About the Awards
In an effort to recognize and reward outstanding individuals and program service in healthy father involvement with children, families and communities throughout Colorado, the Colorado Fatherhood Council established the Be There for Your Kids Awards in 2008.

Individual and programs from across the State that demonstrate excellence, consistency, creativity and leadership in serving fathers or in being a father are eligible to receive an award.

Award Categories
Nominations must fall into one of the following six categories:

• Be There For Your Kids Father of the Year: Awarded to a father or father figure who excels at fathering, has provided community leadership, served as a public role model or acted as a mentor to other fathers.
• Outstanding Fatherhood Practitioner Award: Awarded to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of fatherhood practice through his or her work in the state of Colorado or local community.
• Policymaker or Advocate of the Year: Awarded to a local or State policymaker or individual who has provided valuable leadership in support of policies or legislation affecting issues of positive parenting and fathering.
• Colorado Fatherhood Council Member of the Year: Awarded to the Colorado Fatherhood Council member who has made an outstanding contribution to the work of the council.
• Program, Coalition or Agency of the Year: Awarded to the program, coalition or agency that has made an outstanding contribution to advancing the field of fatherhood practice or policy in Colorado.
• Other: Workplace of the Year, Media of the Year, Visionary of the Year, Collaborator, etc: Individuals are encouraged to nominate other institutions/ individuals that do not fit any of the categories above. Nominees should achieve a high level of support for fathers and/or for the field of fatherhood practice and policy. The selection committee will determine the number of awardees in this category.

Each nomination will be evaluated against its category's primary characteristics and awards will be made based on how well the nominee meets the criteria and serves to promote and/or support fatherhood in Colorado. Fatherhood staff employed by the Colorado Department of Human Services are not eligible for nomination.

Selection Process
All nominations must be completed on this online form. A separate nomination form must be submitted for each nominee or program. Nomination forms with incomplete information or with more than one nominee or program listed will not be reviewed. The Colorado Fatherhood Council Award Committee will review all nominations received prior to the deadline.

Award winners will be notified in writing of their acceptance by June 1, 2009, and will then receive a special invitation to attend an awards presentation at the 2009 Colorado Fatherhood Rally, June 20, 2009, in Denver City Park and again at the Colorado Fatherhood Training Academy Awards Banquet, October 22, 2009, at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The deadline for nominations is Saturday, May 23, 2009.