Janet’s Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole Watch Janet make her casserole on her Cooking with Kids page! 2 cans mild red enchilada sauce 16 oz. sour cream 2 cups cooked chicken (can use canned chicken) 1 ½ cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded 12 to 14 corn tortillas Mix enchilada sauce, sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheese and chicken. Let kids cut or tear tortillas into bite-size pieces. (Not too small). Add tortillas into enchilada mixture and mix well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased casserole. Cover. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove cover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until the c ..read more

The impact of COVID-19 continues to present new challenges for foster children and families experiencing the child welfare system. For children who have endured trauma, building and maintaining a structured environment they can count on is hard fought work by foster parents. The pandemic has resurfaced or exacerbated feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty with foster children already in an unfathomable situation. Now that we are several months into navigating a world turned upside down, take a moment to use the questions below to check in with yourself and the foster or adoptive family you ..read more

In the spirit of Father’s Day, let’s celebrate and encourage the fathers and father figures who serve their families, children and community. These men can be powerful examples of respect, kindness and love to children coming into care. Sadly, many of these children come from homes where neglect and violence was experienced on a regular basis. Instead of a foundation built on a father’s love, there was neglect, fear or harshness. As a result, foster dads, granddads and uncles may be the first positive male role model a child experiences. Below are some suggestions for recognizing the importan ..read more

​This time of year, families are usually registering for summer camps and checking community activity calendars  with great excitement, looking forward to the Summer months ahead. This year, the impact of COVID-19 means  Summer will look different.  As families continue making the necessary adjustments there are still many opportunities  to creatively engage kids in ways that bring  joy and fun. Below are some suggestions that will  keep kids busy, create happy memories  and build strong connections, all of which are vital in developing healthy, resilient fa ..read more

After their son, Brooks, was born, Bradley and Deanna battled secondary infertility, struggling with inherent grief and loss. After weighing the options, foster care seemed like the right option for their family. The Hamiltons knew there were kids in the community who needed the love and care of a family. One of Deanna’s best friends, Charissa, was a foster parent, so the Hamiltons understood the possibility for more loss and grief and decided caring for a child was worth the risk. Soon after signing up for Project 1.27 training, Hamilton's friend and tenant, Ingrid,  shared that she wo ..read more

Project 1.27 staff talked to three churches about how they are supporting families in crisis. Thank you to Denver United Church, The Rock Church in Castle Rock and Colorado Community Church in Aurora for sharing these ideas. ​ A Meal Train  Churches in the area are organizing meals for families in need. Some churches provide funds for groceries, others offer to make the meals. The meals are gathered and volunteers distribute the meals  to families on designated days.  ​Care Packages  Collaborate as a congregation and create small care packages to send  families durin ..read more

During Support Team Training, you may recall learning about the many traumas foster children experience and the resulting impact of grief and loss. As children go through the process of resolving their experiences, it is not uncommon for a new traumatic event like the fallout of COVID-19 to re-start the cycle. Foster parents work tremendously hard to create a sense of stability and safety, which for many kids was upended overnight by this pandemic. In a time where children are being asked to shoulder many changes and uncertainties in their daily routine, psychological and emotional distress m ..read more

Highschool sweethearts, Chris and Sharon, had a heart for foster care and adoption. With two young children at home, the first time they were approached by Chris’s co-worker about caring for her granddaughter, the timing just wasn’t right. Chris’s coworker had a daughter, a homeless teen, living on the streets, dealing with addiction. This daughter had a little girl named “R”. R moved from relative to relative before being placed with a foster family. In 2014, Chris’s co-worker, R’s grandma, asked again, “Would you and Sharon provide kinship ..read more

Foster care and adoption is a rewarding journey that requires a lot of planning and energy to manage day-to-day needs. Families are doing everything from managing appointments, school activities, and therapies to family commitments, crisis management and re-certification requirements. It can be difficult to find a moment to pause and rest, especially when rest matters the most. One of the ways that families can be intentional about setting aside this very important time is to implement a mindfulness practice. Creating moments to pause and reflect before reacting to stressors helps ..read more

Be socially (media) active Use your social media networks: share Project 1.27’s posts on Facebook and Instagram, tweet about 40 Hands in Forty Days, and share your love for children in foster care. Become a Forty Days Champion. Everyone loves a champion, including us! Make a commitment to connect with friends, family members and colleagues between March 2 and April 10, encouraging them to donate like you! Every donation of any amount puts life into our mission! Forty Days Champions like you help drive people to our 40 Hands in Forty Days profile, people who might not yet know about the need f ..read more