In This Issue...

Calling All Presenters for the CAFCA Annual Conference

New Committee Created to Strengthen Community-Based Efforts

Discounts for CAFCA and Fostering Colorado Members at Upcoming Summits Presented by FFTA

New Jobs Board Coming Exclusively for All CAFCA Members

Meet the New Shared Services Program Advisory Committee

and MORE!

ABOVE: Everyone at CAFCA is excited to return to the former venue for our annual conference, the spectacular Mt. Vernon Canyon Club in Golden.

Calling All Workshop Presenters!

The 2024 CAFCA Annual Conference is only five months away, and that means it’s time to submit your application to be a presenter at one of several workshops that are the meat and potatoes of the event. Better Together 2024 happens Thursday, August 29 at one of Colorado’s premier conference venues, Mt. Vernon Canyon Club in Golden.

The conference serves professionals and stakeholders in child welfare, human services, state and county government, foster care and child policy advocacy. Workshops are 1.5 hours each and topics are open-ended as long as they are relevant to child welfare stakeholders, although we are especially interested in the following issue areas:

• Addressing Urgency of Youth Mental Health Needs

• Boosting Child Welfare Workforce / Creative Workforce Solutions

• Racial Justice, Diversity, Equity and or Implicit Bias

• Foster Parenting Recruitment, Retention, Stabilization, Support

• LGBTQ+ Awareness, Issues, Services

• Trauma Informed Care and Culture

• Human Trafficking

• Creative Collaboration

• Meaningful Engagement of Lived Experience

• Legal Advocacy for Children, Youth and Families

• Youth Aging Out, Independent Living

• Preventing, De-Escalating, and Addressing Youth on Run and or Dysregulation

• Education Issues, Facility Schools, Day Treatment

• Secondary Staff Trauma, Self-Care, Mental Health for Service Providers

• Serving Unaccompanied Youth and Migrant Populations

• Creative Funding Solutions

• Other

To apply, click here and be sure to submit no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, July 26. More information about the conference---including keynote speaker and sponsor information, will be made available in the weeks ahead. If you’d like to find out more about sponsorships, contact Dave at 720-284-8915 or email him at dave@voiceforcokids.org.

New CAFCA Sub-Group Works to Strengthen Community-Based Efforts

A new CAFCA sub-group will make it easier to identify and prioritize issues faced by community-based program and may be instrumental in strengthening the entire continuum of care for children and youth in need. Savio’s Katie Heideman and Kerry Swenson of Cornerstone Programs are creating a space where members can discuss how various challenges show up for community-based services specifically. Articulating those challenges and identifying potential

solutions is an essential step to maintaining a strong and robust continuum of care.

Meetings will take place remotely through Microsoft Teams on the second Thursday of the month, with the inaugural meeting set for Thursday, March 14, at 9am. If you have any

questions, you can contact Katie Heideman at kheideman@saviohouse.org.

ABOVE: The Grand Hyatt Hotel in the heart of downtown Denver will be the home of the upcoming fundraising and philanthropy summit, presented by the FFTA. The hotel recently debuted the results of its year-long, $28 million renovation, placing it among the newest and most luxurious of Denver's downtown skyscraper hotels.

Discounted Fees for CAFCA Members at Upcoming Events

There are so many perks and benefits that come with your membership to CAFCA, including numerous discounts and savings on costs to attend a variety of conferences and trainings throughout the year. And when those events take place right here in Denver, it’s even better. That’s the case with two important events presented by Family Focused Treatment Association (FFTA), with discounts on registration fees for staff of any CAFCA or Fostering Colorado member agency. Simply select member rate when registering.

Denver's two largest Hyatt hotels will serve as the home for these events, with a one-day fundraising seminar later this month housed at the newly renovated Grand Hyatt, and the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center hosting FFTA's 38th annual conference in July.

Community-Centric Fundraising and the Exciting Evolution of Nonprofits and Philanthropy, a Deep Dive with Vu Lek, is a one-day event happening on March 21, from 9:30 am - 5:30 pm at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver. Geared specifically towards leaders in the child welfare and mental health sectors, the focus will be on Community-Centric Fundraising: what it is, why it is needed, and what actions we each can take. CAFCA and Fostering Colorado member agencies and their staff will save $50 off the $289 registration fee. Register now at https://www.ffta.org/page/marchleadership (select member rate).

In July, you can join 750 health and human service professionals at the only international conference on family focused treatment services. The 38th Annual FFTA Conference takes place July 7-10 at the Hyatt Regency-Colorado Convention Center. Staff of non-member agencies will pay $740 to attend this three-day event. However, staff of CAFCA and Fostering Colorado member agencies save more than $100 to attend with a cost of $635. You can register or find out more at https://www.ffta.org/page/conference24. Be sure to register before May 31, 2024.

ABOVE: A brand new jobs board, custom-designed exclusively for CAFCA and Fostering Colorado member agencies is currently under construction and should be operational by summer.

Custom-Designed Jobs Board Coming Soon!

So far, 2024 has been a year of exciting changes here at CAFCA, a few of which have us trailblazing through uncharted territory---and we’re lovin’ the ride! Some of those changes are happening on our website, and we think you’re going to be very pleased with the results.

Currently under construction is our brand-new, centralized Jobs Board that will provide our member agencies with easier and broader access to a larger pool of qualified candidates while providing candidates with better access to job openings in our field---all in one place. This exclusive service is free of charge for CAFCA member agencies, as one of the many benefits associated with your CAFCA membership. It will be powered by a custom-built application, and we hope to have it fully operational by May 1.

Updates will be delivered through our social media pages in the weeks ahead. Once completed, we’ll send your designated staff with links and instructions on how it all works. If you have any questions about this exciting, new service, contact Dave via email here.

New CAFCA Advisory Committee Formed

One of the primary focuses of the CAFCA team so far this year has been the creation and inception of the new Shared Services program for Colorado’s facility schools. Working through educational purchasing co-ops, the program will help facility schools gain better access to much-needed supplies and services, at discounted prices. There are a number of critical steps involved in the creation of this program, including the formation of an advisory committee that will assist, counsel and guide the CAFCA team as it builds the program, and even assist and volunteer with the program once it is fully operational.

We are so pleased to announce that the committee formation process is complete, and 17 members have been selected to serve one-year terms. It is our honor to welcome the following individuals to the CAFCA Shared Services Program Advisory Committee: Dr. Tammy L. Allen, Southern Peaks Regional Treatment Center; Lorri Avery, Learning Zone at Real Life Colorado; Laurie Burney, CDHS; Keelee Burtch, Elevation Ability Services; Casey Daly, Serenity Education and Day Treatment; Rachel Gillen, Mount St. Vincent; Nancy Jones, Laradon; Dave Koehler, Third Way Center; Lara Leonard, Elevation Ability Services; Cindy Lystad, The Joshua School; Steven Ramirez, Shiloh House; James Ringer, The Joshua School; Hannah Shilling, Ariel Clinical Services; Barb Taylor, Catalyst Education Design Consultants; Amy Thomas, Third Way Center; Kevin Tracy, Shiloh House; and Ted Trujillo, The City & County of Denver Dept. of Finance.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have such a diverse group of dedicated leaders serving on this committee, all of whom share our vision of being a beacon of light for Colorado’s facility schools,” said Dave Sevick, CAFCA’s Director of Development & Member Services, and the Shared Services program director.

The committee will have its inaugural meeting later this month. We are grateful to each new committee member for volunteering their time to be of service for this new project.

P.O. Box 653 | Evergreen, CO 80437-0653 | 720.560.3810

www.VoiceForCOKids.org