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In This Issue
Smile & Donate!
Members of Congress
Adoption Data
School Supplies
Pandemic EBT Food Benefits
NACAC Virtual Conference
Childcare Survey
Understanding Social Security
On Demand Training
Parents of LGBTQ Youth
Impact of Adoption
Kinship Caregiver Program
Raising Children from Hard Places
Support Groups

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ONLINE
CLASSROOM

Generational Trauma
Wednesday
August 5, 2020
11:00 a.m. - Noon

Trauma Recovery Yoga
Thursday
August 6, 2020
11:00 a.m. - Noon

The Wonderful, Wacky FASD Brain, Your Child, and You
Wednesday
August 12, 2020
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.  
Click here for more info.

Trauma-Sensitive Parenting Essentials (3-part series)
Session 1: Great Expectations - Meeting Your Foster or Adopted Child Where They Are
Thursday
August 13, 2020
11:00 a.m. - Noon
Session 2: Teaching Self-Regulation Skills to Children
Thursday
August 20, 2020
11:00 a.m. - Noon
Session 3: Trauma-Sensitive Discipline
Thursday
August 27, 2020
11:00 a.m. - Noon

The Status of Federal Policy and the Impact on College Going Among Foster and Homeless Youth
Tuesday
August 18, 2020
Noon  
Click here to register.

Gender and Sexuality - Awareness and Responsiveness
Wednesday
August 19, 2020
7:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.

Self-Care for Caring Adults
Wednesday
August 19, 2020
Noon - 1:00 p.m.

Virtual TRBI® Caregiver Training



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?  

 
2020 continues to bring challenges for most of us. Please take time to take care of yourself; selfcare is critical to taking care of others.  Check out our online classes for a self-care online class on August 19.

How are you managing stress? Check out this video and resource page for some tips on how to manage your stress.
 
Stay home, stay safe, stay healthy!

Colleen Tarket, 
COCAF Board of Directors
School Supplies 

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Bilingual (English and Spanish) Drive-through Backpack and School Supply Giveaway at Servicios de la Raza in Denver

Register ASAP by calling (303) 458-5851
Date: August 7, Noon-1:30pm
Location: Servicios de la Raza, 3131 W 14th Ave, Denver, CO 80204
Servicios de la Raza offers approximately 300 backpacks with supplies to children in the community. Families can live anywhere, do not need to be documented citizens, and simply need to register in advance.
 
Jefferson County

Pickup location: Stevens Elementary, 7101 W 38th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
Offers school supplies for students in Jefferson County or students experiencing homelessness. The event will occur August 10th, 2020 - August 15th, 2020 at Stevens Elementary in Wheat Ridge. Registration is required; click here to register.
 
Federal Heights

Pickup location: Thrive Church, 2720 W 92nd Ave, Federal Heights, CO 80260
A drive-through back to school event Saturday, August 15th, 2020, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. for students kindergarten through 12th grade. Backpacks, school supplies and free lunch! Open to families from all counties, children must be present.  Click here for more information.
 
Loveland's Thompson School District

Salvation Army Loveland Service Center
Call (970) 699-8380 or walk in for more information: 840 N Lincoln Ave, Loveland, CO 80537
Provides free school supplies, including backpacks, to students enrolled in the Thompson School Dis trict.

Pandemic EBT Food Benefits 

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Coloradans with school-enrolled children will begin to receive food benefits through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program starting Wednesday, July 22, 2020. More than 360,000 Colorado children are eligible for P-EBT benefits, which will reimburse families for the free and reduced-price meals that students missed while schools were closed in March, April, and May because of COVID-19. 

Families who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as SNAP, or food stamps), and whose children attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program, can expect to have benefits automatically loaded onto their EBT cards between July 22 and July 31. 

Eligible families who don't receive an automatic payment will need to apply for P-EBT funds.

Households with students who receive free or reduced-price meals, including through the National School Lunch Program and those attending a school that operates a Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program are eligible for P-EBT benefits. This also means students who were not already participating in the free or reduced-price meal program could potentially be eligible for P-EBT depending on household size and income; this could be the case for families with school-aged children that have recently lost income during COVID-19. Key information on applying for P-EBT is anticipated to come directly from family's schools and school districts.


