Colorado Celebrates National Reunification Month with Event Honoring Advocates and Families
DENVER (June 25, 2024) – In honor of Reunification Month, the Colorado Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC), the Colorado Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF), the Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR), the Colorado Court Improvement Program (CIP), and Colorado Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are recognizing the collaborative efforts that help families stay together. These organizations gathered on Monday June 24th at Elitch Gardens for Reaching New Heights Together: Celebrating Reunification in Colorado, an event recognizing families who have reunified and the people, policies, and practices that reduce trauma, amplify family voices, and support child welfare professionals statewide. Part of National Reunification Month, celebrated annually in June, the event is a celebration of families who reunify and those who help strengthen and support them.
“The road to family reunification isn’t always easy. It’s a journey that often requires resilience, persistence, and collaboration,” said Melissa Thompson, Executive Director of ORPC. “When advocates come together with families to support reunification, we can rise above challenges and soar to new heights.”
The primary goal of the child welfare system is reunifying children with their families. ORPC, OCYF, OCR, CIP, and CASA work to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed support to families. By combining legal advocacy, family services, and community-based support, they ensure that families can access the necessary tools and resources to navigate the child welfare system, address their unique challenges, and advocate effectively for their reunification and well-being.
As part of the celebration event, the 2024 Reunification Heroes, selected from different Colorado counties, were honored for their significant contributions to the reunification space. These individuals include parents and professional advocates who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and impact in helping families stay together and thrive.
Highlight videos for each of this year’s reunification heroes are available here:
- Kristal Steeves: https://vimeo.com/962688274
- K’Sandra Lewis: https://vimeo.com/962684442
- Andre Tarver: https://vimeo.com/962674644
- Ray Rosa: https://vimeo.com/953170127
Event photos can be downloaded here. Governor Polis’ official proclamation of June as Reunification Month can be accessed here.
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About the Colorado Office of Respondent Parents Counsel (ORPC)
The Colorado Office of Respondent Parents Counsel (ORPC) is an independent state agency that supports Colorado parents in the fight to preserve families in dependency and neglect cases. Since 2016, ORPC has protected the right to parent by recruiting and training attorneys statewide, advocating for family-centered policies, and promoting equity and transparency in the family regulation system through data. As a result of our work, more families are reunified and stronger together. Learn more at www.coloradoORPC.org.
About the Colorado Office of Children, Youth and Families
The CDHS Office of Children, Youth and Families is responsible for the coordination of quality and effective services for Colorado’s most vulnerable children, youth, and their families. The office supervises Colorado’s child welfare system and operates the state’s youth services system, as well as several other programs. Learn more at cdhs.colorado.gov.
About the Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative
The Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR) is the state agency mandated to provide competent and effective legal representation to children and youth involved in the Colorado court system. For more information, please visit www.coloradochildrep.org.
About Colorado Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are volunteers who advocate on behalf of child victims who have experienced abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and or sexual assault. CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for children’s best interests. Our best-interest advocacy is driven by the guiding principle that children grow and develop best with their family of origin. For more information, please visit coloradocasa.org
About Colorado Court Improvement Program (CIP)
The Colorado Court Improvement Program (CIP) is funded by a federal grant administered by the Children’s Bureau and aimed at improving the handling of dependency and neglect cases in the Colorado court system. Colorado’s CIP projects are guided by a five-year strategic plan developed by a multidisciplinary taskforce.
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