Immigration legislation changes have received attention from people of all ethnicities, races and backgrounds. Many Family Tree clients have become more cautious about sharing personal information, regardless of their immigration status. This uncertainty around recent legislation and its impacts might make families and individuals more hesitant to disclose personal details.
The Family Tree SafeCare® team noticed this impact on the enrollment in their program and decided to do something about this trend.
SafeCare® Colorado is a state-wide curriculum overseen by the Kempe Center and the Colorado Department of Human Services and delivered through local agencies such as Family Tree. It is a free, voluntary parent support program for parents and caregivers with children ages five and under who need extra support to keep their families safe and healthy.
Family Tree SafeCare® team members worked with this state leadership to approve families omitting certain personal information from the SafeCare® Colorado online system. This removed barriers to participation for families hesitant to share their information stemming from uncertainty around the U.S. immigration system.
“We want families to feel as comfortable as possible when using our services,” shares Kyla Roschke, SafeCare® Bilingual Parent Support Provider. “We are hopeful this option will allow families that otherwise might not engage in Family Tree SafeCare® to now feel more comfortable enrolling in our program.”
The Family Tree SafeCare® team was quickly invited to speak at statewide and community presentations, as well as to all Family Tree team members. These trainings have explored how to support families throughout all parts of immigration. The team has provided resources on Know Your Rights, Safety Plans, Women’s Refugee Commission, information on Public Charge, refugee resettlement agency support and the Colorado Rapid Response Network.
Family Tree supports increased access to supportive services for vulnerable and marginalized populations. We are committed to equipping our team members with the resources they need to best serve individuals and families.
Lastly, we are proud of this successful nonprofit, government, and funder collaboration, demonstrating the kind of partnerships our community needs to continue changing lives of Coloradans no matter the political climate.