I am sitting here watching my son play with his friend thinking about all of the things that have blown up this week all while smiling for him. Let’s be honest, there are times when this parenting thing is just hard. Like when you get to the point where you are not sure whether you’re going left or right. Organizing rides to practices, planning meals, working and trying to find 30 minutes to get to the store to get my favorite face wash. Every decision feels wrong and everything seems to be going wrong. What do I do when I feel like this? Sometimes I go behind closed doors and cry then put some makeup on my red nose, throw on my Nikes and get back to it. Other days I don’t hide it from my kids. I let them see the struggles, the frustration and the tears.
Which one is right? I could argue both. I don’t want them to see me cry or cause them to worry about anything that’s my job as their mom. They are just kids and have enough adult life to worry and stress them out. However, if they see how hard I fight they can gain more appreciation for what they have and what I do for them. The life we live doesn’t come easy. No matter how I respond I beat myself up. I have painted a picture of me being superwoman to the world and now that’s the picture that I see of myself. No room for error even when things are tough.
I have read article after article about ways to cope when you’re stressed or how to give yourself grace and even how to parent under pressure. When I read those articles I then think, how can I get to the point where I am as put together as those moms? Which either motivates me or makes me feel defeated.
So what’s the moral to the story? Finding peace in the chaos looks different for everyone, and that’s ok. It looks different for me every day, and that’s ok too.
I remind myself a few ways:
I put sticky notes on my mirrors with positive quotes.
Building Parental Resilience Is Growing a Better Tomorrow for All Children, Together
This is what parental resilience looks like for me and it’s built by learning healthy coping skills and strategies to manage your stress and function as well as you can when faced with challenges, adversity and trauma. Researchers at The Center for the Study of Social Policy have found that parental resilience is among the five Protective Factors that, when present in families’ lives, have the power to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect and when I think about that, it makes complete sense to me.
When I’m not taking care of myself or managing my stress, I know I don’t show up for my kids the way I want to. But, who among us has not felt a little short-tempered, yelled or not been your best-self at moments in front of your kids. Everyone needs to practice self-care, especially parents.
Take the time to do little things that bring you calm during the storm. While I complain about the articles saying give yourself grace, it’s so true! I have to constantly remind myself that parenting is not for the weak, so we use the tools we have to make the best decisions we can to strengthen our families and ourselves. This is the pledge I make to myself and I’m sharing my story to grow a better tomorrow for all children, together.
Makita Cotto
Makita is a proud mother of three, human resources manager and high school basketball coach sharing her lived experiences so that children and families can grow and thrive together. She has a deep understanding of what needs to happen at a community level in order to transform systems so that families get the preventative support they need, having experienced the foster care system as a child.
I am sitting here watching my son play with his friend thinking about all of the things that have blown up this week all while smiling for him. Let’s be honest, there are times when this parenting thing is just hard. Like when you get to the point where you are not...
Working in the field of sexual assault prevention can make a mom a tad neurotic, no? When my three were babies, I added anatomically correct body parts to our sing-along songs “Head, Shoulders, penis, Knees and Toes.” My spouse would shake his head and laugh, “You’re...
Have you found yourself unsure of what your baby wants or needs? Baby sign language can help you and your baby communicate before they start talking. What is Baby Sign Language? Baby sign language refers to the use of a limited vocabulary of modified gestures from...
Working in the field of sexual assault prevention can make a mom a tad neurotic, no? When my three were babies, I added anatomically correct body parts to our sing-along songs “Head, Shoulders, penis, Knees and Toes.” My spouse would shake his head and laugh, “You’re too much!” Our parents were horrified. “Really?! You have to add ‘penis’ to a children’s song?!” I shrugged. I knew there was value.
As they grew, I reviewed safety guidelines with them so often that they used sing-song voices to repeat them back to me. I persisted. They knew that their private parts should not be touched or viewed by others, and that they should not touch others’ without consent.
They understood that sometimes other kids and adults break the rules. They knew that abuse was never the fault of a child—at least they repeated that part back to me. They knew it takes courage to tell. “We KNOW, Mom! Stop! You’re too much,” they told me more than once. I worried about that—that my neurosis would translate into heightened anxiety in an already anxious world. I wanted to protect, not frighten. It’s a fine line, and I was never sure how elegantly I walked it.
When they entered middle school, I taped articles facing in on our glass shower door under the tag, “Mom’s Hot Topic Board”, complete with illustrated flames. The nature and substance of the articles changed over the years as they passed into high school. Articles about kindness turned to anti bullying. Articles about empathy turned to consent. “Be an Upstander!” they would preach. Eventually, the science behind the risks of vaping and marijuana made an appearance, as well as the risks of anal and oral sex. I was met with eye rolls, shocked faces. They couldn’t believe I would broach such sensitive topics. They shook their heads at me and felt sorry for themselves. Their friends’ moms weren’t so weird.
In high school, our conversations focused on gender roles, identity and consent. We were well past sex ed. We connected bullying with sexual harassment and assault. We talked about why some survivors would choose not to disclose, why people enduring abuse might not seek help. My law-and-order one was mystified, my secretive one nodded, my contemplative one asked questions about systems. Sometimes their comments gave me a stomachache. This wasn’t easy. They often ended the conversations with “That’s enough!” or a child walking out of the room. I continued to worry. There I was, being a lot again.
