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Celebration to Honor Foster Youth who are Shaping Policy in Colorado

A group of young adults and adults, standing in rows, smile as they hold awards in a grand hall with wooden walls and chandeliers.

Third Annual Celebration Highlights Youth Leadership and Collaboration

DENVER, (September 24, 2025) — Young people in Colorado who have been in foster care or interacted with state youth services are making a real difference. Their lived expertise helps shape important policies like the Sibling Bill of Rights, Foster Youth Bill of Rights and the Rights for Youth in Division of Youth Service Facilities. The third annual Colorado Foster Youth Voice Celebration honors their impact.

When:  Friday, Oct. 3, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center 
Hosts: Colorado’s Office of the Child’s Representative, the Colorado Department of Human Services, the Child Protection Ombudsman of Colorado (CPO), Elevating Connections, and the Court Improvement Program

“Young people with foster care experience are helping shape a stronger Colorado,” said Tori Shuler, vice chair of the board for the Office of the Child’s Representative and emcee of the event. “This event shines a light on our youth who are making positive changes for our communities and state, like legislation that keeps siblings together whenever possible.”

Honorees will receive certificates and share their stories. Their voices continue to guide child welfare and youth services in Colorado while inspiring young people to speak up and create change, through policy advocacy, testimony or personal successes. 

“Being honored at last year’s Foster Youth Voice Celebration meant the world to me,” said Emilio Flores. “It was a great opportunity to speak and also to give my respect and talk to the foster families that foster these youth and mold them into amazing men and women. I plan on attending every single one — it was a great experience.”

National Foster Youth Voice Month, created by the Selfless Love Foundation, highlights the importance of giving young people in foster care a voice in decisions that affect their lives. Each October, more than 30 states join this celebration to showcase how youth are transforming foster care and youth services. 

Colorado is leading the way for youth-centered policies by making sure that youth have a seat at the table and are part of conversations about policies that affect them:

Council for Youth: Young people advising lawmakers directly.
Sibling Bill of Rights (2019): Gives siblings in foster care the right to visit, communicate and, when possible, live together. 
Foster Youth in Transition Program (2021: Lets eligible youth voluntarily receive services that support independence into adulthood. 
Right to Counsel for Youth (2022): Makes sure most children age 12 years and older in dependency and neglect cases have their own lawyer. 
Bill of Rights for Foster Youth (2024): Establishes clear rights for children and youth in foster care or the Transition Program, requires they be told their rights and allows courts to enforce them. Youth from the Office of the Child’s Representative Lived Experts Action Panel (LEAP) helped write, testify for and roll out this law.
Rights for Youth in DYS Facilities: Guarantees fair treatment and protections for youth in State care.

This event kicks off a month-long, statewide observance of Foster Youth Voice Month. Read the proclamation. Visit CO4Kids.org to learn more about foster care in Colorado. 
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