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DONATE Today! |
Donations are used to support Colorado's adoptive families. |
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Classroom Training
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Family Diversity in Education:
Foster Care, Kinship Care, & Adoption in Schools
Thursday
June 6, 2013
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Community Reach Center
11285 Highline Dr
Northglenn, CO 80233
Click here for more info.
Bipolar Success!
Part 1
Wednesday
June 5, 2013
Part 2
Wednesday
June 12, 2013
Part 3
Wednesday
June 19, 2013
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Highlands Ranch Public Library
9292 Ridgeline Blvd
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Click here for more info.
Surviving & Thriving
A Free Family Wellness Event
Saturday
June 8, 2013
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Community Life Center
220 N Grant Ave
Ft Collins, CO
Click here for more info. Click here to register.
Integrating Animals Into Your Professional Practice
Saturday June 8, 2013 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Barking CAAT Ranch 1255 Lee St Lakewood, CO 8215 Click here for more info. Training on DSM 5 Friday June 14, 1013 10:00 a.m. - noon Devereux Cleo Wallace 8405 Church Ranch Blvd.
Westminster, CO 80021 Contact Skip Barber at [email protected] for more info. Complex Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents Date TBD Email Agustin Leone at [email protected] to reserve a spot.
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CONFERENCES
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44th Annual Autism Society National Conference
Wednesday-Saturday
July 10-13, 2013
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CAFCA Annual Conference
Friday
July 19, 2013
The Pines at Genesee
More info to come. 2013 NACAC Conference Thinking Differently:
New Hope for Our Children Wednesday-Saturday August 8-10, 2013
Pre-Conference Sessions: August 7
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Webcasts
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These webinars have been recorded and are available 24X7
Supporting Youth in Transition: The Importance of Case Worker Visits
Click here to for more info.
Adoption Tax Credit: A Guide for State Advocates
Click here for more info.
Child Welfare and the Affordable Care Act
Click here for more info.
Successful Stepfamily Living
Click here for more info.
Improving the Economic Security of Children in Foster Care & Young People Who Are Transitioning out of Care
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Webinars
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Understanding the Acting-Out Behavior of Your Adopted Children
Tuesday
June 18, 2013
6:00 p.m.
Click here for more info
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Helping Children Heal from Trauma: What Parents & Caregivers Need to Know Thursday July 18, 2013 6:00 p.m. Click here for more info.
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AMETZ Adoption Training Institute
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Parent-Child Adoption Activity Group
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For children 5-10 and their parents 7210 E Orchard Rd, 4th Floor Conf Room Centennial, CO 80111 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Click here for more info.
Your Adoption Story
June 6, 2013 The Faces of Family June 13, 2013 Family Trees June 20, 2013 "W.I.S.E.R" Responses June 27, 2013
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Sensory Friendly Films
AMC Theatres (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis with the "Sensory Friendly Films" program.
June 1, 2013
10:00 a.m.
Epic (2-D)
June 29, 2013
10:00 a.m.
Monsters University
Click here for more info.
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2013
SUMMER CAMPS | |
Heritage Camps
Click here for more information on any Heritage Camp.
Korean
June 13-16
African Caribbean
June 20-23
Latin American
June 27-30
Indian Nepalese
July 11-14
Cambodian
July 18-21
Vietnamese
July 18-21
Domestic Adoption
July 25-28
Russian/Eastern European/Central Asian (REECA)
July 25-28
Chinese II
August 1-4
Filipino
August 1-4
Chinese
August 30-Sept 2 |
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Greetings!
As I write this, Mother Nature is reminding me that "spring" and "summer" are just words, and that she can do anything she wants. Obviously right now she wants to remind me that it's too early to put up my sweaters! But warmer weather really is just around the corner, and along with it, summer vacation...and bored children. I know that bored children are frequently whiny children, but try not to schedule every minute for them. Get them involved in figuring out how to entertain themselves so that they start to learn how to take responsibility for their own fun (and happiness). And try not to let the electronics take over - video games and TV are okay once in a while, but not all day. Have a collection of age-appropriate books and puzzles around for them to explore. Other low-cost, low-tech fun activities include sidewalk chalk, scavenger hunts, flashlight tag, and playing in the sprinkler. And, yes, you can play in the sprinkler, too!
Happy SUMMER!!!
