I look at the importance of a diagnosis. We want our kids to succeed as best they can. For them to do so, we need to see them as they are—to know the truth, informed by an FASD-aware diagnosis. The truth of FASD is that support can be tailored to the individual—to how their brain and body works.
My son deserves that, and I owe that to him and now hope to help other families both follow and avoid walking in my footsteps. Families are experts on their children and by extension the programs intended to support them in strengthening their families and addressing challenges.
It is for this reason that Illuminate Colorado looks to parents and caregivers with lived experiences as the driving force within coalitions and networks focused on systemic change. Increasingly, there is an effort to involve parents and caregivers from all walks of life in the decision-making process of systemic change, as well as program improvement.
It is important that we listen and honor lived experience. The Partnership is building collaboration at the state and local level to align funding, priorities, regulations, outcome measures and implementation — across sectors and jurisdictions to create a strong family well-being system that supports families. As the backbone support team for the Partnership, Illuminate is guiding vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, establishing shared measurement practices, cultivating community engagement and mobilizing resources in support of this collective effort.
I have been the parent that professionals have refused to listen to. I have been that parent that professionals look in the face and nod their heads then do nothing.
I have been the parent that has continued to cry out and strive for equitable spaces for families so that they come and participate in the decisions that are being made for them. I have been the parent that has spent years fighting for change and has seen very little transpire from it.
Hicks and Fikile Ryder, another mother of two engaged as a Partnership family voice representative , have been involved in this collaborative space for more than a year now. What makes them special is that they lead with compassion and heart.
When the two women spoke to the Partnership leadership team about fair compensation for families and lived experience working with the Partnership, they said it was an extremely awkward and difficult conversation to have.
As women, they felt the social constraints against them that make it even more difficult to advocate and ask for compensation for their time and talent. And while Illuminate is heartened to hear that the process of getting to this milestone in family voice compensation felt positive and swift, Illuminate is also quick to credit philanthropic support and a shared desire among all of the Partnership Leadership Team for this additional investment.
It is unique among the collective spaces that Illuminate supports right now, however, honoring the lived experiences of families is not. In , the Family Advisory Board FAB to the steering committee was formed in order to elevate the voices of families who have experienced, directly or indirectly, the impacts of substance use during pregnancy.
Diane Smith is a mother of three who has a leadership role within this steering committee, as well as the Family Advisory Board. The FAB has been instrumental to the understanding of barriers in seeking support, health care, including treatment and other services, and informing of priority-setting within the steering committee to raise awareness and best serve the needs of families impacted by substance use.
Stepping into an advocacy role like this one can be hard for parents and caregivers and Smith points to a strong relationship with Hattie Landry , Illuminate strategic initiatives manager for making her experience a positive one.
When asked what decision-makers can do to support family voice partners and what non family-voice partners can do to create spaces where everyone feels valued and heard, Smith reminds organizers to be flexible and meet families where they are at by communicating by phone, email, text or even in person to ease the stress of sharing their story. The organization now supports eight different collaborative spaces to advance child maltreatment prevention in Colorado, with Landry facilitating discussions with family voice partners across many of these spaces.
Being a local-control state is both a blessing and a curse in so many ways when it comes to investing in strengthening families. On one hand it allows local county commissioners and government agencies the flexibility necessary to listen to the children and families in the community and respond to the unique challenges they face. On the other hand, it requires a considerable amount of time and thoughtful coordination to communicate best practices, evidence-informed research, and lessons lived and learned to help county commissioners and State leaders alike make informed investments.
Through our roles as both a convener of collaborative spaces and experts on the prevention of child maltreatment, Illuminate Colorado proudly guided the collaborative development of investment recommendations to aid State and local decision-makers in prioritizing family strengthening to the most of this opportunity.
The pandemic has impacted so many different aspects of our communities, and the challenge on local, state, and federal levels is to determine how to prioritize allocation of these ARPA funds.
Checkout the BrainSteps tips for online learning. Definition : Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder FASD is a descriptive term not a diagnostic term used to describe a group of conditions or a range of effects caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. These effects can include physical issues and difficulties with behavior and learning.
Often, a person with an FASD has a combination of these conditions. These conditions can affect each person in different ways, and can range from mild to severe. The most well-known diagnosis within this umbrella category is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome FAS — which only represents a portion of persons with effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.
The process for requesting a fair hearing is detailed on the adoption assistance agreement forms. See question 22 for complete information regarding fair hearings. What steps does a family go through to appeal an adoption assistance decision in Colorado?
When the county department denies, reduces, or terminates an application for adoption assistance or the assistance maintenance amount, the applicant or recipient has a right to appeal through the Office of Administrative Courts.
Families may appeal an adverse action through the following fair hearing process:. Parents will then receive written notice of a fair hearing date, and can choose to attend in person or to participate by phone. A fair hearing is conducted like a legal hearing.
The hearing office will ask the county department of social services to attend the hearing and provide information regarding the adverse action that has been taken. The county may be represented by a lawyer. At the hearing, the administrative law judge hears the testimony and reviews all submitted documents. Parents or their counsel can choose to call witnesses and cross-examine any county witnesses. At the end of the hearing, the judge will announce a timeline for a decision.
Exceptions must be based on testimony and evidence presented at the hearing. If parents or the child welfare agency still disagree with the decision, they must appeal the decision in state appellate court. What Else do Families Need to Know? How is the adoption assistance program operated and funded in Colorado? This means that personnel at the state office are responsible for making policy decisions regarding the adoption assistance program, and provide guidance to county offices.
The remaining cost of the program is funded 30 percent by the state and 20 percent by the county. Yes, contact Mary Griffin for more detail at or mary.
The funds may be used for tuition, books, computers, school supplies, qualified living expenses, housing, child care, health insurance, groceries, and transportation. These funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, youth can e-mail colorado statevoucher. Does Colorado have any program to support an adoptee whose adoptive parents die until the child is adopted again? What is the payment schedule for adoption assistance?
Can I receive my adoption assistance through direct deposit? Every county administers their own program. Families should contact the finance staff in the county that pays the adoption assistance if payment is not received. The schedules vary by county. All adoption assistance payments in Colorado are through direct deposit. The North American Council on Adoptable Children NACAC supports, educates, inspires, and advocates so adoptive families thrive and every child in foster care has a permanent, safe, loving family.
Paul, MN Updated May Below you can find information about the adoption assistance benefits that may be available to families who adopt children from foster care in Colorado. How does Colorado define special needs to determine eligibility?
What Supports and Services Are Available? For more information about any of these programs, contact your state president. Alabama There are no program listings for this state. Alaska There are no program listings for this state. Arizona There are no program listings for this state. District of Columbia There are no program listings for this state. Illinois State Society 1. Mississippi There are no program listings for this state.
Nebraska State Society 1. Oregon State Society 4.
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