The Ambassador Project – 7th Judicial District
Counties: Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel
Overview
Foster Source has been serving foster and kinship caregivers for the past six years with the goal of helping caregivers foster longer and better thereby creating stability for foster youth. Cobbled Streets is a two-year old organization whose mission is to provide enriching opportunities and life changing experiences so kids in foster care can heal, develop new skills, and thrive.
Together, Foster Source and Cobbled Streets have teamed up to create and implement The Ambassador Project. Through this project we will reach across the state and provide Foster and Kinship Families and the youth in their care with easy access to supportive and therapeutic resources, meaningful relationships, and trauma-informed education. In addition to the impact on Foster and Kinship families, the Ambassador Project strives to educate those in decision making capacities over the lives of foster youth – judges, attorneys, Guardians ad litem, and caseworkers – on the importance of understanding trauma and its impact on foster youth.
Goals
- To reach out to Foster and Kinship Parents statewide
- To create resource lists local to each of the 23 judicial districts for foster/kinship supports
- Develop support network/support groups local to each of the 23 judicial districts, including recruiting local volunteers
- Provide trauma-Informed education for foster/kinship caregivers and Child Welfare professionals
- Offer opportunities for foster youth to engage in individual activities of their choice and to connect with other foster youth
- Strengthen community partnerships among organizations serving foster youth, including adding more partnering organizations
- Help Foster and Kinship caregivers foster longer and better thereby improving the current statistic that 50% of foster parents quit within the first year
- Ensure children remain in safe and stable environments