Colleen Tarket, Board Member
[email protected]
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FREE Family Wellness Event
Finally Home Foundation and The Matthews House present a unique opportunity for volunteers and professionals who serve foster, adoptive, or at-risk families. Family Wellness, Surviving and Thriving is a free family wellness event designed to give those working with stressful families a chance to build on their skills in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. Activities will be available for children and youth aged 0 to 16 years. Click here for more information or contact Kristin at 970-481-9478 or by email at [email protected]. Click here to register. |
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CO's Children & Youth Information Sharing Summits
 The Colorado Children and Youth Information Sharing (CCYIS) Initiative is conducting Information Sharing Summits. The purpose of the Summits is to have broad discussions about why information sharing is important in the State of Colorado. Family and parent/youth/family organizations are encouraged to attend. If you need assistance to cover the transportation, per diem, or hotel costs to attend one of these Summits, please contact Anna Lopez by email at [email protected]. This assistance is available to parents, parent/youth advocates or parent/youth advocacy organizations. Do not let these costs be a barrier to your or others' attendance. June 14 - Adams County (REGISTER BY JUNE 10) June 21 - Pueblo (REGISTER BY JUNE 17) July 19 - Aurora (REGISTER BY JULY 15) If you have any questions about the Summits, send an email to [email protected]. To register, click here.
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Foster Youth at CSU Get Success
 The Fostering Success Program supports independent Colorado State University students who come from foster care, kinship care, group home, or orphaned backgrounds. The Fostering Success Program creates a safety net of support and resources for independent youth while they attend CSU. Success is the biggest challenge facing former foster youth. Fewer than 3 percent nationally will graduate from college. Unlike the vast majority of students, they generally can't lean on family for financial or emotional support, and they often have no place to spend holidays. Many don't get birthday cards or the care packages many of their fellow students take for granted. Fostering Success was established at CSU in 2010 as a way to fill those voids. At first, the program provided care packages to 13 of CSU's independent students. Since then, the program has expanded to provide scholarship assistance, host dinners, sponsor events and offer numerous other services to more than 35 students. Click here to read more about this innovative program.
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Families First: Parenting Help
Families First is a family support line offering help with parenting questions, as well as giving resources and referrals for all counties in the state. The toll free number is 1-800-Children (1-800-244-5373), and support is available in both English and Spanish. Click here to go to their website. |
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Thinking about Adopting?
If you are just thinking about adopting from foster care, take time to read information provided by the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Click here for a list of materials that can help you make an informed decision. |
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Family for Life
From the Donaldson Adoption Institute
The Donaldson Adoption Institute released a report, A Family for Life; The Vital Need to Achieve Permanency for Children in Care, which looked at permanency practices in Canada, England, and the US. Included in the report is a project in Colorado, Denver's Village, which uses six Community-Based Diligent Recruitment Teams to target specific geographic areas. According to the report, when the project began, children waited an average of 34.6 months after termination of parental rights to achieve permanency; after the project's first 4 years, the average dropped to approximately 13 months. To read the report, click here.
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Helping Youth Transition into Adulthood
From the Child Welfare Information Gateway
Helping Youth Transition to Adulthood: Guidance for Foster Parents, a free publication from The Child Welfare Information Gateway, provides foster parents with guidance on how to help youth and emerging adults build a foundation for a successful transition to adult life outside of foster care. The first section provides background information on some of the unique challenges that youth in foster care face as they navigate their teenage years, and it includes information on brain development in young adults and programs that can help youth transition successfully to adulthood. The second part includes eight tip sheets that provide information and resources for foster parents on specific topics-such as money management, health care, and employment-so that they can better help youth prepare for independence. Click here to read the publication. |
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What Will HB 13-1314 Do?
Currently the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and Department of Human Services (DHS) both administer Medicaid waiver programs. HCPF administers eight of the state's twelve Medicaid waivers. HB 13-1314 will transfer three waivers from the DHS to HCPF to eliminate system fragmentation, and improve the efficiency of the programs. Click here to go to a fact sheet providing more information about this change and Medicaid waivers.
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Child Therapy Groups with Horses
New child therapy groups with horses are starting the second week of June and running through the first week of August. Sessions are available Tuesdays from 4:00 p.n. - 5:30 p.m. or Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Contact Tatum Oman at 720-470-7244 or by email at [email protected].
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Supporting Foster Parents Who Adopt
From the Child Welfare Information Gateway
Preparing and Supporting Foster Parents Who Adopt, a new bulletin from the Child Welfare Information Gateway, discusses the ways that professionals can help foster parents before, during, and after they adopt from foster care in order to ensure that the child and family experience a successful adoption outcome. Foster parents are the most important source of adoptive families for children in the child welfare system. In order to facilitate these types of adoptions, professionals should be knowledgeable about the benefits, costs, and practice implications. Click here to read this bulletin.
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Video Presents Research on FASD
From the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
The Canada FASD Research Network (CanFASD) recently posted a recorded workshop on You Tube with information on the latest research on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The speaker explores some of the key issues in FASD and interventions shown to help. Click here to watch the video.
