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In This Issue
Smile & Donate!
Members of Congress
Adoption Data
Speak Up about Mental Health Care
C.A.S.E. On-Demand Classes
Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers
Kanopy -- Help to Break the Boredom!
Making Informed Decisions on Kinship...Adoption or Guardianship
NACAC Virtual Conference
Support Groups

Help COCAF

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ONLINE
CLASSROOM

WEBINARS
Disenfranchised Grief in Adoption
Wednesdays
July 1 & July 8, 2020
11:00 a.m.

How To Be a Parent Ally
Friday
July 10, 2020
Noon - 1:30 P.m.

6 Common Emotional/Behavioral Challenges Adolescents Face & Strategies for Addressing Them 
(Part 2)
Tuesday
July 14, 2020
11:00 a.m.
Use coupon code ADOLESCENTS

Colorado Adoption Information Class
Tuesday
July 14, 2020
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Mindfulness Parenting: From Chaos to Connection
Friday
July 17, 2020
Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Virtual TRBI® Caregiver Training
Introduction & Overview
Wednesday
July 1, 2020
9:00 a.m. - Noon

Connecting Principles
Wednesday
July 8, 2020
9:00 a.m. - Noon

Correcting Principles
Tuesday
July 14, 2020
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Empowering Principles
Wednesday
July 15, 2020
9:00 a.m. - Noon

Correcting Principles
Wednesday
July 22, 2020
9:00 a.m. - Noon

CONFERENCES

NACAC 2020
August 27 - August 29, 2020
ONLINE

Resources for Contacting Members of Congress

Find your legislators online:


Call the U.S. Capitol Switch Board to Connect with your legislators office by phone:
(202) 224-3121

A switchboard operator with connect you directly with a legislators office that you request. 
Adoption Data

Using information collected through various monitoring and reporting systems, the Children's Bureau analyzes and reports data on a variety of topics, including adoption, foster care, and child abuse and neglect.

FREE RESOURCES
Looking for books or movies about adoption?  Or how to deal with school-related adoption issues?  

 
As the summer progresses, we at COCAF hope that the country progresses as well...

Black lives DO matter.

Police brutality is not the same thing as policing.

Wearing masks saves lives.

LGBTQ equality is a basic human right.
 
You can make a difference. Educate yourself. Vote. Help a neighbor. Make a new friend.
 
Stay home, stay safe, stay healthy!

Colleen Tarket, 
COCAF Board of Directors
Speak Up about Mental Health Care 

The Behavioral Health Task Force has been conducting hearings across the state regarding Colorado's mental health care.  Unfortunately, not all of our parents have the time or ability to participate in person at these meetings.  If, as a kinship or adoptive parent, you would like to comment about your experiences with accessing mental health services for your child - from in-home to hospitalization services groups, in-home therapies, or out-of-home programs - please consider drafting a short letter documenting your experiences.  

This is the time to identify the need for trauma-competent, timely and appropriate services for our youth and children.

Please email your summaries to: summer.gathercole@state.co.us
and include 'Adoptive Parent' or 'Kinship Parent' as part of the subject line.  You may wish to review the Youth Survey to see what areas/questions the Behavioral Health Task Force is focusing on.  Thank you for taking the time to do this!

C.A.S.E. On-Demand Classes 

C.A.S.E. offers a wide variety of on-demand webinars for adoptive parents. To see the list of available courses, click here.

Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers 

multigeneration_family.jpg
Do you provide care for a loved one of any age with a chronic condition? JFK Partners is holding a free, virtual small group that will run June 11 - August 6, 2020. Classes are held weekly on Thursdays from 10-11:30 a.m. 

For more information or to register, contact Megan Kluth at mkluth@eastersealscolorado.org.

 
Kanopy -- Help to Break the Boredom! 

As long as you have a library card, you can access all the free entertainment and educational videos Kanopy has to offer. Most of the content choices on Kanopy are like what patrons of a well-stocked library would expect: well-selected, award-winning films; independent and foreign films; popular kids' and adults' TV series; and educational shows. The animated books are top-quality, with classics from producers such as Scholastic and Weston Woods.

