2015 Annual Report

WELCOME
Greetings! Thank you for continued support and for taking the time to explore what we have accomplished over the
past year at Invest in Kids. From day one, our vision has been to provide programs with the highest quality of evidence
proving their ability to positively impact the life trajectory of Colorado’s most vulnerable children and families – we
couldn’t do it without you. With steady growth again this year, we are now reaching more families than ever before.
While the growth is important, it is the high-quality implementation of the programs that drives us, and it is the
combination that yields our impact. At Invest in Kids, results are never in question. The two programs we implement—
Nurse-Family Partnership® and The Incredible Years®—are proven prevention solutions in the effort to help struggling
families in Colorado to thrive.
On the inside cover you will see an artists’ rendering of Invest in Kids’ journey to date. We have been joined by
communities, donors, policy-makers, and providers on this journey, and have laid a solid foundation for the road ahead.
Essential to our story has been the steadfast dedication to our values. On the journey you will see each value depicted
as a road sign as they are what truly guide us in this work.
In addition to the stellar program outcomes, 2015 was a hallmark year in national recognition for the importance
of our work. In March, Invest in Kids was featured by “Exploring Innovation in Community Development”, an initiative
of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to investigate the connection between soft skill development in early
childhood settings and later workforce development issues. Invest in Kids participated as a case study of a wide-scale
implementation of programs with proven evidence to make an impact in this area of children’s lives.
In May, the Center for High-Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania re-released “Invest in a Strong Start
for Children: A Toolkit for Donors on Early Childhood”. Specifically, the toolkit highlights Nurse-Family Partnership® and
The Incredible Years® as two of the highest-impact opportunities within early childhood. The toolkit goes a step further
to identify Invest in Kids’ value-added implementation approach as essential to getting the very best outcomes for kids.
In July, the American Public Health Association published the most recent report demonstrating statistically
significant associations between measured social-emotional skills at entry to kindergarten and young adult outcomes
across multiple domains including education, employment, criminal activity, substance abuse and mental health. In fact,
the researchers utilized the same tool to measure prosocial communication and emotional regulation skills that our
independent evaluator uses to measure the impact of The Incredible Years® each year in Colorado.
Despite the many successes reflected on our journey, our efforts remain vital. We are humbled by the generosity of so
many who make this work possible. We remain committed to you and these partnerships in support of a healthy future
for Colorado’s most vulnerable children and families.
Sincerely,
Sean WatersLisa A. Hill
Chair, Board of DirectorsExecutive Director
ABOUT US
Research clearly demonstrates that exposure to poverty, a stressful
home environment, and delays in behavioral and academic skills at a
very young age are strong predictors of later life course challenges.
These obstacles emerge as academic struggles, behavioral health
problems, substance abuse, lower education attainment, lower rates
of employment, a younger age of becoming a parent, and the
likelihood of recreating these risk factors for their own children.
However, research also shows that we can reverse these trends
facing our most vulnerable children using proven, prevention and
early intervention approaches that reach children early in life.
Invest in Kids leverages limited resources to improve outcomes for
young children and their families. To do so, Invest in Kids bridges
the gap between research and practice, allowing communities to
provide services with proven effectiveness. What makes us unique
is our implementation approach:
• First, we identify programs with proven track records or
methodologies for success.
• Second, we introduce these programs to communities to
see where and how they can net the greatest impact.
• Third, we implement the programs through partners, in
collaboration with community leaders.
• Fourth, we ensure each program’s success through strict
adherence to guidelines and measurement of results to
ensure long-term sustainability.
Even with the help of evidence-based interventions, programs alone
do not achieve desired outcomes. Rather they must also be well
matched to a community’s needs and capacity to deliver, and
implemented with the highest quality. Invest in Kids’ approach is
informed by implementation science, an emerging field focused on
the translation of research findings into policy and practice. Building
and sustaining implementation capacity results in a significant return
on investment for communities that is sustainable over time. In a
major review of the literature, it was shown that successful
implementation can result in programs being three to twelve
times more effective than poorly implemented programs.
