become effective leaders in their communities. Once recruited and accepted in to the program, participants attend a 20-week curriculum that integrates personal and child development, leadership training, civic literacy and civic participation skills. The curriculum includes four components: an initial retreat, two 10-week sessions that focus on knowledge about the change process, skill building, and tools of civic engagement; and a community project. In only 20-weeks, Institute graduates make a signifcant impact within their communities. Through their community projects they demonstrate that when given civic and leadership tools, families can guide public policy and decision making directly and indirectly through their actions and commitment to children, youth and the community.
email: familyleadershipco@gmail.com
address: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246-1530



Health Care Program for Children with Special Needs is a program that provides specialized health care clinics, information and referral, support and coordination, and family support for children who have special health care needs and their families in the San Juan Basin. Families are linked to primary care, specialty clinics, therapies, diagnostic and evaluation clinics, community agencies and programs to benefit the child.
Contact Jill Brooks:
p: 970.247.5702 x208
address: 281 Sawyer Drive, Durango, CO 81302



Colorado Bright Beginnings is empowering parents with the guidance, knowledge and tools to create a bright beginning for their child. By the age of three, most of a child's physical, intellectual and emotional development is well underway. Everything a parent does has a lasting affect on the child's success, including the child's readiness to learn. Parents have the power to shape their child's future and Colorado Bright Beginnings has the power to help parents. We'll give you some simple ways to start with a free packet of powerful tools. In Colorado communities throughout the state, we will meet you at home, your work or any other community setting that's easy for you. Since 1995, we have helped over 100,000 Colorado families unleash the power of parenting.
Contact Jessica Keitz at the Dolores County Bright Beginnings, La Plata Family Centers Coalition.
p: 970.385.4747 x2
email: jessica@lpfcc.org
address: 489 1/2 Florida Road, Durango, CO 81302