There are times when families need special assistance in providing for essential needs. The risk of homelessness, unemployment, or utility shut-off can cause emergencies that threaten basic family well-being. The focus of the public assistance programs through La Plata County Human Services is to help families address their immediate crisis by providing benefits and access to an extensive collaboration of community-based agencies.  Below are the assistance programs available through the La Plata County Department of Human Services:

The Food Stamp Program provides benefits to low-income people that they can use to buy food to improve their diet. By defraying the cost of groceries, food stamps allow recipients to use their limited income on other important basic needs like housing, medical costs, transportation, and utilities.

The Colorado Works Program serves low-income families with children by providing income assistance and supportive services to help participants become and remain self-sufficient.  Benefits may be provided for single- and two-parent families, pregnant women, and relatives caring for minor children. Assistance and services vary based on the assessed needs of each family's individual situation.

Colorado Medicaid is public health insurance for families, children, pregnant women, persons who are blind, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. For families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance, Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) is a low-cost health insurance program for Colorado’s uninsured children ages 18 and under.

The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) provides financial assistance to low-income families that are working, searching for employment or are in training, and families that are enrolled in the Colorado Works Program and need child care services to support their efforts toward self-sufficiency.

Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is a federally funded program designed to assist eligible households with their winter heating bills.  LEAP applications are available through April 30^th. 

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) operates year-round to assist LEAP eligible households with the repair and replacement of the primary heating system, such as a furnace or wood-burning stove. 

Human Services also provides Long-Term Care Medicaid for nursing facility care. Home and Community Based Services funds medical providers for in-home care and render the necessary services to keep an elderly or disabled individual from being institutionalized in a nursing facility or hospital.  Also available are financial grants to low-income aged, blind, and disabled persons to assist them in meeting basic living costs and to assist in the payment of funeral, burial, and/or cremation costs for eligible individuals.

Call the La Plata County Department of Human Services at 382-6150 for more information or to apply for assistance.