ABOUT NFP
For a vulnerable young woman who’s not prepared to care for a
child, a new baby can mean the continuation of the cycle of
poverty, conflict, and despair. The Nurse-Family Partnership®
solution is to provide low-income, first-time expectant mothers
with a trained nurse who makes regular home visits during the
pregnancy and until the second birthday of the Child. Nurse-Family
Partnership® is the only home visitation program in the country
with 37 years of clinical trials proving its effectiveness.
The relationship between mother and nurse provides the foundation
for strong families, and lives are forever changed – for the better.
Nurse-Family Partnership® outcomes have been validated by
numerous third party program evaluators specifically for the
long-term impact it has in the following areas:
• Improved pregnancy outcomes by helping women engage in
good preventative health practices, including thorough prenatal
care from their healthcare providers, improving their diets, and
reducing their use of cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal substances.
• Improved child health and development by helping parents
provide responsible and competent care.
• Improved the economic self-sufficiency of the family by helping
parents develop a vision for their own future, plan future
pregnancies, continue their education, and find work.
ABOUT NFP
In Colorado, Nurse-Family Partnership® is managed by a four-part
team including the Colorado Department of Human Services;
College of Nursing at University of Colorado; the Nurse-Family
Partnership® National Service Office; and Invest in Kids. In local
communities, public health departments, community health centers,
community nursing agencies and hospital systems implement
Nurse-Family Partnership® in 61 of Colorado’s 64 counties.
Invest in Kids leads the ongoing effort to support the program’s
growth and development, acting as an advocate for expansion and
consultant for continuing education and collaboration with program
nurses. Invest in Kids is committed to ensuring the success of
Nurse-Family Partnership® in Colorado, and has worked to ensure
long-term, sustainable funding for the program. Beginning in 1999,
Invest in Kids met with numerous Colorado legislators to explain the
importance and effectiveness of the program. As a result, the
Colorado General Assembly passed the Nurse Home Visitor Act in
the 2000 legislative session. The Act allocates a portion of
Colorado’s share of the tobacco settlement proceeds to NurseFamily Partnership® each year. The funding for the program is
supplemented with a federal Medicaid match and funding from the
Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.
By helping to break the cycle of poverty, we play an important role in
helping to improve the lives of society’s most vulnerable members,
build stronger communities, and leave a positive impact on this and
future generations.
IMPACT
Invest in Kids’ role specifically includes:
• Community planning: ensure that local communities have the
knowledge, skills, and support needed to sustain the program
and build strong nursing teams
• Training: ensure that all nurse-home visitors and their supervisors
are prepared and supported in delivering the program to diverse
communities and families
• Evaluation: support Nurse-Family Partnership® local teams to
interpret client data for quality improvement purposes
• Advocacy: protect state funding for Nurse-Family Partnership®
through education and advocacy efforts
In Colorado, 20,649 first-time, low-income mothers have enrolled in
Nurse-Family Partnership® since 2000. This includes a current funded
caseload of 3,504 families. Fifteen year cumulative data shows the
population served includes the following:
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Average Maternal Age at enrollment: 20
Unmarried at enrollment: 78%
Primary Language other than English: 21%
High School graduate at enrollment: 59%
Median Household Income at enrollment: $10,500
For the mothers and children receiving the program in Colorado,
we have seen:
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•
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21% Reduction in smoking during pregnancy
30% Reduction in alcohol use during pregnancy
92% of mothers initiated breastfeeding
91% of children were fully immunized by age two
96% of children had a developmental screening at 4 months
and 10 months of age
SUCCESS STORY
Stormee describes herself as having been a bad teenager. She was
raised by her mother who worked hard to support the family, but she
struggled with an abusive father and not knowing where she fit in,
which led to her rebelling and running away from home at age 17.
Homeless, she moved from house to house staying with friends. She felt
like a failure to her family, which prevented her from returning home.
She was working hard through tough times. Then she found out she was
pregnant.
