Let’s help make childhood what it ought to be… | |
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Cash Payments to Colorado Families Might Keep Kids Out
of Foster Care
By Shari F. Shink, Esq.,
The Denver Post
“Of all the people in the child welfare system who get paid, the ones who might put the money to best use are the parents at risk of losing their children to foster care.
Attorneys, advocates, and kin families are all compensated for their roles, and rightly so. Yet most mothers and fathers deemed to be failing their children through poverty get no specific financial help to turn their family situations around and save their children from the system.
A growing body of research and small pilot programs hope to prove that even a few hundred dollars a month might make a huge difference in keeping kids out of the foster care system.”
It’s time Colorado gives this a try. Direct, no-strings cash payments might sound like a radical approach, but if it can keep kids with their birth families it would be money well spent.
Each year about 200 teens age out of foster care here without ever being adopted or put back with their families — and later end up homeless or in trouble with the law — at a lifetime cost of between $66 million and $73 million.
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Happy Father's Day!
What is a Father? Some say a protector and teacher; he picks you up when you fall and encourages you to try again; he is always there for his kids and sets a good example. Being a Foster Dad is all those things and more. Join us in recognizing three fabulous Foster Dads from our community... Jose, Chris, and Bryan.
Jose and his wife Jamie have been fostering for years. Ambassador Kaele Marquez shares, “Jose is a truly exceptional foster dad who deserves significant recognition. Every month, Jose consistently arrives at the Ambassador events with a smile and a positive attitude, despite juggling numerous young children. Jose and Jamie always make time and space to welcome children with significant needs and are happy to offer help to others while continuously supporting their own family.”
For Chris, being a kinship grandparent is about second chances. He shares, "This time you get to teach the things you wish you could have taught your own children. And they get a second chance on life with a true family with a much better outcome.” Cobbled Streets has provided Chris’ family with bunk beds, and fun family experiences like Disney on Ice tickets, and season passes to Elitch Gardens.
Ambassador Tatiana Scroggins shares that Bryan is an incredible advocate for children. She says, “He’s passionate and caring and a huge support to his family. I’ve never seen him not backing up his wife, whether it’s making quick trips for furniture to get a room ready for another kiddo or getting a daughter off to college. He makes the world a better place."
From our hearts at Cobbled Streets, Thank You to all the incredible Foster Dads out there for everything you do!
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Consistency & Joy
Kids in care often experience placement disruptions. That was the case for Olivia and Charlotte. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they were placed in 3 different homes in 2023. Children need stability and consistency for healthy growth and development. Olivia and Charlotte’s Aunt reached out to Cobbled Streets for our support in engaging the girls in weekly activities so they could have an outlet, learn something new, and have fun.
Cobbled Streets provided financial support for Olivia to participate in ongoing weekly gymnastics lessons. We are also funding the monthly instrument rental payments for Charlotte to learn how to play the Blessing French Horn. The girls have learned new skills while experiencing consistency and joy.
Olivia’s coaches shared, “We are so grateful for all the support you have been able to provide Olivia. She is an exceptional young lady and has really thrived in our care. She is currently a Silver in the USA Gymnastics Xcel program. She is working hard to build and master her skills like a round-off back handspring and vaulting over the table. Thank you again for supporting such a lovely young lady. You have truly changed her life!”
Olivia qualified for the State Gymnastics Competition in May where she placed 1st in the Vault and 3rd all-around after only 8 months of lessons! We can't wait to see where this new passion takes her, and we also look forward to listening while Charlotte plays a tune on her French Horn!
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The Impact Of Tutoring
In February 2023, Cobbled Streets began providing financial support for Myla to take tutoring lessons for reading and math. Her tutor is a certified educator with a strong background in reading. According to her tutor, Myla was about two years below grade level when they began their sessions together.
Twila, her tutor, worked closely with Myla’s teacher to incorporate what she learned at school during their tutor sessions. At first, lessons were twice a week for one hour, but at Twila's request, sessions increased to 1.5 hours twice a week.
Myla’s tutor and her Aunt have seen tremendous growth in her academic skills and confidence. Myla has worked hard for over a year and a half and is catching up with her peers. Aside from her growth academically, Myla has also gained two consistent relationships in her life, with her tutor and her Aunt. Myla was officially adopted by her Aunt in April 2024.
Twila shared, “It has been a real pleasure working with Myla. I have watched her grow in reading and math skills, beginning to close the gap in her education. This takes time for some children. When I first started working with Myla she did not want to work on academic skills of any kind. She has worked very hard at gaining needed skills, and I am sure will continue to grow with help. I have seen her mature and grow in confidence. The service you have provided is priceless to these children who are in need. It has been a pleasure working with you. Thank you for providing this service for Myla for giving her this opportunity for success!”
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Saturday Event with
Gnarly Nate
Foster, adoptive, and kinship families had an amazingly fun time together at our last Saturday Event with Foster Source!
Ninja Warrior athlete, Gnarly Nate, hosted everyone at his gym Ninja Ark in Longmont. Nate has a foster brother who he is close with and understands the importance of foster children feeling included within their families and the community.
The event brought families together from across the state. The coaches, including Gnarly Nate, demonstrated impressive stunts for the kids, showing off their strength and talents on the different obstacles. The kids cheered, clapped, chanted, and encouraged them to keep going. The coaches also demonstrated resilience, hopping back up after they fell (which happens a lot at Ninja Ark) and trying again.
The kids challenged themselves to learn new physical skills. They had so much fun trying all the obstacles and supporting their new friends through the course.
Parents watched, encouraged, and connected with each other. Everyone went home tired and happy!
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There were smiles, laughter, encouragement, and cheers for a new experience enjoyed by all! | | | |
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Building Community Through Golf
Our spring golf program with First Tee just drew to a close, and we already miss it!
This is our third year running the program (in the spring and fall), and although we always have new faces joining, ten families have returned for at least two seasons…two families have attended every single session since we began!
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Over six weeks, we witnessed relationships grow and new ones begin. We had a new sibling set of three join us this year. We had the privilege of watching their confidence blossom as they opened up to the group more and more each week. During the three years this program has been running, we are proud of the supportive community of children, parents, and golf mentors that has been built.
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New this year, we incorporated snack break and special snack days, which gave the kids more time to deepen their connections with each other and their coaches. They would race in the front door and down the hall each week, brimming with excitement to see their friends and golf coaches. They started to refer to the Cobbled Streets team as “the cool people who bring us snacks!”
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Arri, the Head Golf Coach, commented,
“I believe we had an impact on [the kids] as far as creating a positive outlook on golf and specifically having the golf course be a fun and safe space. Every week the children were excited, got 1 on 1 attention, and were engaged in our golf activities. Cobbled Streets also went the extra mile by providing snacks and drinks for the children and my staff to bring another element of community.”
Thank you to all our golf families and mentors for your involvement.
We can't wait to see you all in the fall!
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Thank You to Our Supporting Partners
We are thrilled to announce that Cobbled Streets was recently awarded grants from the Denver Broncos Foundation and Ent Credit Union! Huge thanks to these organizations for their support and recognition of the importance of our mission. We are grateful for your partnership as we work together to change the landscape for children in foster care in Colorado.
Thanks to Zack, the Community Event Specialist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, for facilitating a recent donation of 200 tickets!
The Denver Zoo recently donated four tickets for a family visit. A Zoo representative highly suggested that all foster/kinship families reach out to them. The family simply brings proof of their status, and the Zoo provides a 70% discounted rate for their Family Membership = only $60 for a membership covering two adults and all children under 18. Interested in a membership for your family? Feel free to reach out to Cobbled Streets.
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