OurWork
Supporting Kempe Center Experts
The Kempe Foundation is a network of caring community members whose dollars directly support professionals in the field of child abuse, neglect and trauma treatment and prevention. We support research-based programs offered by Kempe Center professionals, advance trainings for practitioners, and invest in solutions that improve the lives of children and families.
The Kempe Center was the first of its kind, established in 1972 to better understand and prevent child maltreatment and to serve affected children and their families. For the past 50 years, Kempe has promoted understanding, knowledge, and best practices to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect locally, nationally, and internationally.
Today we honor our legacy while looking ahead for ways to transform our field.
Kids in Care Settings (KICS)
Kempe’s Kids In Care Settings (KICS) Clinic, is a Children’s Hospital Colorado specialty primary care clinic in affiliation with the Kempe Center.
Trauma-Responsive Implementation and Practice
The Trauma-Responsive Implementation and Practice (TRIP) program integrates, enhances and implements trauma-responsive and culturally appropriate practices for parents, educators and professionals across the human service fields.
Fostering Healthy Futures®
The Fostering Healthy Futures® (FHF) program is a positive youth development program that uses mentoring and skills training to empower youth to foster their own healthy futures.
CARE Network
The Child Abuse Response and Evaluation (CARE) Network engages health care and behavioral health providers across Colorado with the best education and training on conducting medical exams and behavioral health assessments to identify signs and risks of child maltreatment or trauma.
Child Protection Team
Attending to children brought into the Children’s Hospital Colorado, the Child Protection Team’s mission is to offer comprehensive, multidisciplinary consultation, assessment, treatment and referral services for children and adolescents who may have been physically or sexually abused or neglected.
Child Welfare Training System
The Kempe Center partners with the Colorado Department of Human Services to develop and implement the Child Welfare Training System (CWTS) – an advanced adult learning system for child welfare workers, other professionals, foster parents and mandatory reporters. To read more and sign-up for email updates, click here.
Trauma-Sensitive Assessment & Treatment Services for Kids
SafeCare
The Kempe Center partners with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood to oversee SafeCare Colorado - an evidence-based prevention program that helps families gain skills to provide a safe home, address child health needs, and engage in positive interactions with their children ages 0 to 5-years-old.
Engaging with Communities
At the Kempe Foundation, we believe children and families are resilient. When parents are provided with the resources they need to care for themselves and their families, children will live safer and healthier lives.
Oftentimes, families are unaware or unable to access the resources that would help them succeed. To solve this problem, the Kempe Foundation works alongside human services agencies, nonprofit organizations and other community partners to strengthen the systems that support children and families.
Collaborating with Communities
The Kempe Foundation partners with organizations in our community to explore threats to healthy child development. Through events such as our Policymakers Breakfast, Stories of Hope fundraiser, and more, we bring together community partners to help shine a light on how various risk factors like mental health, stress and trauma are connected to child abuse and neglect.
Promoting the Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline
Supporting the Colorado Mental Health Hotline
Recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month
Every year during the month of April, the Kempe Foundation partners with the Colorado Department of Human Services and other community organizations throughout the state to share strategies and stories of child abuse and neglect prevention. Be sure to mark your calendars for April 10th, 2026 for the annual Stories of Hope gala!
Advocating for Children
Building a safe, healthy and happy future for children requires collaboration between parents, practitioners and policymakers. The Kempe Foundation’s policy team collaborates with Kempe professionals, child welfare advocates and legislators to push forward child-focused policies that will improve the lives of children and families in Colorado and beyond.
We work with state and national lawmakers as well as human services agencies to advance laws, policies and programs that provide opportunities for children to live safe, healthy and happy lives.
Advocacy Efforts
Policy Expertise
Child abuse and neglect / prevention / training
Child and family mental and behavioral health
Child maltreatment / prevention / training
Child sex assault care / training / prevention
Child welfare / prevention / training
Child and Family Rights
Child Law, Policy, and Ethics
Child-Friendly Cities and Communities
Child Safety Online
Family strengthening / training
Foster care / Mentoring children in foster care / Foster parent training
Human Services workforce recruitment and retention
Youth and family mental health intervention programs
Youth criminal justice reform
Bill Archive
2024
Behavioral Health
HB24-1038 High-Acuity Crisis for Children & Youth
SB24-001 Continue Youth Mental Health Services Program
SB24-047 Prevention of Substance Use Disorders
SB24-034 Increase Access to School-Based Health Care
Child Welfare
SB24-008 Kinship Foster Care Homes
SB24-200 Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in Child Welfare
Other/System Change
HB24-1017 Bill of Rights for Foster Youth
HB24-1136 Healthier Social Media Use by Youth
2023
Behavioral Health
HB23-1003 School Mental Health Assessment
HB23-1269 Extended Stay And Boarding Patients
Child Welfare
HB23-1024 Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child
HB23-1043 Emergency And Continued Placement With Relative Or Kin
HB23-1142 Information Of Person Reporting Child Abuse
SB23-082 Colorado Fostering Success Voucher Program
SB23-211 Federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978
Other/System Change
HB23-1108 Victim And Survivor Training For Judicial Personnel
SB23-002 Medicaid Reimbursement For Community Health Services
2022
Behavioral Health
HB22-1214 Behavioral Health Crisis Response System
HB22-1278 Behavioral Health Administration
HB22-1369 Children’s Mental Health Programs
SB22-147 Behavioral Health-care Services For Children
Early Childhood
HB22-1295 Department Early Childhood And Universal Preschool Program
SB22-213 Child Care Support Programs
Child Welfare
HB22-1240 Mandatory Reporters
HB22-1289 Health Benefits For Colorado Children And Pregnant Persons
SB22-008 Higher Education Support For Foster Youth
SB22-037 Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program
SB22-213 Child Care Support Programs