Stormee remembers vividly the day she walked out of the clinic after
hearing the news. She knew the child’s father wouldn’t offer much
support; he had been physically and verbally abusive to Stormee and
she was afraid he would abuse the baby too. “I was so numb at that
point,” she recalls. “I was eighteen at the time, young, immature and
definitely not ready for a baby. I felt so alone. As I was walking out I saw
a flyer for the Nurse-Family Partnership®, which was the first step I took
to become somebody.”
Stormee was determined to do something with her life. When she met
Rosie, her nurse, she was astonished that Rosie didn’t judge her but
educated her on what to expect during pregnancy and worked with
her to set goals. “Rosie helped me see the positives and everything I
had going for me”. Rosie was by my side when doctors told me there
was the possibility my child would be born with a birth defect. She was
my rock, reminding me I was strong and that together we would get
through whatever challenges arose.”
Stormee’s daughter, Sophia, was, in fact, diagnosed with Gastroschisis,
a birth defect of the abdominal wall. She was born one month
premature and was required her to have surgery and stay in the hospital
for a month. Despite a successful surgery, doctors expected Sophia
would be behind on her developmental milestones, but with Rosie’s
help, Stormee worked with Sophia to ensure she had every opportunity
to thrive. At the same time, Rosie’s motivation and Stormee’s mom’s
help at home empowered Stormee to finish school and get her GED.
Today, at age 22, Stormee feels more optimistic about the future than
ever before. She describes Sophia as healthy and thriving. They have
a shared passion for exploring the outdoors together. Stormee has
completed her associate’s degree in medical specialties and plans to
become a nurse and give back to the community. She dreams of being
a Nurse-Family Partnership® nurse so she can impact the lives of young
women like herself. “Imagine being able to change a person’s life.
That’s what was done for me and I want to dedicate my career and my
life to doing that for someone else.”
ABOUT IY
® Parents, teacher, and children
training series
The Incredible Years® provides young parents and preschool and
kindergarten teachers with tools to help children learn the social,
emotional and problem-solving skills they need to succeed in early
schooling and later in life. During the program, children improve
their ability to solve problems, control anger, self-monitor their
emotions, make friends and follow verbal instructions from their
teacher. Parents improve positive parenting practices such as setting
clear expectations and more frequently discussing problems with
children, and decrease use of negative practices such as physical
punishment.
In Colorado, more than 55,000 young children and families have
received The Incredible Years® since 2002. Invest in Kids implements
the following program components:
• The Incredible Years® Preschool Basic Parenting Program (Parent
Program) is delivered through a series of 14 weekly parent group
meetings. Trained co-leaders guide the group of 10-16 parents
as they learn strategies and skills known to promote children’s
social competence, reduce behavior problems and teach
children to problem solve.
• In the Teacher Classroom Management portion of the program
teachers learn positive teaching strategies that include building
relationships with students and parents, proactive teaching
strategies, praise, incentives, and encouragement.
• The Dinosaur School curriculum includes 60 lessons delivered 2-3
times per week in pre-school or kindergarten classrooms. Trained
teachers co-lead the lessons using life-size puppets, engaging
activities, games, and video vignettes. It is a universal social
skills, problem solving, and emotional regulation curriculum for
all students in the classroom.
ABOUT IY
® Parents, teacher, and children
training series
For 33 years The Incredible Years® has been evaluated by the
developer and independent investigators. Evaluations have
included numerous randomized control group research studies
using independent observations with diverse groups of parents
and teachers.
Multiple randomized control trials of the Parent Program have
shown significant:
• Increased positive affect such as praise and reduced criticism
and negative commands.
• Increases in parent use of effective limit-setting by replacing
spanking and harsh discipline with non-violent discipline
techniques and increased monitoring of children.
• Reductions in parental depression and increases in parental
self-confidence.
• Increases in positive family communication and problem-solving.
• Reduced conduct problems in children’s interactions with parents
and increases in their positive affect and compliance to parental
commands.
Multiple randomized control trial studies of the classroom
components have shown significant:
• Increases in children’s appropriate cognitive problem-solving
strategies and more prosocial conflict management strategies
with peers.
• Reductions in conduct problems at home and school.
• Increased use of praise and encouragement and reduced use
of criticism and harsh discipline.
