Program areas at Illuminate Colorado
Family Support: Illuminate coordinates and oversees three programs offering direct support to families: Circle of Parents and Children's Circle, Illuminating Child Care, and Family Connects. Circle of Parents is a national, evidence-informed model that has been shown to build all five protective factors. Children's Circle, offered parallel to Circle of Parents groups, provides developmentally appropriate, skill building activities that will increase children's confidence and self-worth, while providing fun and enjoyment. Illuminating Child Care provides immediate child care solutions for families impacted by substance use disorders through two different strategies: a mobile child care model and a child care navigation model. Family Connects is an evidence-based home visitation model for all families with a newborn.
Strategic Initiatives (Advocacy): Illuminate leads collaborative approaches, develops research-based recommendations, and increases state and local commitment to policies that strengthen families. In addition to conducting legislative advocacy, Illuminate's Strategic Initiatives team serves as the backbone support for four statewide multi-disciplinary coalitions: the Colorado Infant Safe Sleep Partnership, the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families, the Colorado Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Coalition, and the Colorado Substance Exposed Newborns Steering Committee.
Education (Training & Technical Assistance): Illuminate offers community and professional education and support through conferences, trainings, and publications including the Colorado Child Welfare Training System, the Colorado Strengthening Families Network, Bloom Yoga, the Colorado Youth Thrive Collaborative, and other partnerships. Illuminate has deep subject matter expertise and offers a variety of educational opportunities and structures available related to the prevention of child sexual abuse, the impact of substance use on children and families, and building protective and promotive factors with children, youth, and families.