Now they are all in college. As I hear about parties, dorm life and the Greek system, I wonder – did I teach them enough? Are they equipped? Do they have refusal skills? Are they kind and socially adept? Are they confident upstanders? They have anxiety related to academics, and sometimes social situations, but that’s normal, right? They seem well adjusted, but did I go too far?
Questions about whether I’m too much ran through my mind until one of them called me from college. A friend had been sexually assaulted at a party. I was devastated to hear it. I asked what they did. My adult child had told the friend, “This is not your fault. It doesn’t matter that you were drinking. We can go to the doctor and you don’t have to report to the police, but I’ll help you if you want to. We can also call the Title IX office or an advocate if you aren’t feeling safe here. You get to control your story. I am here to support you no matter what you choose. You were brave to tell me.” I teared up with pride. They were listening all this time. I’m not too much. I am just enough.
Creating a Colorado Where Children Grow Up Free From Sexual Abuse: An Issue Brief on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse in Colorado examines data and trends related to child sexual abuse in Colorado, highlights efforts to prevent this trauma and presents recommendations to advance prevention statewide.
Margaret Ochoa is a blog contributor helping to illuminate the protective factors in her family’s life by sharing her experiences through storytelling as a mother of three, one of the chairs of the Colorado Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Coalition and the child sexual abuse prevention specialist at Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Illuminate Colorado offers multiple trainings for parents, professionals, and community members to ensure they are equipped to create safe spaces where children can thrive.
To achieve our mission to strengthen families, organizations and communities to prevent child maltreatment, Illuminate Colorado is focused on growing Circle of Parents® in Colorado. This national, evidence-informed model provides a friendly,...
Like all parents, I have a ton of stuff going on. I overcommit to things, I always think there is more time in the day, and when I feel the crunch of obligations begin to weigh down on me, the dictator starts to come out. I rarely give myself or my daughter any wiggle room for the inevitable unknowns that may arise in life, like an accident on the freeway when we are already running late.
Have you found yourself unsure of what your baby wants or needs? Baby sign language can help you and your baby communicate before they start talking.
What is Baby Sign Language?
Baby sign language refers to the use of a limited vocabulary of modified gestures from American Sign Language (ASL). The signs typically taught to hearing infants and toddlers are different from the signs taught to children with a hearing impairment. Baby signs enable babies to express wants and needs that are typical of children this age, as well as to identify objects and events infants and toddlers frequently encounter and experience. Signs such as “milk,” “more,” “eat,” “all done,” and many others, are common signs taught to young children.
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Illuminating Child Care Using Baby Sign Language
Infants and toddlers in our Illuminating Child Care mobile classrooms are learning baby sign language and so can you! The infant teacher has started teaching the words “more,” “all done,” and “eat” to the infants in our program. Teachers practice these signs in all of our routines throughout the day, especially during feeding times. The babies in our care haven’t mastered these signs yet, so we’ll continue to practice until they can do them independently.
Living Your Best Life With Baby Sign Language
Research from the National Institute of Health shows there are many potential benefits to teaching sign language to a baby, such as less fussing, a closer relationship between parent or caregiver and child, and positive cognitive development.
Less Fussing. Babies may react with tantrums and meltdowns when they can’t communicate with their caregiver. Baby Sign Language allows babies to communicate what they want and need, which reduces frustration for caregiver and child and leaves more time for the caregiver and the child to play and interact positively together.
Stronger Parenting Relationships. Research from the Early Childhood Research Quarterly showed that signing allowed parents to feel closer to their child and increased their confidence about parenting.
Cognitive Benefits. A longitudinal study performed by Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn found that children who used baby signs as two-year olds continued to outperform non-signing children at age eight, including a 12 point IQ advantage and stronger skills in vocabulary development, sentence construction, and reading.
Let’s get started!
Familiarize yourself with basic signs. Learn the signs you would like to teach your baby. Resources can be found in books and websites. Teach your baby signs that are relevant and meaningful, such as more, drink, eat, all done, or pacifier.
Start at an early age. A great time to start teaching a baby signs is when they are 6 months old, but you can teach a baby signing at any age. Most babies, however, won’t begin to start signing on their own until around 8 months of age.
Model using the signs in everyday life. For example, if your child wants another bite of food, say “more” while modeling the sign, and then give your child another bite of food as reinforcement. Continue to model using this sign every time your baby asks for more food.
Keep lessons short and sweet! Teaching your child to sign is intended to decrease frustration, so make sure to keep lessons to only about five minutes each. Make it a fun activity with a ton of positive reinforcements.
Allow the baby to set the pace. It is important not to overwhelm your baby with learning too many signs at once. Be sure to only teach 3-5 signs at a time. Once the baby masters those signs, you can add a few more.
Stay patient. The goal of baby sign is to provide another form of communication, not to be fluent in sign language. Follow your child’s lead and try not to get discouraged if your child uses the signs incorrectly or doesn’t start using them right away. Continue to work with your child and communicate with them using signs and spoken language daily.