• Increases in children’s positive affect and cooperation with
teachers, positive interactions with peers, school readiness
and engagement with school activities.
• Reductions in peer aggression in the classroom.
IMPACT
® Parents, teacher, and children
training series
This past year, The Incredible Years® reached more than 8,400
children across 22 counties. Our greatest success continues to be the
outcomes we see for the children and families we serve. Thorough
Colorado replication data is collected annually by an independent
evaluator, The Implementation Group. Descriptive information about
program participants and measures of participant behavior change
from the beginning to the end of the year, observational measures
of fidelity for those implementing the program, and participant
satisfaction surveys are collected. The 2014-2015 program/school
year annual report continued to show the statistically significant
outcomes we intend for the children and parents we serve.
Statewide, statistically significant changes were seen in:
• Children’s social competence gains, including:
Prosocial/Communication Skills, Emotion Regulation Skills
and Academic Skills
• Parent’s increased use of positive parenting, including:
Appropriate Discipline, Positive Verbal Discipline, Clear
Expectations, and Praise
• Parent’s decreased use of negative parenting, including:
Harsh and Inconsistent Discipline and Physical Punishment
Additionally, program satisfaction data helps ensure the program is
being offered in a way that is best matched to the needs of those
receiving it:
• 87% of teachers reported the program met their goals for
social-emotional development
• 83% of teachers reported feeling prepared to implement the
program on their own next year
• 97.5% of parents report the problem(s) that prompted them to
take the program showed improvement
• 93% of parents reported the program helped with personal or
family problems not directly related to their child (i.e.: their
marriage)
IMPACT
® Parents, teacher, and children
training series
Invest in Kids monitors fidelity to the researched model to ensure
that implementers have the skills they need to deliver the program
as intended so that they can achieve outcomes proven through
research. Invest in Kids consultants complete fidelity ratings
throughout the year for first and second year implementers.
During the 2014-2015 school year, implementers from all three
program components met standards for high fidelity program
implementation. For the classroom-based program components that
are implemented for the full school year, implementers also showed
improvements in fidelity ratings over time.
While it is the quantitative data that drives our ongoing quality
improvement processes, the anecdotal feedback further validates
the impact of the program. We heard the following from teachers
this year:
• “I love hearing the children use Dinosaur School language. This
year they were fabulous at detecting feelings, acknowledging
how other people felt, using thumbs up solutions.”
• “Braeden’s parents report that his behavior has improved
tremendously at home by using the Tiny Turtle shell, and thumbs
up and thumbs down techniques taught in the program. He is
now able to control his emotions and makes better choices.”
• “Tia can tell you what her feelings are and why she acted the
way she did and even what she can do better next time.”
• “Jurguen can be impulsive and The Incredible Years® has helped
him stop and take a deep breath before jumping in.”
EVENTS
JANE-A-THON at WINTER PARK
The 16th annual Jane-A-Thon once again brought several inches of
fresh powder as skiers and snowboarders participated over the twoday event, helping support Invest in Kids. Corporate Day
(on Friday) provided an opportunity for companies to cultivate
employee camaraderie while raising money for Colorado’s most
vulnerable children and families. On Saturday, individuals, families,
and kids took part in the traditional Saturday Jane-A-Thon. In 2015,
Invest in Kids Board Member, Eric Hilty and Finance Committee
member, Andrew Higdon, led the Jane-A-Thon committee which
made this event possible once again. Our corporate sponsors
included: Aimco Cares, Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle Center, Cook
Street Consulting, MIDFIRST BANK, Holland & Hart LLC, the Jared
Polis Foundation, FONTENOT’S and Winter Park.
The Jane-A-Thon returns to Winter Park March 4-5, 2016.
INVEST IN KIDS GALA
The 7th annual “Soaring to New Heights” gala was a tremendous
success. The enthusiastic crowd of more than 500 helped raise
nearly $275,000 at this spectacular gathering. The event was
emceed by 9NEWS Anchor, Jessica Oh. Welcoming remarks were
delivered by Governor, John Hickenlooper. The winner of the
community award was Jerry Conover, and the firm Squire Patton
Boggs was selected as the professional award recipient. Special
thanks to our presenting sponsors for the event: Sam and Nancy
Gary and Dave and Debbie Younggren, and Synergy Resources
Corporation. Once again the highlight of the evening was the
culinary delights of so many of Denver’s top chefs. The entire
evening was made possible by the dedication of our co-chairs,
Catherine Goodwillie and Holiday Goodreau. Joanne Davidson
of the Denver Post once again featured the evening as one of
Denver’s must-attend annual gala events.
