Governor Polis proclaims September as 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 2024

WHEREAS, the family unit is a vital structure for providing Colorado’s children with love, dignity, and belonging. While every family has a unique structure, a sense of physical and emotional safety, encouragement and stability is vital to childrens’ emotional, physical, and developmental health; and

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

WHEREAS, children who live with kin retain familial, cultural, and community ties, maintain a sense of identity and connection to family, stability and permanency, and minimized trauma; and

WHEREAS, Colorado is committed to honoring and supporting kinship families with services to assist families within communities across the state through community collaboration and the Colorado Kinnected Kinship Navigator Program; and

WHEREAS, National Kinship Care Month provides the opportunity for the State of Colorado to partner with families and collaborate with public and private organizations to uplift a kin-first culture where children are raised within their families when it most makes sense, families’ strengths and expertise are valued, and their rights are respected;

THEREFORE, I, Jared Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, do hereby proclaim the month
of September 2024, as KINSHIP CARE MONTH.