Practice at Home
Show your baby the sign while saying the word, then help them to make it with their hands.
Once your child is able to perform the sign, ask them to show you the sign then give them 5-10 seconds of time to process the request. If she doesn’t perform the sign within 10 seconds, gently help them to make it with their hands and then reward them!
Always offer a reward or positive reinforcement when your child performs a sign with your help and independently.
Model the sign and say the word again as reinforcement after your baby performs the sign.
I am sitting here watching my son play with his friend thinking about all of the things that have blown up this week all while smiling for him. Let’s be honest, there are times when this parenting thing is just hard. Like when you get to the point where you are not...
Working in the field of sexual assault prevention can make a mom a tad neurotic, no? When my three were babies, I added anatomically correct body parts to our sing-along songs “Head, Shoulders, penis, Knees and Toes.” My spouse would shake his head and laugh, “You’re...
Have you found yourself unsure of what your baby wants or needs? Baby sign language can help you and your baby communicate before they start talking. What is Baby Sign Language? Baby sign language refers to the use of a limited vocabulary of modified gestures from...
Earlier this year, Illuminate Colorado provided these beautiful branded yoga mats to our staff to welcome in the new year. Not only did they make great gifts, but they actively promoted self-care, highlighting a growing–and important–trend in the workplace.
The importance of wellness in the workplace is expanding rapidly. Many companies are starting to realize that a healthier and happier workplace starts with caring about the people who work there–the employees.
Kaiser Permanente states that “you have an opportunity to improve the health of your employees every day. Making small changes to your workplace and company policies is a great way to start, and it’s where you can make the biggest impact.” More business owners are starting to embrace this idea that facilitating the health of their employees is a great investment for the company as a whole.
Employee Well-being Through Yoga
One way companies are implementing this is by offering yoga, which promotes both mindful awareness and physical fitness. Many employers are even re-inventing their offices to accommodate its practice.
A 2017 study by the CDC, discussing yoga and mindfulness, found that “the benefits to everyone involved ripple out from a productive workplace, to a happy home, a more energetic life, and hopefully, a more compassionate society.”
Some other benefits that were found through this study on mindfulness and yoga in the workplace were:
increased awareness,
improved mood,
reduction of stress and
fights illness.
But yoga isn’t the only option for employee wellness. There are numerous other ways that employers can promote wellness and self-care for their employees, including:
accessible fitness,
education,
benefits,
lunches,
breaks,
team building,
massage,
cards and notes from supervisors,
gifts,
time off,
flexibility and so much more.
Support Wellness Where You Work
We offer free yoga to all of our employees at Illuminate Colorado, along with yoga mats, through our Bloom Yoga program and you can too. This is just one small way that we are supporting our employees at Illuminate Colorado and making sure that we’re all able to do the important work that we do every day.
How are you taking care of the people around you? Be creative and support wellness where you work!
Contact us to learn more about opportunities to partner with Bloom Yoga through trainings, classes or other support in the workplace.
Sarah Crisafi is the program manger for Bloom Yoga at Illuminate Colorado.
Imagine this scenario: A parent drops off their sleeping child at Illuminating Child Care. The teacher and parent transition the child successfully without waking her up. A few minutes later, the child starts to wake up, noticing that the environment is different and that her mom is not there. Now, we all know what happens next. She starts to cry, looking around and trying to figure out where she is. The teacher, noticing the child’s discomfort, starts to interact with her at eye-level.
Lead teachers at Illuminating Child Care are building positive relationships with infants and toddlers ages 0-3, just as these kiddos are beginning their first educational experiences. The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning says that “teacher behaviors such as listening to children, making eye contact with them, and engaging in many one-to-one, face-to-face interactions with young children promote secure teacher-child relationships.” And these types of teacher behaviors are critical to establishing a teacher-child relationship.
But why are teacher-child relationships important?
Relationships between a teacher and a child are important because they are built in agreement. Children agree to show up as themselves and teachers agree to create the environment and experiences to meet their needs. The child naturally needs to feel comfortable, responded to and loved in their environment. The role of the teacher is to influence the relationship and learn how to positively interact with the child in their care while also responding to the needs of the child. These teacher-child relationships create foundational experiences that influence trust, encourage developmental milestones, social and emotional regulation, healthy interaction and the ability to form secure relationships throughout life.
In the scenario described above, the teacher picked up on the child’s needs and immediately started to interact with her by using her name, using warm language and strategies that calm the child. As the teacher interacts with the child, she begins to respond to the teacher and settles into the environment.
In every teacher-child interaction, there is an opportunity to build relationship. The teacher supported the relationship by assuring the child she is in a safe place and the child responded to the teacher by demonstrating the ability to self-regulate. Teacher-child relationships are important because they are built on trust, familiarity, consistency, and following the lead of the child. Research from the Early Childhood Training and technical Assistance System tells us that “what you do to foster these relationships in your environment, interactions, and routines can have a long-term positive impact on infants’ and toddlers’ development.”
Teachers play a special role in the lives of children in their care. They create repeated opportunities to build trust in the relationship. And that’s exactly what our Lead Teachers at Illuminating Child Care are doing every day.