Save the date for this year’s gala: May 7, 2016.
THANK YOU
Thank you to all our sponsors, auction donors and restaurant
partners. We extend our gratitude to Today’s Women Investing in
Kids (TWINKS) and the Jane-A-Thon planning committee for their
hard work that made these events such great successes yet again!
Coverage of the Invest in Kids Gala on the
Cover of The Denver Post, May 20, 2015.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
2015 INVEST IN KIDS STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
REVENUES, GAINS, AND SUPPORT
Grants$1,400,713
Individual & Corporate Donations $105,423
Contracted Services $643,087
Special Events $333,169
Investment Income $7,692
Total Revenue, Gains, & Support
$2,490,084
EXPENSES
Program Services $1,703,451
General & Administration
$159,570
Fundraising $305,257
Events $115,851
Total Expenses
$2,284,129
Net assets, beginning of year
Change in net assets
Net assets, end of year
$1,838,413
$205,954
$2,044,367
OUR TEAM
As of December 31, 2015
STAFF
Lisa Hill
Executive Director
Catherine Millard
Program Consultant, IY
Jewell Cochran
Finance Director
Staci Morley-Young
Data Analyst, NFP
Brenna Dorsten
Database & Administrative Coordinator
Allison Mosqueda, MS, RN
Nurse Consultant, NFP
Suzy Hannen MA, Ed.
Program Consultant, IY
Community Development Director, IY
Steve Harrell
Director of Development
Michelle Neal MS, RN
Program Director, NFP
Stephanie Helle
Program Coordinator, NFP
Carolyn Rubenstein MSW, LCSW
Program Consultant, IY
Patrick Sablich
Dir. Community Relations &
Grants Management
Lindsay Sherman
Program Consultant, IY
Julie Steffen MA, ECSE
Program Consultant, IY
Lisa Mulligan, MSW
Kate Stoutamire
Program Coordinator, IY
Annie Thompson, MPA
Annual Giving Manager
Lizzeth Zamora, M.Ed.
Program Consultant, IY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sean Waters - Board Chair
Cook Street Consulting
Eric Hilty
National MS Society
Cathy Lemon
Denver District Court
Marc Bradac
Hanson & Co.
Gregory Kanan
Lewis Roca Rothgerber LLP
Timothy Macdonald
Arnold & Porter LLP
Catherine Goodwillie
Sexual Abuse Forever Ending (S.A.F.E.)
Jon Kruljac
Synergy Resources Corp.
Adele Phelan
Community Leader
Katie Magner
Committee Chair/Community Leader
Amanda Fein
Centennial Bank
Andrew Higdon
Aimco
Marc Bradac
Hanson & Co.
Michaella Gallina
Boulder Brands
Peter Sheehy
Grant Thornton
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Brian Zook
Liberty Global, Inc.
