The regular session of the Colorado General Assembly kicked off last month, and Illuminate continues our commitment to ensuring our state’s policies build brighter childhoods for all Coloradans.
Built on research-informed protective factors, the Illuminate Colorado Policy Framework offers an organized approach for advancing family strengthening now and into the future–and, Illuminate has also prioritized policy solutions to be responsive to what Colorado families need today. Click here to learn about Illuminate’s overarching Policy Framework with key highlights about how each priority builds specific protective factors in Colorado. Read the high-level summary of each advocacy priority below.
In 2023 and 2024, Illuminate will be focusing our advocacy efforts on:
- Increasing economic support for all families to thrive, by:
- Promoting the coordination of prevention efforts.
- Increasing prevention funding to optimize resources dedicated to primary prevention.
- Delinking poverty from neglect.
- Prioritizing and protecting funding for child sexual abuse prevention in Colorado.
- Optimizing resources dedicated to addressing substance use disorders in families.
- Establishing and connecting long-term funding pathways to sustain and scale Illuminate programs, including but not limited to Family Connects Colorado and Healthy Families America.
What are the five protective factors?
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- Parental Resilience
- Social Connections
- Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
- Concrete Support in Times of Need
- Social and Emotional Competence of Children
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Investing in programs and policies that support families to overcome and bounce back from life’s challenges enables children to achieve their potential.
These kinds of programs help Coloradans to raise children to be good neighbors and productive community members. It is essential for elected officials and policy makers to understand how to prevent child maltreatment and to listen to parents in every community.
Use the Illuminate Colorado Bill Tracker to stay up to date on the progression of bills that we are tracking this session.
Stay up to date on policy that prevents child maltreatment and the 2023 Illuminating Policy efforts by subscribing to Illuminate’s blog.
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