Few things are more exhausting than a new baby. Increased infant crying, perhaps a few older children to care for, and trying to get back to work after a few short weeks all result in very, very tired caregivers.
October is Safe Sleep Awareness month. There has been a great deal of information shared this month around what a safe sleep crib looks like. And although it can sound a bit boring, ensuring cribs are free of objects which could lead to suffocation is worth the mental shift from “cute” to “safe”. Talking with all the family and friends who come in contact with baby about safe sleep practices is important to ensure even good-willed intentions do not lead to tragedy.
Adding Substance Use to the Mix
Imagine the last time you were beyond tired. Maybe you found yourself dozing off driving to or from work. Maybe you fell asleep watching a movie you actually wanted to see. Or maybe that last zoom call was just too long to handle. Sometimes our bodies take over even when we have every intention to stay awake.
Now take a moment and imagine adding substances that can lead to additional depression of the body’s ability to function, like alcohol, marijuana, some over the counter and prescription medications, and illicit substances. When contemplating the use of substances with a newborn in the home (separate from breastfeeding risks and substance use) it is important to be extra vigilant in ensuring your baby has a safe place to sleep.
Caregiving of an infant is exhausting. Falling asleep when feeding a baby on a couch or in bed is not uncommon for a tired caregiver. The impacts and side effects of many common substances increases the risk of positional overlay, which is when a caregiver accidentally rolls over on a baby in bed or on a couch or large chair, suffocating the infant. If you are thinking right now you would totally wake up if you rolled over on a baby, remember the times noted above. You didn’t mean to fall asleep, but you did. And if a caregiver is exhausted, and impacted by substance use, whether they were feeding the baby, or in bed with a baby and an additional caregiver, the risk of positional overlay or entrapment increases. And sleeping on a couch with a baby increases the risk even more, especially when substances are involved.
Increasing Safety in Sleeping Environments
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there are several ways to increase safety in sleeping environments, including:
Until their first birthday, babies should sleep on their backs for all sleep times—for naps and at night.
Use a firm sleep surface.
Room share—keep baby’s sleep area in the same room where you sleep for the first 6 months or, ideally, for the first year.
Only bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort.
Never place your baby to sleep on a couch, sofa, or armchair.
Bed-sharing is not recommended for any babies. However, certain situations make bed-sharing even more dangerous. Therefore, you should not bed share with your baby if:
Your baby is younger than 4 months old.
Your baby was born prematurely or with low birth weight.
You or any other person in the bed is a smoker (even if you do not smoke in bed).
You have taken any medicines or drugs that might make it harder for you to wake up.
You drank any alcohol.
You are not the baby’s parent.
The surface is soft, such as a waterbed, old mattress, sofa, couch, or armchair.
There is soft bedding like pillows or blankets on the bed.
Keep soft objects, loose bedding, or any objects that could increase the risk of entrapment, suffocation, or strangulation out of the baby’s sleep area.
Being a caregiver for a newborn is exhausting. If you are a parent or caregiver reading this, know you are not alone and that feeling exhausted is normal. It will pass. You will find a new pattern and chances to catch up on sleep over the next few years. Following safe sleep practices now, including limiting substance use, and creating and using safe sleep environments, can reduce the risk of SUIDS and the risks of positional overlay. Reach out to parent groups, family or your community for support. Raising children is beyond hard!
For more information on resources to help provide safe sleep environments, call 1-800-CHILDREN, 2-1-1, or your local health department. For more information on finding support from other parents, visit CircleOfParentsCO.org.
Ryan (he/him/his) joined the Illuminate team in March of 2020 and is currently the Director of Communications. In his role, Ryan leads the development and execution of strategic communication plans while promoting the organization's programs and educational opportunities. Passionate about communications work that leads to social change, Ryan knows that Illuminate’s work– and how it is communicated– is impacting lives and building better childhoods across our state. Ryan has a masters degree in Media & Public Communication from the University of Denver and comes to Illuminate with experience working with non-profit organizations, graphic design, videography, and photography.
Outside of work, Ryan enjoys snowboarding, watching NBA basketball (go OKC Thunder!), and spending evenings at home playing strategy board games with his husband. His favorite thing about living in Colorado is the great weather and snowboarding on the Western Slope!
Sarah (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in August of 2022 as the Communications Associate. In her role, Sarah provides administrative support to the Communications Team, working with the entire organization and community members from all over the state to manage first impressions for Illuminate Colorado and connect people interested in the prevention of child maltreatment.
Before coming to Illuminate, Sarah worked on the development, launch, and management of ParentsThrive.org, an online tool for new and expecting parents in Colorado. Having earned her B.A. in Biochemistry from Colorado College, she is interested in early childhood wellbeing and development, and the communications involved in connecting families to the support they need to thrive.
Outside of work, Sarah loves to run, nordic ski, practice yoga, and find new podcasts. Her favorite part of living in Colorado is being close to friends and enjoying the awesome winters!
Anna joined the Illuminate team in June of 2019 and serves as the Director of Evaluation and Strategic Learning. In her role, Anna leads the data collection, evaluation, and strategic learning efforts at Illuminate with the goal of advancing organizational functioning, reach, and impact. She also oversees the design and implementation of Illuminate's data systems and infrastructure in pursuit of this same goal.
