Progress Across Colorado Longtime Partnership Fosters Innovation
Colorado has long been at the forefront of child welfare innovation, and Foster America’s partnership with the state — one of our earliest and longest-standing — continues to drive meaningful change in child welfare. MAKING CONNECTIONS Foster America continues to support the Reimagining Colorado’s Child Welfare System steering committee, helping to build trust and align priorities around a shared mission: “With families, for families — co-designing a family well-being system.” In 2024, the committee moved from planning to action. Among the most promising developments of 2024 is the collaboration with Mile High United Way’s 211 help service to create a statewide warmline. The warmline will connect families with resources without triggering a child welfare investigation — a key step toward reducing unnecessary systems involvement. PROMOTING PERSPECTIVES A core part of our work is ensuring every solution reflects the real experiences of families. In 2024, Foster America supported the development of a statewide database for Colorado of individuals whose personal experience in the child welfare system drives their desire to contribute to reform efforts. This resource makes it easier for agencies to seek guidance, build partnerships, and create paid advisory roles that ensure firsthand system experience informs policy and practice. At the same time, we successfully stood up Family Voice Councils across multiple counties, providing child welfare leaders with a key advisory body to support efforts to change the system.
16 | Foster America 2024 Annual Report
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