Gifts to Invest In Kids of $1000 or more
(September 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015)
INDIVIDUALS
Jennifer Harned and Steve Adams
James Ahlschwede
Kathryn Albright
Anne and Brad Anderson
Jennifer Atler and Michael Fischer
Susan and Luke Beatty
Sara and Galen Bellamy
Kristen Berg and Ty Amass
Mary Beth and Bernie Buescher
Kara and Greg Bjork
Jodi Blomberg and Tim Macdonald
Stephany and Fred Bollin
Tobey and Justin Borus
Monica and Marc Bradac
Michael Carr
Marianne and Gary Ceriani
Lisa Christian and John Walsh
Aimee and Jonathan Coleman
Carrie and Andy Cooper
Betsy L. Crane
Alison L. Dinn
Lesley and John Disbrow
Michelle and Sam Eidson
Randy Engel
Britta Erickson and Richard Turner
Melissa and Adam Farver
Lynda and Peter Fox
Nancy and Sam Gary
Katherine Gold
Barb and Dave Goldblum
Catherine and Andrew Goodwillie
Karen and Steve Gottesfeld
Christine and Peter Gould
Susan and John Gowen
Barbara Grogan
Kari and Patrick Guinness
Roberta and Steven Harrell
Linda and Ruis Heise
Andre Hidi
Jake and Andrew Higdon
Laura and Robert Hill
Sarah and Eric Hilty
Kim and Chris Jacoby
Linda and Greg Kanan
Alisa and Brad Knepper
Teri and Jon Kruljac
Sandy and Tom Lauridson
Mary Lee and Jay Schusterman
Catherine Lemon
Laura and Greg L’Herault
Ann and Harold Logan
Marisa and Mark Newhouse
Katie and Joe Magner
Karen and Scott Mattice
Eileen and Tate McCoy
Amy and Lee Middlekauff
Paul Miller
Melanie Miller
Jason Neal
Alison and Andrew Newcomb
Marisa and Mark Newhouse
David Olds
Ericka Pardo and Jake Bauers
Adele and Gerald Phelan
Jaime and Jay Philp
Joannie Pinhas
Jennifer and Craig Rasmuson
Kristin and David Robbins
Marcia and Dick Robinson
Carol Ann and Paul Rothman
Laura and Ron Sachs
Ann and James Scarboro
Wagner Schorr
Alessandra and Ben Schulein
Cindy Schulz
Kelly and Gene Smith
Alan Tedeschi
Wendy and Tom Thorpe
Julia and Chris Toll
Julie and John Trone
Amy and Brian Turner
Judith Wagner
Britney and Richard M. Weil
Caroline T. and Graham Williams
Jacquelyn Wonder and Jerry Conover
Elizabeth and Bryan Wright
Debbie and David Younggren
Sarah Youngren and Jack Weixel
Tricia and Patrick Youssi
Lisa and Brian Zook
CORPORATIONS
& FOUNDATIONS
Ace Eat Serve
Aimco Cares
Anschutz Foundation
B & H Way Foundation
Ballantine Family Fund
Barolo Grill
Barton Family Foundation
Boettcher Foundation
Buell Foundation
Campbell Foundation Fund
Caring For Colorado Foundation
Carson Foundation
Cleveland Foundation
Colorado Health Foundation
Community First Foundation
Connie Burwell & William W. White Foundation
Cook Street Consulting
Daniels Fund
DONORS
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation
Denver Post Community Foundation
DiFranco’s
Elway’s
Fox Family Foundation
Freeport-McMoRan Foundation
Goldblum & CO Advisors, Inc.
Harmes C. Fishback Foundation
HBB Foundation
Hemera Foundation
Holland & Hart, LLP
Humphreys Foundation
Jared Polis Foundation
Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation
Johnstone Memorial Fund
LARRK Foundation
Lena
Lewis Roca Rothgerber
Liberty Global
LibertyGives Foundation
Linger
Lola
Ludwig H Schmitt Trust
Mabel Y. Hughes Charitable Trust
MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation
Midfirst Bank
MiJo
Mile High United Way
Mills Family Foundation
Mission Critical Systems, Inc.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Newmont Mining Corporation
Oscar G. and Elsa S. Mayer Family Foundation
Piton Foundation at Gary Community Investments
RCG Fund
Rendezvous Café
Rioja
Rocky Mountain Foot and Ankle Center, P.C.
Rose Community Foundation
Sam S. Bloom Foundation
Scott Family Foundation
Solera
Sprout Foundation
Strear Family Foundation
Sturm Family Foundation
The Colorado Trust
The Kitchen
The Pittsburgh Foundation
The TJX Foundation, Inc.
Trillium
Vesta Dipping Grill
Ben & Lucy Ana Fund of the Walton Family Foundation
We4Smith Foundation
Winter Park
Younggren Family Fund
1775 Sherman Street
Suite 2075
Denver, CO 80203
303-839-1808
www.iik.org