Central to Anna's role is helping to foster an organizational culture of learning at Illuminate and promote the use of data as a tool for continuous growth and improvement. In her positions prior to Illuminate, Anna was able to pursue her passion for developing learning and evaluation strategies to advance programs and services that promote the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities.
Anna’s favorite things about living in Colorado are her family, the mountains, and endless sunshine!
Joan (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in September of 2019 as the Director of Family Support. In her role, Joan oversees the development and implementation of the Illuminating Child Care and Circle of Parents programs. Joan came to Illuminate with over 20 years of experience in Early Childhood Education, always working to support children and families in their communities.
A big fan of the outdoors, her favorite thing to do during Colorado summers is take the trailer out for camping trips in the mountains!
Contact me about: Illuminating Child Care, Circle of Parents
Linda (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in November of 2021 as the Director of Finance and Human Resources, where she provides day-to-day oversight of her team’s functioning. Coming to Illuminate with over 20 years of experience in Nonprofit Finance and Human Resources Management, Linda has been instrumental in the startup of two nonprofits where she designed and implemented financial structures and human resource functions.
Linda loves living in Colorado because she gets to be close to family. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her grandbabies, reading, and singing!
Sadie Rose (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in January of 2021 as the Education Program Manager. In her role, Sadie Rose provides training and facilitator support for Illuminate’s Child Sexual Abuse Prevention training. Having spent a decade as a victim advocate, Sadie Rose knows that communication and education are essential to de-stigmatization and allows for open and honest conversations. “The more we talk about child maltreatment the better we can creatively problem solve and collaborate to prevent it from occurring.”
Born and raised in Southwest Colorado, Sadie Rose loves that she can drive two hours in any direction and be in a totally different climate. She enjoys spending time outside of work with her husband, dogs, and two retired equine therapy horses.
Contact me about: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention trainings
Sarah (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in December of 2019 as the Bloom Yoga Program Manager. In her role, Sarah brings healing centered, trauma informed yoga to children, families and professionals. Coming to Illuminate with over 15 years of experience in the field of child welfare, Sarah believes that everyone should have access to yoga and regulation practices. Sarah found yoga and mindfulness in her own healing and resilience and she can’t wait to share it with others. Sarah is a registered yoga teacher, children’s yoga teacher, and is trained in trauma informed yoga.
Sarah has 2 kids, a dog (Basil), and a cat (NASA). Outside of work, Sarah loves to enjoy the Colorado fall colors by getting outside for a hike. Sarah and her family love to cook– head over for some sushi or spaghetti (their specialities!)
Eric (he/him/his) joined the Illuminate team in September of 2020 and is currently the Child Care Operations Manager. In his role, Eric works on RV Honey (part of the Illuminating Child Care program) providing child care and navigation services to families. Eric came to Illuminate with over 15 years of experience teaching and working with children, and is passionate about providing children and families with every opportunity to thrive. Eric has a degree in Human Development and has a Level 4 Certification through Colorado Shines.
Eric’s favorite part of living in Colorado is the sunshine and the mountains!
Jessica (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in September of 2020 as the Senior Circle of Parents Associate. In her role, Jessica supports the management of data and dissemination of materials for the Circle of Parents program, as well as leads the Learning and Development Committee. Prior to coming to Illuminate, Jessica spent two years as an AmeriCorps member, gaining experience managing data. Jessica knows that numbers can tell overlooked stories and are essential in the effort to help families, no matter where they are in life.
Also having earned her B.A. in Criminal Justice, Jessica spent two years working as a Beauty Advisor at Sephora!
Contact me about: Circle of Parents, Learning and Development Committee
Patsy (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in March of 2020 as the Child Care Manager and is currently the Core Values Committee leader. In her role, Patsy supervises lead teachers, plans ongoing professional development training, collaborates with community members to implement Illuminating Child Care in their neighborhoods, organizes daily on-site childcare services for parents, and partners with families to provide navigation services for long-term childcare. Caring deeply about the wellbeing of families and development of children, Patsy has been instrumental in the implementation of different types of early learning programs including Center Base and Home Base.
Patsy’s favorite things about living in Colorado are the open outdoor spaces and wonderful weather. She makes an effort to visit the mountains each year to reconnect with nature and take walks in the park to relax. Patsy is also always a fan of a fresh cup of ice cream!
Toni (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in 2018 and is currently the Circle of Parents Program Manager. Illuminate Colorado is the state intermediary for Circle of Parents and, in her role, Toni oversees the program, providing tools and resources to help families heal. As a parent in recovery who has been facilitating Circle of Parents in Recovery groups since 2014, Toni knows that every parent is a leader and needs support to discover that about themselves. In recognition of her work, Toni has received the Casey Excellence for Children Award.
Toni has three daughters and is a kinship care provider for three grandchildren– she points to her family as her source of strength and biggest cheer section. Her favorite thing about living in Colorado are the mountains!