Click here to go to Kanopy.
Making Informed Decisions on Kinship  Adoption or Guardianship 
From The Child Welfare Gateway
Unexpected instability and crisis can impact parents' ability to provide adequate care for their children, and relatives or fictive kin rise to the occasion to open their homes and hearts to help their family in times of need. In the United States, the foster care system has increasingly relied on grandparents and other extended family members to care for children, which is known as kinship care. Research has shown that in kinship care is generally better for children than nonrelative foster care. Children in kinship foster care experience fewer placement changes, more stability, better behavioral and mental health outcomes while preserving their cultural identity and traditions.

It is crucial that professionals receive continuous training that builds understanding and empathy as they meet the evolving needs of kinship and grandfamilies. Professionals should educate and inform birth parents, kinship caregivers, and the children (if appropriate) of their permanency options permanency-whether it is through adoption or guardianship.

Adoption is the most permanent of the relationships and turns the grandparent or extended family member into the parent in the eyes of the law. This can cause an additional layer of complexity in how the family relates to each other.

Guardianship, however, does not sever the birth parents' rights and responsibilities and does not make the guardian the legal and permanent parent of the child, which can prevent some complications. It allows parents to retain certain rights, including the right to consent to adoption, and they can still visit with the child-unless the judge granting guardianship has limited that right due to the best interests of the child.

Both options have differential intricacies legally, financially, and emotionally, but, more importantly, the impact of the decision can have a lifelong effect.
To help children and families in the decision-making process, below are some practical tips in explaining adoption and guardianship:
  • Discuss adoption and guardianship with kinship/grandfamilies from the beginning of each case and often.
  • Inform about both the legal and financial ramifications of each option in accordance with the state laws and policies.
  • If the state offers a guardianship assistance program, ensure guardians are aware of the steps they need to do to qualify.
  • Share legal resources so families can seek private legal counsel and let them know they may have legal and related expenses up to $2000 reimbursed. Also, encourage kinship foster parents and children to ask their lawyer and judge questions if they are not clear on the guardianship or adoption order or any legal terms.
The following resources provide in-depth information on kinship adoption and guardianship to empower families to make their very own decision.
Three resources on kinship adoption and guardianship:
 
NACAC Virtual Conference 

NACAC Logo
If you have been touched by adoption or foster care, this is the conference you will want to attend!
Join NACAC virtually August 26-29, 2020, for this 4-day educational event that covers a wide variety of foster care and adoption topics-to meet the diverse needs and levels of experience of adoptive and foster parents, child welfare professionals, and people who were adopted or in foster care.

The conference will have one session offered at a time. The first day will be aimed towards professionals, the last day towards parents, and days 2 and 3 for both parents and professionals.

Attendees can participate live, listen to a recorded version through September 30, or do a mixture of both.

NACAC is offering workshops from expert speakers covering a range of topics, including:
  • The impact of trauma and loss
  • Core issues in adoption
  • Effective therapeutic techniques in adoption
  • Kinship care and birth family connections
  • Parenting children with disabilities and challenges
  • Older children and youth
  • Race, culture, and diversity in adoption and foster care
  • Supporting children and families in adoption and foster care
  • Recruiting families for children
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 some support groups that might be helpful.

Boulder Valley Christian Church
Support group for foster and adoptive moms
Tuesdays, 10:00 am to noon
Facilitated by Lisa Firle, MA., LPCC
Boulder Valley Christian Church, 7100 S. Boulder Road, Boulder.
For more info or to register: cathy@bvchristian.org

Zoom support group for parents of adoptees ages 18-30
First Monday of the month; 10-11 am
Please email for reservation and minimal paperwork (and any questions);
$10 per person per meeting. Scholarships are available!


Adult Adoptee Support Group
Every 1st & 3rd Thursday, 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sondermind, Suite 12, 100 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80302
Cost $25-$35

Jefferson County Kids Group
Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian, 11500 W. 20th Ave, Lakewood 
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.. 
RSVP to Mindy Beckler at 303-432-5205

North Adams Grandfamily Support Group
Third Thursday of the month 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Zion Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 14th & Skeel, Brighton, CO RSVP to Elaine Riedl at 303-912-8337.

