This training is designed to support foster and kinship caregivers when substance use is part of a child’s family story. Devin Sweat will help caregivers understand common substances and how use may show up in behavior, regulation, and parent–child interactions. Kathy Ramirez, Family Time Program Supervisor for Adams County, will explain how child welfare prioritizes safety while preserving parent–child connection through supervision, safety planning, and clear roles. Caregivers will leave with greater clarity, reduced anxiety, and practical guidance for supporting children before, during, and after family interactions.

In this one-hour, conversation-style session, foster care advocate Amber Chiapetto shares her lived experience in foster care — reflecting on what helped, what hurt, and what healing truly looks like from a youth’s perspective. The session includes personal storytelling followed by an open, moderated Q&A, offering foster parents and caregivers honest insight to help create safer, more supportive, and more healing homes.

All about caregiver intervention in Colorado child welfare.

Parenting children with trauma histories or intense behavioral needs can take a real toll—emotionally, physically, and neurologically. If you’ve ever found yourself going through the motions without the warmth you wish you felt, you’re not alone. This is the invisible struggle of Blocked Care, a common and reversible state where a caregiver’s brain shifts out of connection mode and into protection. In this eye-opening seminar, we’ll explore what Blocked Care looks like in daily life, why it develops, and how it affects both adult and child nervous systems. Through a brain-based, compassion-centered lens, we’ll normalize the experience, disrupt the guilt/shame spiral, and offer evidence-informed tools for reactivating the caregiving systems that support connection, empathy, and joy. Whether you’re a parent, relative caregiver, or professional supporting families, this session will leave you equipped and encouraged to take the next steps toward healing—starting with yourself.

Join Zachary Lieske with Spectra Centers for an informative online session on the latest therapeutic options for children with autism. This session will cover evidence-based interventions, individualized treatment approaches, and practical strategies to support communication, behavior, and emotional regulation. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or educator, you'll gain valuable insights into therapies that empower children with autism to thrive.

Discover how Neurofeedback Therapy can support the emotional and behavioral well-being of children in foster and kinship care. This online class introduces parents and caregivers to the science behind neurofeedback, how it helps regulate brain activity, and its potential to improve focus, emotional stability, and resilience in children who have experienced trauma. Learn practical insights and explore how this non-invasive, drug-free approach can complement your caregiving journey.

The sibling relationship is generally the longest relationship any of us will have. It is a relationship that teaches us how to problem-solve, share, support other people, resolve conflict, and so much more. It is a relationship that generally provides us with a feeling of belonging and connection. When siblings are separated after experiencing trauma in their homes, the trauma is further compounded and can affect each child or youth for the rest of their lives. During this presentation we will discuss: 1. The effects of sibling separation 2. The Sibling Bill of Rights and how to use it to support siblings 3. Barriers to sibling visits or contact 4. Solutions to those barriers, including Elevating Connections programs

In this session, we will discuss the importance of promoting body acceptance among youth. We will begin by discussing embodied norms and fatphobia, review the risks and warning signs of disordered eating, learn about alternatives to weight loss to promote health, and end with some guidance and resources to encourage body positivity among the young folks in your lives.

Dr. Bird Gilmartin will cover two pediatric topics in a 90-minute virtual course. The first will be Prevention of Head Trauma, which falls should make us worry and which falls are part of kids being kids! The second topic will explore background, considerations, approaches to care, and long-term effects of substance exposure on infants prenatally substance exposed.

The class will consist of an overview of a day in the life of a Child Welfare Caseworker. We will go over the basics for all caseworkers as well as different types of casework.