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
COVID-19 Impact on Childcare Survey 

Inscription COVID-19 on blue background. World Health Organization WHO introduced new official name for Coronavirus disease named COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting childcare and early learning for families across Colorado. Statewide partners want to understand the impact so they can provide needed support to you and your childcare provider(s). If you are the parent or legal guardian of a child ages birth-12 years, click here to go to the survey.

 
Self-Guided Online Training:  Understanding Social Security -- Things to Know Before You Apply 
From The Arc
When people say they receive "Social Security" they are usually referring to money that they get in the form of a monthly social security check. It is also sometimes called benefits, Social Security Income, or Social Security Benefits. There are different reasons that people apply for Social Security, and it is not always a clear and easy process.
 
In order to help people better understand the application and approval process and how to optimize their chances of being approved, The Arc has created an online, self-guided training that is available 24/7. Check out Understanding Social Security: Things to Know Before You Apply by  CLICKING HERE . 
 
On Demand Training from The Adoption Exchange 

Did you know that The Adoption Exchange's recorded webinars and trainings are available on demand in our Online Learning Center? Here are some examples of the free content you can access:
  • Adoption Options: An Informational Webinar
  • Foster Care Adoption: An Informational Webinar
  • How to Be A Parent Ally
  • Implicit Bias: How History and Cultural Stories Impact Foster & Adopted Youth
  • Mindful Movement: Trauma Recovery Yoga
  • Playful Parenting: A Three-Part Series
  • Seven Core Struggles in Adoption: Understanding & Supporting Your Adoptive Child's Needs
  • Ten Things That Youth Want Child Welfare Professionals to Know
If you would like a digital copy of the materials for a particular webinar (i.e., presentation slides, resource lists, or other relevant handouts), email Phoebe at pchidley@adoptex.org and mention the title of the webinar in the subject line.
 
Click here to go to The Adoption Exchange's Online Learning Center.

Resource for Parents of LGBTQ Youth 

Rainbow alphabet balloons forming the word LGBTQ
Voice for Adoption (VFA) and the Family Social Science Department worked together to develop a web page dedicated to connecting foster parents, caregivers, and other adults supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGTBQ) youth in foster care to both national and local resources.

This resource page also features a brand new illustrated video Natural Mentoring for LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care .

Visit the LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care page today.
Impact of Adoption 
From the Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Adoption is a lifelong process and, although each experience is unique, members of the constellation will likely be impacted by some or all of the seven core issues of adoption. The seven core issues are loss, rejection, shame and guilt, grief, identity, intimacy, and mastery and control. When professionals explain these issues to children, youth, and their families, it helps them understand and talk about their personal experiences and how adoption has impacted their lives. It is vital that adopted children and youth are comfortable talking about their feelings regarding adoption with their families. Professionals can help prepare parents for these conversations before the adoption and as a part of postadoption preservation and support services.
Here are some resources on the impact of adoption:

Kinship Caregiver Program 

The Catholic Charities Kinship Caregiver Program team is committed to supporting kinship families during the pandemic. Their monthly support groups are now being offered virtually, via Zoom. If you are a kinship caregiver living in Denver, Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, or Adams counties and are interested in joining this free program, please email kinship@ccdenver.org .

Raising Children from Hard Places 

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Thursday, September 17, 2020 
9:00 a.m.- Noon
OR 
2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

Due to the pandemic, the Relatives Raising Children Conference, normally held at the Adams County Government Center in Brighton, will take place online via a series of free Zoom trainings. If you don't use Zoom, please register anyway! One of the organizers will personally contact you to make sure you are able to participate. The first training will be on Thursday, September 17. Brooks Kaskela will present an overview of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®), an evidence-based caregiving model that provides insights and tools for use in giving kids from hard places what they need through connecting, meeting sensory and environmental needs, and correcting behaviors. Through this overview of TBRI®, you will learn about brain development in children and trauma's effects on emotional health throughout the lifespan. You will also learn strategies for connecting to and empowering your child on the path to long-term growth.
 
Click here to go to the morning session. 

Click here to go to the afternoon session. 

Identical information will be presented at both sessions, so there is no need to register for both. This training is geared for caregivers, and we will not be eligible for Continuing Education Credits (CECs).

 
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
Second 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