JUNE/JULY 2023 • ISSUE 6 • VOLUME 3
Welcome to summer! We hope you find some moments to enjoy a lighter schedule, warmer weather, and some fun! June is Reunification Month and a time to focus on the goals of keeping kids safe and families together. We appreciate our foster and kinship families and the networks of support who help make it possible in Weld County. Our foster and kinship families do so much to support children, youth, and families toward this goal. We also realize it’s not easy to say goodbye to the children and youth you have cared for so well. Be sure to check out the article about supporting reunification and the video covering what foster parents need to know about mental health included in this issue.
There are a lot of supports in our community who are there for you too! I hope you find some good things in this newsletter to keep you inspired and encouraged. And, if you’re not yet fostering why not take your next steps today!
Oh, and yay Nuggets!
-Kristy
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 To recognize efforts around the country that help families stay together, and to celebrate the accomplishments of those families who have overcome an array of challenges to reunify safely and successfully, the Weld County Board of County Commissioners has proclaimed June Reunification Month.
Are you interested in learning more about foster care? Register for orientation to learn more about foster care and the certification process.
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Wednesday, July 12, 2023 4:30-6 p.m., virtual via MS Teams.
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Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 4:30-6 p.m., at the Weld County Department of Human Services Bldg. A. (315 N. 11th Ave. Greeley, CO 80634).
 You’ve already attended orientation? Register for pre-certification training by contacting Kristy at deandakr@weldgov.com. Schedule below.
Upcoming Pre-Certification Training – Choose One
Cohort 7 (Friday/Saturday) Intensive
Saturday, July 22, 2023, 8:30 AM-6:30 PM @ Loveland Rez Church
Friday, July 28, 2023, 5:00 PM-9:00 PM via Zoom
Saturday, July 29, 2023, 8:30 AM-6:30 PM @ Loveland Rez Church
Cohort 8 (Tuesdays) In Person
Meeting weekly for 8 weeks on Tuesday nights, 5:30 PM-8:30 PM
August 1-September 19, 2023
Cohort 9 (Friday/Saturday) Intensive
Saturday, September 23, 2023, 8:30 AM-6:30 PM in Frederick, CO Friday, September 29, 2023, 5:00 PM-9:30 PM via Zoom
Saturday, September 30, 2023, 8:30 AM-6:30 PM in Frederick, CO
We hope to see you at one of our upcoming meetings! In the meantime, please reach out if you have any questions. For more information and to register for an orientation, please visit www.weldgov.com/go/fostercare or email Kristy at deandakr@weldgov.com.
The Weld County Department of Human Services held a special Foster and Kinship Appreciation Summer BBQ on Tuesday, June 13, to thank and recognize families in the community who have opened their homes to provide care and love to Weld County children. Coming on the heels of May, which was proclaimed Foster Care Month in Weld County, this event provided another opportunity to reiterate how important foster and kinship families truly are.
A huge thanks to PDC Energy for very generously sponsoring food for the event, and to Foster Source, who supported these families with pantry boxes, diapers, and more! The Greeley Fire Department and the Greeley Police Department made it even more special by attending with their fire trucks and cruisers for the kids to check out!
 
Supporting the Goal of Reunification (Source: AdoptUSKids blog)
If you’re a foster parent, you know that there is one unifying goal for every child in foster care: permanency. The best way to achieve that is typically through reunification. In fact, the majority of children and youth in foster care will be reunified with their families.
Click here to access the full article: https://blog.adoptuskids.org/how-to-support-the-goal-of-reunification-as-a-foster-parent-advice-from-a-specialist/
Foster and Kinship Booster Training - Foster Alum Voices
Monday, July 17, 2023 @ 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Join us on Zoom and type your name(s) in the chat box.
Participate from the comfort of your own home as we watch videos of five diverse young adults who were in foster care. There is great value in hearing their stories and digesting what we can glean from them. We will have discussions after each video, looking specifically at what we, as providers, can do better to support the needs of youth in our care. Whether you've fostered for 10 years or two months, this conversation will impact the work you do! |
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Weld County Foster, Adoption, and Kinship Support Group
Upcoming Dates: July 20; August 17
Meets the 3rd Thursday of the month, 6-8 p.m.
@ Dept. of Human Services, Bldg A, 315 N 11th Ave, Greeley, CO
Join us to connect with other foster parents, kinship caregivers, adoptive parents, childcare providers, and family childcare (FCC) home providers to share parenting strategies, successes and struggles with those who can relate! We focus on support around parenting and caregiving issues using a nationally recognized, research-based framework for keeping children safe and families strong. RSVP here https://www.weld.gov/Government/Departments/Human-Services/Family-Resource/Foster-Adoption-and-Kinship-Support-Group
Big Balloon Build – STEAM Day & Tour
Saturday, July 22, 12-4pm, Aims Community College
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Weld County Foster Care will have a booth at STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Day for the Big Balloon Build!
STEAM Day admission is free, with a small admission fee to tour the Big Balloon Build installation.
Bring your kids for an amazing event. Visit https://www.lifestoriesweld.org/big-balloon-build to learn more.
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Parent's Night Out
Sunday, July 23, 2023 @ 4-7 p.m.
City Lights Church, 4100 20th St, Greeley, CO
Drop off all your kids for a fun night out while you enjoy a little R & R! This is open to all foster, kinship, and adoptive families in Weld County. Register by July 13 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CLCPNO2023.
Youth Employment and Training
Youth employment and training programs provide eligible individuals with various opportunities for education, training, and work-based learning through several activities, services, and programs that can assist youth with job readiness and prepare youth for the workforce. Visit https://www.weld.gov/Government/Departments/Human-Services/Employment-Services/Youth-Programs/Youth-Employment-and-Training for more information.
CO4Kids: What Foster Parents Need to Know About Mental Health
Watch Episode 8 of CO4Kids Live (recorded) to hear from two Colorado mental health experts and former foster parents. They’ll discuss what foster parents need to know about mental health – for themselves and for the children in their care. Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/COFosterCare/videos/1435366960556990
Operation Foster Hope (Foster Closet)
Operation Foster Hope provides clothing, shoes, diapers, nursery items, furniture, strollers, car seats, school supplies, hygiene products, safety equipment and other needed items to families free of charge. For more information, email operationfosterhopecloset@gmail.com.
Weld County is proud to partner with Realities for Children, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, to collect monetary and item donations for our children and teens in foster care. Your gift provides emergency funding to Weld County youth who have been abused, neglected or are
at-risk. All donations are tax deductible, and 100% of your donation goes directly to help our children and teens in foster care. Click here for more information.
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