We are so fortunate and grateful to have a strong community of support and collaboration around at-risk children, youth, and the families who have stepped up to help through foster or kinship care. Two very recent examples of this are Milliken and Windsor.

Milliken has taken steps to become "trauma-informed" by offering workshops for law enforcement, professionals, and anyone else who may be interested. We were also invited to join Scott and Amanda Nix’s parade float at Milliken’s Beef and Bean Festival in August. We had a great time connecting with Milliken residents, handing out candy to youngsters and information about fostering to the adults!

Windsor is gearing up for a campaign with Colorado Kids Belong and others collaborators to encourage the town to become “Foster Friendly.” This effort will launch on Monday, September 11, with Windsor Mayor, Paul Rennemeyer, proclaiming Windsor’s dedication to kids in foster care, and the families that care for them. There's more information below about how YOU can be involved!

If you’re not yet fostering, why not take your next step today?

-Kristy

Carbon Cares helps foster families in the Carbon Valley.

Carbon Cares is a team of volunteers from Carbon Valley Lutheran Church that takes requests for meals, clothing, and other items from foster families who reside in Firestone, Frederick, Dacono, and Mead. Email carboncares@carbonchurch.com for more information.

A big thanks to foster parents, Scott and Amanda Nix, who invited us to participate in the parade with their Love Thy Neighbor float. We had a great time featuring Weld County Foster Care in Milliken!

Join Windsor’s Mayor Rennemeyer for a Foster Friendly proclamation and celebration on Monday, September 11, 7 p.m., at the Windsor Town Hall Board Meeting. The Mayor will launch a Foster Friendly campaign supporting kids in foster care and the families who care for them followed by a celebration with free appetizers and dollar-off drinks at nearby Peculiar Ales. For more information about this event and what it means to be Foster Friendly in Windsor, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/foster-friendly-windsor-mayor-proclamation-tickets-707908973797?aff=oddtdtcreator.

"Children in foster care may present with a host of problems that can confuse or overwhelm their caregivers and treaters. The pain and helplessness of these children can be passed on to those around them. Listening to children talk about the trauma, trying to work in a complicated, frustrating and often “insensitive” system, feeling helpless when trying to heal these children – all can make the adults working with these children vulnerable to develop their own emotional or behavioral problems. There is no better way to combat secondary traumatic stress than to take good care of your physical health and well being."

Read full article: https://www.childtrauma.org/_files/ugd/aa51c7_074a47ab66ea47f2a2768cc2c36a774b.pdf

Ever wonder what goes on when a foster youth is with their Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)? Wonder what CASA volunteers do besides hang out with children? Join us along with former foster parent and current CASA, Holly Cable, to learn about Court Appointed Special Advocates.

This event is an online seminar for Larimer and Weld County foster and kinship providers, and takes place on Monday, September 18, from 8 - 9 p.m.

Register for September 18

September 28 (Part One), 5:30 - 7 p.m.
In Person at Dept. of Human Services, Bldg. B, 315 N. 11^th Avenue, Greeley, or Virtual via MS Teams. For more information contact Kelly Krause krausekc@weld.gov.

Shari Simmons has a 32-year career running treatment facilities (both residential and outpatient) for youth in Colorado. She is currently a contract consultant with CDHS and provides training/consultation to facilities on how to implement trauma informed services. She is creating the new 24/7 training academy with state leaders to ensure that all employees of facilities, group homes and CPAs are trained and certified in trauma informed best practices. As a former foster parent and current trainer/therapist for Colorado Foster Source, she provides training to foster parents and kinship placements that offer tools and strategies for raising the youth in their care. She travels the country speaking on epigenetic trauma and resiliency, teaches graduate level social work classes with MSU and runs a small private therapy practice. 

You’re invited to a Family Night Out at X2D Ranch! The X2D Ranch invites you and your family for some outdoor family fun including dinner, a 30-minute youth devotional and sing-a-long, followed by volleyball, kickball, cornhole, and a roping contest in the arena. Come for a rip-roaring good time and learn more about their youth and family activities throughout the year.

Family Night Out takes place on Friday, September 29, from 6 - 9 p.m. at X2D Ranch in Ault, 18509 County Road 86.

Register by September 26: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X2DRanch.

Join us for some food and fun! This will be an opportunity to connect with other foster parents and get some helpful reminders and tips.

This event takes place on Monday, October 16, from 6 - 8 p.m., at Rez Church in Loveland, 6502 E. Crossroads Blvd, and is for Larimer and Weld County foster and kinship providers.

Register for October 16

Colorado State University is holding an Independent Student Visit Day at the Fort Collins campus on Friday, November 3, from 9 a.m.  – 3 p.m. This is for recent high school grads who have experienced foster care, kinship care, emancipation, legal guardian, ward of the court, and McKinney-Vento unaccompanied youth status between the ages of 13-23. Learn about funding and admittance, connect with people who can help you succeed at CSU, tour the campus, and make connections with successful independent college students. We believe in you! Hundreds of students from independent backgrounds at CSU have graduated college. Register here: https://connect.colostate.edu/register/?id=949b843f-4697-4d10-97b0-84cb9b183290. Contact andrea.fortney@colostate.edu with questions.   

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.