May is Foster Care Month!

Published on May 14, 2020

May has been proclaimed as Foster Care Month by the Board of County Commissioners in recognition and appreciation of Weld County foster and kinship caregivers, community organizations and child welfare professionals.

This month is a special time to acknowledge the tremendous commitment of local foster and kinship families who have opened their hearts and homes to the 338 infants, children and youth currently in county foster and kinship care. It’s also a time to show immense gratitude to the dedicated child welfare professionals who are available and called on 24/7 to support the county’s most vulnerable children, youth and families.

“It’s an honor to make this proclamation,” said Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer, Coordinator for the Department of Human Services. “Thank you to our staff and to our foster parents. Thank you for providing help to these children, providing a family and providing hope. We can’t thank you enough.”

At this week’s board meeting, the Weld County child welfare staff and foster parents in attendance received a round of applause in celebration of their work in building stronger communities and improving the lives of children, youth and families by tirelessly providing advocacy, nurturing and unwavering care.

“Our 86 certified foster parents are such a huge blessing to our community,” said Jamie Ulrich, Director of the Department of Human Services. “They tirelessly work to support the children and youth in their care. Especially in these challenging times, they’re not only caring for children, but also dealing with the added burden of becoming technical experts to work through new online communication methods due to ongoing social distancing measures. It’s a special effort on their part, and we really want to thank them.”

The county’s child welfare staff has been constantly adjusting their outreach methods to deal with COVID-related communication issues. Whether it’s moving the in-person, bi-monthly Welcome Nights to Skype or offering pre-certification training online, foster parent recruitment hasn’t stopped. Support for children, biological families and foster families has continued uninterrupted, while maintaining safe social distancing.

The Weld County Department of Human Services offers two Foster Care Welcome Nights every month for families and individuals who are interested in learning more about foster care, the certification process and other ways to help children, youth and families in need. Visit weldgov.com/go/fostercare or the Weld County Government Facebook page for more information.