September Proclaimed Kinship Care Month

September marks the beginning of Kinship Care Month in Colorado.

Kinship Care Month honors the important role kinship caregivers play in the lives of children and youth who temporarily cannot stay with their parents or guardians.

Kinship Care Month Proclamation 2025

WHEREAS, children and youth need a sense of safety, encouragement, and stability for their
emotional, physical, and developmental health; and

WHEREAS, in Colorado, thousands of grandparents are raising their grandchildren, and many
more aunts, uncles, siblings, friends, neighbors, coaches, and mentors are caring for children
and youth; and

WHEREAS, children and youth who live with relatives and kin are more likely to keep their
family, cultural, and community connections. They also preserve their sense of identity,
maintain stability, and experience less trauma; and

WHEREAS, Colorado is dedicated to supporting kinship families by offering services through
community partnerships, county departments of human services, and the Colorado Kinnected
Kinship Navigator Program; and

WHEREAS, National Kinship Care Month gives Colorado the opportunity to partner with
families, kin, and public and private organizations to promote a «kin-first» culture – making
sure children and youth are cared for by their families whenever possible and honoring the
strengths, knowledge, and rights of those families;

THEREFORE, I, Jared Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, do hereby proclaim
September, 2025, as