Fathers Forever
2nd & 4th Thursdays
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Resilience Center,  1298 Peoria St,  Aurora, CO  80011
For more information, contact Don Reynolds (720-353-6103) or Aaron Lockwood (303-901-4486).
 
Grandparent & Kinship Support Group
2nd & 4th Wednesdays
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Aurora Mental Health Center, Viewpoint Office, Lotus Room
11059 E Bethany Dr., Aurora, CO  80014
For more information, contact Aline Ratliff (303-885-5163).
 
Foster Care & Adoptive Parents Support Group
Last Sunday of every month from 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Discovery Church,  2605 W 144th Ave, Broomfield, CO  80023
For more information, email bonnie.robertson02@yahoo.com . 
  
Online Support Group for Adoptive, Foster, & Kinship Parents
Second Tuesday of the Month
Morning session 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Evening session 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Session includes a short presentation followed by a discussion.  
Email Deb Felio at
for the toll-free number and access code.
 
Zoom support group for parents of adoptees ages 18-30
First Monday of the month; 10-11 am
Please email for reservation and minimal paperwork (and any questions);
$10 per person per meeting. Scholarships are available!


Teen & Tween Adoption Support for Parents
Potluck
2nd & 4th Monday of each month
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Resilience Center
1298 Peoria St
Aurora, C O 80011

Young Adult Mental Illness Support Group
For ages 18-28
1st & 3rd Thursday of every month
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
1st week Classroom F-G
3rd week Classroom E
St Anthony Hospital
11600 W 2nd Dr
Lakewood, CO 80228
Contact Courtney at 720-369-2629 for more information.  
  
Welcome Child Adoption/Foster Care Support Group
Second Sunday of the month
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Timberline Church, Room 214
2908 S. Timberline Road
Fort Collins, CO  80525
For more information contact Michele Sanner by email at mlsanner@gmail.com or by phone at (970) 481-5749.

Xpress Yourself Art & Play Therapy  
Support groups for internationally adopted children & adolescents
CCAI
6920 S. Holly Circle
Centennial, CO 80112
Call 303-850-9998, ext 22

Called to Adopt Support Group
4th Saturday of the month, 6:00 p.m.,
Christ Community Church, Greeley, CO

The Men's Group for Adoptive Dads
Thursdays, 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.
Zoe's, 715 10th St, Greeley, CO 80631
For more information, contact Tim Paxton at 970-691-5737 or by email at timpaxton33@gmail.com.
 
  Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support Group
Facilitators:  Sarah Ahn and Jenny Burnsed, LPC
Last Monday of every month 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Bixby School,  3750 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder
There is no fee associated with this group, though donations are gratefully accepted.  Contact Sarah at SarahA@bipr.org for questions.
 
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

Aurora Mental Health
Adoption Support Group
2nd & 4th Mondays of the month
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Aurora Mental Health
11059 E Bethany Drive, Aurora, CO 80014
Contact Sheila Reynolds 303-525-2123 or Stephanie Seriff 303-856-7698 for more information

Colorado Adams County Rainbow Center
3rd Thursday of each month, 6:00 p.m. -  8:00 p.m.
2140 E 88th Ave, Thornton, CO  80229
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 Littleton@empowercolorado.com

NAMI Connections Recovery Support Group for Adults
Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m.
ADMHN Building, 3rd floor
5500 S. Sycamore St, Littleton, CO  80120
Contact:  Carol 
303-790-1055

NAMI Family Support Group Teleconference
2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month
Contact:  eleslie15@gmail.com 
 
Louisville Parent Support Group
Second Tuesday of the month  7:00 - 8:30
Art Underground
 901 Front Street, Louisville, CO 80027
$25 per session; reservations required.  
Call 720-352-1743.  
  

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 colleen.tarket@cocaf.org.  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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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