Cassie (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in March of 2020 and is currently the Strategic Initiatives Manager. In her role, Cassie supports Illuminate's systems change efforts that are focused on organizational practice change and policy by offering backbone support to the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Coalition and Infant Safe Sleep Partnership, supporting the CHoSEN Collaborative, and supporting Illuminate's efforts around state and federal legislative policy. Cassie came to Illuminate with experience providing services to children and families, and knows that creating a better world for children and families requires efforts at all levels of the Spectrum of Prevention and collaboration between individuals, families, and multisector professionals.
Having grown up in Louisiana and Texas, Cassie’s favorite thing about living in Colorado is being able to spend time outside in all four seasons, and how easy Colorado makes it to vote!
Contact me about: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Coalition, Infant Safe Sleep Partnership, CHoSEN Collaborative, organizational legislative policy efforts
Dawn (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in March of 2022 as the Strategic Initiatives Manager. In her role, Dawn provides backbone support to ensure the successful implementation of CDEC's Colorado Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems: Health Integration Prenatal to Three (CO-ECCS) Project. Through Dawn’s experience directly supporting children and their families in navigating services and supports, she has seen how important it is for families to feel heard and valued. She comes to systems building work in hopes to innovate and cultivate the conditions that ensure children are able to thrive, that their families are empowered and supported, and their communities are nurturing environments.
Outside of work, Dawn likes to cook and bake, as well as spend time with her two dogs, Rosie and Crosby. Her favorite thing about living in Colorado is that she doesn’t need to travel far to enjoy the solace of the outdoors, especially the backcountry!
Contact me about: CO-ECCS Project & the ECCS Working Group
Theo (they/them/theirs) joined the Illuminate team in August of 2022 as the Community Initiatives Associate. In their role, Theo provides administrative support to the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families. Coming to Illuminate with experience in child welfare, supervising Court Appointed Special Advocates for youth with open Dependency and Neglect cases, Theo is passionate about prevention work and systems change to strengthen families. In addition to having earned their Masters of Social Work, Theo has also been published in The Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work!
Outside of work, you can find Theo crafting, playing board games with their partner (their high school sweetheart!), watching RuPaul's Drag Race, or walking their dog, Louise. Theo’s favorite thing about living in Colorado is the beautiful scenery and being able to spend time outdoors!
Contact me about: Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families
Justine (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in June of 2021 and is currently the Communications Manager. In her role, Justine supports Illuminate Colorado’s work to strengthen families, organizations, and communities by connecting community members and professionals to its vision and mission through strategic communications. Coming to Illuminate with experience communicating with stakeholders such as students, families, educators, donors, board members, and community members, Justine is passionate about meaningful, transformative storytelling. She knows the importance of encouraging others to use their voices to share their own stories and inspire curiosity, growth, and equity. Justine has a Master of Arts in English from the University of Colorado Denver and a Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida.
Outside of work Justine enjoys spending time outdoors, specifically going for hikes!
Contact me about: Strengthening Colorado Families and Communities Conference, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Events
Hayley (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in January of 2022 as the Evaluation and Strategic Learning Manager. In addition to the development, maintenance, and refinement of Illuminate’s data collection and database infrastructures for its diverse programming, Hayley also supports the Director of Evaluation and Strategic Learning in monitoring and optimizing the implementation of program evaluation plans. Hayley enjoys collaborating with Illuminate’s staff and partners to continuously improve programs and is driven by the ever-growing need for family and child-focused, evidence-based supports in Colorado.
Outside of work, Hayley has fun trying to improve her downhill skiing skills, cheering for the Colorado Avalanche, and caring for a 100 lb. therapy dog named Sully.
Jade has served as the Executive Director of Illuminate Colorado since its inception in 2015, following 7 years as the Executive Director of founding partner agency, the Colorado Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. Prior to this work, she provided family support services in a variety of settings to families impacted by homelessness, domestic violence, and substance use disorders. Jade has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.
As the Executive Director of Illuminate Colorado, she has participated in and led many state level initiatives related to child maltreatment, substance use, child maltreatment prevention, public awareness, and collaborative community approaches.
Currently, Jade serves on the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families Steering Committee, SuPPoRT Colorado Steering Committee, Delivery of Child Welfare Services Task Force, Home Visitation Investment Task Force, Essentials for Childhood Steering Committee, Early Childhood Department Transition Advisory Group, Safe Child Care Task Force, Plans of Safe Care Rule Writing Group, and Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention.
Angelica (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in April of 2022 as the Director of Family Connects and is currently the Director of Home Visitation. Under the guidance of the Executive Director, Angelica leads the intermediary functions of planning and implementation of the Family Connects program in Colorado. Additionally, she works in partnership with local communities to coordinate, facilitate, and lead the planning, installation, and sustainability of the program. Coming to Illuminate with over 15 years of experience in the Early Childhood sector, Angelica is passionate about providing families with support and connecting them with resources when they need them most. Angelica knows that all parents need support and believes in the importance of investing in resources and support– early and for everyone.
Angelica was born in Bogota, Colombia, has two teenage sons, and loves to hike, ride bikes, and paddle board. Her favorite thing about living in Colorado is the outdoors and the liberal mindset!
