Colorado National Guard Child and Youth Program connects families beyond the base

CENTENNIAL, Colo. - The Colorado National Guard's Child and Youth Program provides year-round, engaging programming for school-age children of military families.

The program aims to sustain the quality of life of military youth through a variety of activities and camps focused on resilience, life skills and peer support in a fun, supportive environment throughout the year.

In recent years, the program has expanded through the hard work, innovation and dedication of members of the Colorado National Guard's Joint Resiliency Directorate, known as J9.

"When I came in as the state family program director, I wanted to take time to watch and observe the program, as I noticed that most of the programming was repetitive in nature," said Suzanne Buemi, state family program director. "Additionally, I noticed that we were not serving the greater population, and there seemed to be a core group of youth benefiting from the program."

The J9 was officially established Dec. 1, 2022, following a directive for the National Guard to implement a dedicated, full-time prevention workforce. Under the budget allocated to this workforce, J9 consolidated and reorganized multiple resources under one umbrella, including the Child and Youth Program.

Lead Child and Youth Program Coordinator Kimberly Weeks has worked with J9 for about three years, pursuing new and innovative ways to engage Colorado National Guard families and children.

Events such as back-to-school celebrations, Halloween activities, movie nights and "camp-in-a-box" programs for those unable to attend in-person residential or day camps are among the offerings.

"We do everything from assisting families when Soldiers are deployed to helping them find available resources, such as grants for sports and after-school activities, childcare and fun events for the kids," Weeks said. "We also bring Colorado National Guard youth together so they can feel a sense of community, since they are not on a base surrounded by other kids experiencing the same things."

The program is tailored to children ages 6 to 18. Some events are geared toward children ages 6 to 12, while residential camps currently serve youth ages 10 to 18.

A youth advisory council is available for teens, offering opportunities to participate in community service projects and monthly meetings focused on resiliency, leadership skills and programs eligible for credit toward high school diplomas.

Colorado is part of Region VIII, which includes Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah.

"Once a year, we bring teens together with other states so they can see what their peers are doing, get inspired and share information," Weeks said. "There are many challenges kids face when their parents are in the service, whether they're deployed or not. We're focused on creating community, building skills and giving youth the tools they need to succeed."

The Child and Youth Program is primarily green-funded, meaning it is funded by the Army National Guard. However, because the program falls under the CONG Joint Resiliency Directorate, Colorado Air National Guard families are invited and encouraged to participate.

"We've been able to include some of the Air kids in our activities," Weeks said. "Airman Family Readiness has contributed funding to support some events, allowing us to meet more of their needs."

When Weeks first started, she noticed the program served many of the same families repeatedly. Today, the program reaches nearly 500 participants with each event announcement.

"In the past couple of years, we've seen new faces every year, along with kids who've participated before," Weeks said. "That tells me our marketing and communication efforts are working."

Weeks said she initially projected about 50 participants for one of the program's newest events. Instead, more than 150 children registered.

"Our most successful event this past year was our camp-in-a-box," Weeks said. "We put together boxes with crafts, treats and activity packets that included resiliency training and cooking activities."

Despite its success, the program faces challenges. Weeks said her staff is small and relies heavily on volunteers to meet state-mandated adult-to-child ratios.

"Volunteers are a huge part of supporting the program," she said. "Some have been with us for 10 or 12 years, while others help at a single event. With only two of us serving the entire state, staffing is our biggest hurdle. The more volunteers we have, the larger our events can be."

Buemi praised the team's efforts, noting that modest annual increases in funding have allowed the program to expand and serve more youth.

"I would like to expand our program by offering youth classes on financial management and future planning," Buemi said. "I also want to introduce youth to high-demand careers in Colorado, such as cyber and technology fields, aviation maintenance and pilot programs, and emergency and disaster response. I'd like to shift the focus from receiving support to actively contributing to the community, giving youth a stronger sense of purpose and connection."

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