The Strong Start Fundraiser

Our Mission

The Family Systems Collaborative is dedicated to ensuring that every child impacted by legal, social, or systemic challenges receives skilled, trauma-informed advocacy. Children navigating family court, child welfare systems, or other complex legal processes often face uncertainty, stress, and instability. Families and professionals alike can feel overwhelmed, and children’s needs may go unnoticed.

Our work bridges that gap, providing social work expertise, guidance, and support to both children and the professionals working on their cases. We ensure that advocacy is thoughtful, effective, and developmentally appropriate—so that children are seen, heard, and supported in every situation affecting their lives.

Why We Exist

I founded The Family Systems Collaborative after years of observing the challenges children and families face in legal systems, and after working as a case consultant for the state. I saw firsthand how high caseloads, complex family dynamics, and limited resources can compromise the quality of support children receive.

I also witnessed the profound difference a skilled, legally educated social worker can make when integrated into any case affecting a child—whether it’s family law, juvenile justice, or other legal contexts. It became clear that to make meaningful improvements and truly support children, families, and professionals, a nonprofit organization dedicated to this work was essential.

How We Work

Our approach is built on collaboration. We partner with attorneys, social workers, educators, and other professionals involved in cases affecting children, providing expertise and guidance to ensure children’s voices and needs are prioritized.

By combining legal awareness with social work insight, we address both systemic and personal challenges children face. Our services include:

• Case Consultation: Helping professionals navigate complex legal and social systems.

• Direct Support for Families: Assisting families during difficult proceedings and reducing stress.

• Professional Guidance: Advising attorneys, social workers, and educators on trauma-informed, child-centered advocacy.

The Start Strong Kickstart Fund

This is our first fundraising initiative, designed to establish a sustainable foundation for high-quality child advocacy. We aim to raise $150,000–$175,000. These funds will support:

• The full-time salary of the founder, who provides direct advocacy and leads programmatic work.

• Essential infrastructure, including a donor management system, website, outreach materials, and a small launch campaign.

• Expanding our reach and capacity to serve more children and families in need.

Your Impact

Your donation makes a tangible difference:

• Direct Support for Children: Ensuring children’s voices and well-being are prioritized in any case where their lives are affected.

• Family & Caregiver Support: Helping families navigate complex systems, reducing stress, and improving stability.

• Training and Professional Development: Equipping attorneys, social workers, and other professionals with the tools to advocate effectively for children.

• System Development and Standards: Creating protocols and standards that define what high-quality child advocacy looks like, ensuring consistent and effective support.

Transparency and Accountability

We are committed to transparency, integrity, and measurable impact. Donors to the Start Strong Kickstart Fund will receive updates on the children we serve, the professionals we train, and the ways your support strengthens child advocacy in the Denver area. You will see firsthand how contributions translate into outcomes—helping children feel supported, assisting families during challenging times, and giving professionals the guidance they need to advocate effectively.

Join Us

The Family Systems Collaborative is more than a nonprofit organization—it is a vision for a system where children are not just seen, but actively supported in every situation that affects their lives.

Your support is an investment in a future where children’s voices are amplified, families are supported, and child advocacy is grounded in both expertise and compassion. By joining us in this effort, you are making a difference in the lives of children today and helping establish a model of advocacy that can be applied in any context where children are affected.

Thank you for believing in our mission and for helping The Family Systems Collaborative Start Strong campaign. Together, we can ensure that every child affected by legal or systemic challenges has access to advocacy that is thoughtful, effective, and delivered with heart.