Kelli (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in March of 2022 as the Strategic Initiatives Manager. In her role, Kelli facilitates coalitions and work groups with an emphasis on behavioral health system efforts. Kelli is passionate about strengthening families and organizations in order to improve well-being for families. Coming to Illuminate with experience as a Problem Solving Court and Child Welfare professional specializing in working with families impacted by substance use, she believes in the collaborative process to enhance organizational practice in order to support families and prevent child maltreatment.
Kelli’s favorite part of living in Colorado are the seasons and the ability to travel to beautiful places across the state!
Contact me about: Supporting Perinatal Substance Use Prevention, Recovery and Treatment (SuPPoRT) in Colorado. SuPPoRT Colorado Steering Committee, working/advisory groups and the SuPPoRT Colorado Family Advisory Board
Hattie (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in December of 2018 as the Senior Community Initiatives Manager. In her role, Hattie provides backbone support to the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families, leads Illuminate's family engagement efforts, and manages community capacity-building initiatives. Passionate about primary prevention, Hattie came to Illuminate with experience in reproductive health policy, advocacy, and community organizing as well as sexual assault prevention programming. Hattie knows that community and family voices are essential to making long-term impacts in the field of Public Health.
Outside of work, Hattie likes to take advantage of the Colorado sunshine and mountains by backpacking, cross-country skiing, and backcountry skiing!
Contact me about: Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families; family engagement; community capacity-building
Anne (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in November of 2015, and currently serves as Deputy Director. In her role, Anne leads development and implementation for organizational program growth, including but not limited to new curricula, programs, expansion, and leverageable opportunities. She also supervises Family Support Programs, Home Visitation Programs, and Education Programs.
Additionally, Anne is trained as a facilitator in a variety of areas including substance use and families, protective factors, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), abusive head trauma, and child sexual abuse prevention.
Anne's career choice, like many people who serve in the field of strengthening children, families, and communities, was influenced by personal reasons from past experiences or environments. “I personally do this work because I believe I have the opportunity through my experiences and knowledge to partner with others to make a positive change in the lives of families.”
Having lived in many states and overseas, Anne eventually decided to return home to Colorado– there is no place like home, she says!
Jillian (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in August of 2017 and is currently Deputy Director. In her role, Jillian leads development and implementation of systems changes strategies, responds to shifting conditions, and supports organizational and program sustainability. She also directly supervises Communications, Evaluation, Grants & Development, Policy, and Strategic Initiatives. With a background in organizing community members around opportunities to affect health policy, Jillian is passionate about her work because she wants to live a happier, healthier, and more just world where families have what they need to thrive.
Jillian lives in Denver with her husband and dog, Max. She enjoys hiking, reading, and gardening– especially growing food to share! Jillian’s favorite part about living in Colorado is the beautiful sunshine!
Jason (he/him/his) joined the Illuminate team in January of 2018 and is currently a Senior Education Program Manager. In his role, Jason develops evidence-based curricula and delivers trainings focused on strengths-based prevention and intervention concepts. With a background in serving individuals, families, and children in a variety of education and human services roles for 25 years, Jason is passionate about work that strengthens families and changes lives. Jason is Illuminate Colorado’s resident expert on substance use and families, leading the Child Welfare Training System and Smart Choices Safe Kids programs.
Jason, his wife, and their three daughters live in the foothills of the Rockies. They love many things about Colorado: blue skies, green forests, clean air, big mountains, deep snow, good concerts, rivers, hot springs, huts– the list goes on!
Contact me about: Child Welfare Training System and Smart Choices Safe Kids
Missy (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in March of 2020 and is currently a Senior Education Program Manager. In her role, Missy builds relationships with people and organizations that shift their perspective and practices in ways that benefit the long term outcomes for children and youth within communities. Her work includes developing curriculum, training and group facilitation, individual or group coaching, program planning and development, and supporting organizational implementation.
With nearly 20 years of experience in local and national child welfare, treatment, and prevention programs, Missy knows that every person needs connection to thrive. She is driven by her passion for ensuring everyone has a village around them, walking beside them through the good and the difficult parts of life.
Born and raised in Colorado, Missy says she must love everything about her home state because she refuses to leave! Missy has three incredible children that are growing up way too fast– “they keep me and my life partner on our toes, out of money, and exhausted, but I wouldn't have it any other way!”
Contact me about: Strengthening Families and Protective Factors Trainer Network, Healthy Outcomes thru Positive Experiences, Youth Thrive
Marissa (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in August of 2022 as the Finance & Human Resources Manager. In her role, Marissa supports the Director of Finance & Human Resources in various accounting and HR duties. Marissa is passionate about the Human Services field and loves to use her accounting and HR background to contribute to and support Illuminate’s amazing work. After earning her Associates degree in Criminal Justice, Marissa worked in accounting before leaving to pursue her interest in HR and non-profit work.
Marissa has two dogs, Daisy and Bandit, and she loves spending time with family– preferably while also enjoying outdoor activities like fishing and camping. Her favorite things about living in Colorado are all of the seasons and the colorful environment!
Jordan Davis (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate team in January of 2023 as an Early Childhood Teacher. In her role, Jordan works with Illuminating Child Care team members Patsy and Eric on the mobile child care units, providing child care for families while caregivers receive treatment and support. After earning a degree in Sociology and Psychology, Jordan gained experience working with at-risk youth in a residential facility setting. Kids are always bringing excitement to Jordan’s life, and she loves working with children because of how unique each child is and the joy they bring to her life every day.