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Open Adoption
Holden's endorsement is personal; she has two children from open adoptions and maintains that openness helps heal adoption's split between a person's "biology" and "biography." She references open adoption as a "process" that encourages high-functioning relationships between birth parents, extended family members, and adopted parents. Open, honest, age-appropriate dialogue with adopted children about their biological background is stressed. Click here to read more about this book. |
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Events
The Never Alone Foundation
1st Annual Music Festival
Saturday, June 1, 2013, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Lakewood Heritage Center at Belmar Park
801 S Yarrow St, Lakewood, CO
Come enjoy music by The Epilogues, Proprio, Council of Word, The Colorado Springs Taiko Drummers, Tony Exum, Jesse Quintana, and Schaefer and Associates. Kids will enjoy
bounce houses, face painting, and a bubble station. The Denver Zoo will have animals on hand for the kids to learn about, see, and experience. Bring a picnic and the whole family for a full day chock full of fun and music in a gorgeous surrounding!
Click here to buy tickets.
Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of CO Fundraiser
Sunday, June 23, 2013, 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Bob's Atomic Burgers
1310 Ford Street, Golden, CO
Visit with the therapy goats and dogs while enjoying live music and munching a delicious burger.
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Support Groups
Sometimes our children provide us with challenges that we're just not quite ready to handle. And sometimes support groups can help us find the answers we need, or at least make us feel okay about the unique challenges we're facing. Here are a couple of support groups that might be helpful.
Therapeutic Post-Adoption Support Group
2nd Thursday of the month
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Windsor Timberline Church
360 E Crossroads Blvd
Windsor, CO
Click here for more information.
Aurora Mental Health
Adoption Support Group
2nd & 4th Mondays of the month
Aurora Mental Health
11059 E Bethany Drive
Aurora, CO 80014
Click here for more information.
The Be The Change Challenge
(For parents of challenging children)
2nd Tuesday of each month
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
ACL Boulder, 5744 North 71st Street, Longmont, Colorado 80503
Call 630-841-0458
Click here for more info.
EMPOWER Colorado Adams County Rainbow Center
2140 E 88th Ave,
Thornton, CO 80229
3rd Thursday of each month
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Contact: KimNichelle Rivera 303-226-5536
EMPOWER Littleton/Aurora/Englewood
1st & 3rd Thursday
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network
155 Inverness Drive West, Englewood, CO 80112
Contact Carol Villa at 303-790-1055 for more information or email [email protected]
NAMI Connections Recovery Support Group for Adults
ADMHN Building, 3rd floor
5500 S. Sycamore St, Littleton, CO 80120
Wednesdays
7:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m.
Contact: Carol
303-790-1055
NAMI Family Support Group Teleconference
2nd & 4th Tuesdays
of each month
Contact: [email protected]
Positive Outcomes Comprehensive Post-Adoption Services
Parent Support Group
7853 E Arapahoe Ct #1400, Centennial, CO 80112
Call 303-721-6966 for more information.
Louisville Parent Support Group
Second Tuesday of the month
(10/9, 11/13, 12/11)
7:00 - 8:30
Art Underground,
901 Front Street,
Louisville, CO 80027
$25 per session; reservations required.
Call 720-352-1743 or mail your payment to
Parent Support Group,
608 Main St, Louisville, CO 80027
Adoptive Parent Support Group
Wednesdays
March 6 - April 24, 2013
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. OR 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
8 W Dry Creek Circle, Suite 120, Littleton, CO 80120
Cost $40 per session or $295 for 8 weeks
Contact Dr. Wirta at 303-522-3184 to enroll.
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COCAF strives to provide Colorado's adoptive families with the information and resources they need to keep their families healthy and happy. If you have ideas for topics you think we should cover, please let us know. And if you find a good resource -- definitely let us know. Please forward your ideas or information to me at [email protected]. Materials received by the 20th of a month will be considered for inclusion in the next month's newsletter.
Wishing all families peace, serenity, and a good sense of humor,
Colleen Tarket, COCAF Board Member (and newsletter put-ter-together-er)
COCAF does not recommend or endorse any specific book, website, survey, study, or provider of services. The purpose of the COCAF e-newsletter is to provide families with potential resources. All information contained in this newsletter is for general informational purposes only and as is without warranty expressed or implied, and shall not constitute legal, medical, psychiatric, educational, or parenting advice. COCAF is not be liable for any damages arising from using the information in this newsletter, including direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, and/or consequential damages.
No information on this site should be considered legal advice. Laws vary by state, so you are urged to research the specific laws, and your rights, within your state. If you have specific questions regarding your rights, or the laws in your state, please contact an attorney. |
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Use this area to provide your subscribers information about your organization.
We believe that all children have the right to a permanent loving family. We are dedicated to improving services for every pre- and post-adoptive family and to increasing the knowledge and accountability of public systems. We are committed to advocacy in state and local service planning and delivery, in support of all pre and post adoptive families.
Sincerely,
Deborah Cave, Executive Director
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