People in the Interest of D.C.C. (Colorado 2018)

Once a juvenile court declares a child dependent or neglected, the juvenile court has jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to that child, including paternity. The father appealed a juvenile court order dismissing him from a dependency and neglect action. The juvenile court dismissed the father based on a child support court order for non-paternity. The Court of Appeals found the child support court did not have jurisdiction to make a paternity finding in light of the ongoing dependency and neglect action. The Court found that the statutes give the juvenile court continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over a child who has been adjudicated dependent or neglected. The Court noted that parents receive greater due process protections in a dependency and neglect action.