Supporting Families Through The Haven Impact

When a child enters foster or kinship care, the transition can be overwhelming for everyone involved. New placements bring a whirlwind of appointments, court dates and emotional adjustments. The Haven Impact, a non-profit serving the Denver metro area, steps into this chaos to ensure that both the children and the caregivers feel seen, valued and supported. By providing tangible resources and a sense of community, they aim to make the journey a little bit easier for those who have opened their homes to children in foster care.

“Our mission’s always remained the same, supporting kids going into care and the families that are saying yes, so we can help them continue saying yes to kids and hopefully help curb that retention issue that we see with foster parents within that first year,” said Danielle Frost, executive director of The Haven Impact. 

At the heart of their work is a commitment to the entire household. Rather than focusing only on the child entering the home, The Haven Impact recognizes that welcoming a new family member is a collective adjustment. Their background-checked, trauma-trained volunteers provide customized care packages filled with brand-new items like clothing, shoes, blankets, toys and hygiene supplies, usually within 48 hours of receiving a request. Additionally, they offer freezer meals and other resources to help families focus on building relationships rather than worrying about daily logistics. 

“We have some volunteers who are really comfortable with meeting people and they’ll have conversations and just sit with them for a few minutes ensuring that they have the support that they need. And we always do a follow-up though with families and ensure that the clothing fits, the kids like what they’ve gotten and if there’s anything else that we can help direct them to,” said Danielle.

The organization’s standard of providing only brand-new items is deeply intentional. Volunteers may spend an hour or more packing bags with items selected specifically for each child. The detailed request form on their website lets caregivers share the child’s size and preferences like favorite colors and characters. They believe that providing high-quality, new goods sends a powerful message to children during a time of instability. It is about more than just physical needs, it is also about providing something that belongs solely to them.

“It just sends a message of value and dignity to kids in care. I think they need to see that they are worth it. They can take their own tags off their clothes that are brand new just for them.”

The Haven Impact also fosters community through their “Bright Spot” events, which offer respite for parents and fun, safe activities for children. These fun morning events allow caregivers some much needed respite time. The events usually host around 50 children from infants to teens with around 25 volunteers. The three hour long events also have 45 minutes to an hour built in at the beginning to give caregivers breakfast and time to connect with others who truly understand the unique challenges of foster and kinship care.

“There were two kinship caregivers that met at our parent mixer and one of them was in tears because they were so happy that they found someone else, another kinship caregiver who understands what they’re going through. They didn’t have anyone who understood that and could walk alongside them. I think community for them is really hard as well, that support system,” Danielle shared explaining why the parent connection time is important too.

For those who want to help but aren’t able to become foster parents themselves, there are still plenty of ways to make a meaningful difference. Whether through organizing a donation drive, donating new items (they especially need pajama sets and shoes), cooking meals, making fleece blankets or volunteering at events, every contribution helps build a stronger support system for our community’s children and families.

“I have so many stories where families just feel like we’ve gone above and beyond that we have really just given them more than they expected and it’s really helped them feel seen and supported and valued,” Danielle shared. “There’s so many ways to help. You don’t have to open your home, there are a lot of ways to support families and organizations.”

The Haven Impact delivered 127 care packages in 2025 and will likely exceed that number in 2026. As of mid July 2026 they have packed 106 care packages. The organization is currently only active within 25 miles of their Westminster location but hopes to one day expand to other parts of Colorado. To learn more about current needs, upcoming events, or how to get involved, please visit the The Haven Impact website.