Thanks to the almost 300 people who joined together for a conversation this week on Keeping Families Strong during COVID-19. As a result of everyone who contributed by sharing ideas and resources, we have compiled a resource list linked below.

Future Opportunities to Engage in Strengthening Families and Communities

Virtual Listening Session as part of Gov. Polis’s prenatal to three policy priority development
Friday, April 3
3:30 pm – 5:50 pm

The Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families (CPTF) invites you to a Virtual Listening Session as part of Governor Polis’s prenatal to three policy priority development on April 3 from 3:30 pm-5:00 pm. This listening session is open to all–including CPTF members, colleagues, and most importantly communities. As you are able, please attend yourself, send a colleague, and/or promote the event to your community. To join the listening session, please contact Jillian Adams at jadams@illuminatecolorado.org.

Conversation on Keeping Families Strong during COVID-19
Tuesday, April 7th
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Register in advance for this meeting and receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Join to share adaptations, responses and needs to strengthen families during these unprecedented times.

Subscribe to receive information this meeting and future outreach activities of the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families.

Summary from Conversation on Keeping Families Strong during COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 24th, at 3:00 pm.

People from many organizations and professions who do family strengthening work shared adaptations, responses and needs to strengthen families during these unprecedented times. From the conversation four themes emerged:

Concrete supports are emerging as the most urgent thing folks are hearing families struggling with. This includes:

• • • Child care
    • Food resources
    • Diapers, formula, wipes
    • Utilities payment support
    • Rental assistance
    • Hygiene items
    • Household cleaning supplies

We must meet families where they are and keep Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in mind when approaching families with children who are out of school.

• • • Physiological needs and safety being secured first, and then can think about social-emotional educational activities
    • Acknowledgement that some families need concrete supports and resources, particularly those who may be in internet deserts, while some families are looking for resources and supports for homeschooling their kids for the first time and are wanting to keep them occupied in pro-social ways

Different communities in Colorado are facing different challenges. 

• • • Rural/frontier communities needing internet supports, esp. as many services switch to a tele-delivery model
    • Undocumented communities needing information about what supports do and do not require documentation
    • Folks serving parents who are separated from their children needing creative ways to support attachment and bonding virtually

Our workforce also needs connections too.

• • • People just want to know what you know—even if it’s that you don’t know
    • To reduce isolation and increase workforce connection: Ask your staff–they probably have creative ideas!

In the meantime, please use and find what’s meaningful to you from this meeting summary, our notes, and our compiled resource list.

On behalf of Illuminate Colorado and the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families, we thank everyone for your commitment to this work! Let us know if you have any questions or if there is anything else we can do to support you in these uncertain times.

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