Jordan is a big fan of spending time with friends, listening to and talking about music, and learning to cook! “When I grow up I want to be like Julia Child and be able to cook more than pizza rolls.”
Her favorite part of living in Colorado are the beautiful summers and enjoying time outside.
Lex Loutzenhiser (she/they) joined the Illuminate team in January of 2023 as the Policy Manager. In their role, Lex supports organizational policy activities, including conducting policy research and analysis, engaging stakeholders, and advocating for policies that support Illuminate's mission and the communities we serve. Lex came to Illuminate with a background in social work, providing direct services to individuals who use substances and people living with HIV in rural Colorado. She also has experience conducting public health outreach and education, with a focus on youth and adult behavioral health, access to low barrier health services, and harm reduction.
Lex is passionate about this work because, through personal and work experience, they have witnessed the ways in which community supports can strengthen families and empower people to thrive. She enjoys engaging in innovative, evidence-informed, community-driven policy work that creates happier, healthier communities. As Congresswoman Ayanna Presley put it, "Policy is my love language."
Lex lives in Northern Colorado with their two cats and loves to cook, hike, and explore nature photography in her free time. Their favorite part of living in Colorado is the access to nature and the outdoors!
Cristina Bejarano (she/her/ella) joined the Illuminate team in February of 2023 as the Director of Strategic Initiatives. In her role, Cristina oversees the strategic planning, facilitation, and ongoing coordination of multiple coalitions and community-based efforts working to positively impact children and families across Colorado. As a public health professional working to increase health equity, Cristina has worked with local communities, philanthropy, federal and state governments, and international organizations to build collaborative relationships for collective impact.
Cristina’s lifelong passion is working with systemic structures to increase the communities' capacity for wellbeing, and she is thrilled to be working in a role that allows her to contribute to brighter futures for kids and families.
Outside of work, you can find Cristina running around with her two kids and partner and supporting community efforts. Her favorite part about living in Colorado is the four seasons that allow for fun outside activities all year long!
Contact me about: Strategic Initiatives and the Colorado Infant Safe Sleep Partnership (ISSP)
Mike Robbins (he/him/his) joined the Illuminate team in March of 2023 as the Grants & Development Manager. In his role, Mike is responsible for shepherding Illuminate's fundraising efforts through individual giving, grants, events, and sponsorships. Before joining Illuminate, Mike studied at The Institute for Leaders in Development at Denver University, and worked in nonprofit communications, resource development, grant writing, donor stewardship, event planning, and volunteer management. Mike is passionate about the health and wellbeing of children, youth and families, and loves that he is able to use his experience in mission-driven storytelling and development to grow Illuminate’s community of donors and grant funders.
In his free time, Mike enjoys hiking, yardwork, cheering on the Nuggets and Kansas State Wildcats, plus checking out great restaurants with friends. His favorite part about living in Colorado is the generosity, grit and tenacity of Coloradans!
Karci Lockwood (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate Colorado team in April of 2023 as the Community Initiatives Associate. In her role, Karci provides administrative support to the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families.
Before joining Illuminate, Karci worked as the Program Director for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Mesa County, training and supporting volunteers to be the voice for children with open child abuse and neglect cases.
Karci has always gravitated towards prevention work. Through her experience working with children who have been victims of child abuse, she always wondered: “how do we get up stream and keep this from ever happening?” As a new parent herself, Karci knows how important it is to feel supported and connected.
In her free time, Karci enjoys rafting, mountain biking, and camping with her family. Her favorite part about living in Colorado is how outdoor adventures wait right outside her backdoor!
Contact me about: The Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families
Sreena (she/her/hers) joined the Illuminate Colorado team in April of 2023 as an Infant Child Care Teacher. Sreena is a member of the Illuminating Child Care team, working on mobile child care unit Honey to provide child care for families while caregivers receive treatment and support. In her role, Sreena reads to infants, assists them in recognizing images and sounds, and helps kids to form positive relationships with their peers.
After graduating as a first generation scholar from the University Colorado Boulder with a degree in Communications, Sreena continued her work with school-age children in child care, providing the support and resources that kids and families need to thrive. Ever since she was young, Sreena has dreamt of becoming a teacher. She finds joy in the opportunity to both teach and learn from tomorrow’s leaders every day.
In her free time, Sreena likes to play board games with friends, cook at home, hike with her dog, and listen to audiobooks. Her favorite part about living in Colorado is enjoying the beautiful mountains!
Earlier this year, Illuminate Colorado provided these beautiful branded yoga mats to our staff to welcome in the new year. Not only did they make great gifts, but they actively promoted self-care, highlighting a growing–and important–trend in the workplace.
Relationships between a teacher and a child are important because they are built in agreement. Children agree to show up as themselves and teachers agree to create the environment and experiences to meet their needs. The child naturally needs to feel comfortable, responded to and loved in their environment. The role of the teacher is to influence the relationship and learn how to positively interact with the child in their care while also responding to the needs of the child. 
