A recent birthday celebration organized by Denver nonprofit Foster Fête marked a first for a 15-year-old girl and her sister, who had never had birthday parties before. Founded by Renée Schneider, the organization builds celebrations around children's individual interests and says its work has reached hundreds of children in Colorado's foster-care system.
A Nurse's Mission Born in 2021
Schneider started Foster Fête five years ago, according to CBS Colorado. Per the organization's own account on its website, she launched Foster Fête in spring 2021 to make sure children in foster care could feel celebrated on their birthdays. Schneider is a native Coloradoan who lives in Denver and has worked as a nurse for more than a decade, according to the same source.
The program addresses a practical gap identified in CBS Colorado's reporting: children in foster care can miss celebrations of milestones such as birthdays, while foster parents may not have the extra money to organize them. Foster Fête operates in Denver and surrounding areas to provide those celebrations.
How the Celebrations Come Together
How Colorado Defines Foster Care
According to the Colorado Department of Human Services' CO4Kids, foster care is a temporary placement for children and youth outside their own homes. Children and youth in foster care are generally birth to 18 years old, although some teens remain in care after turning 18. The background information available for this article does not provide a current count for Denver County or Colorado or a breakdown by age and placement type. Colorado Department of Human Services regulations define the reasonable and prudent parent standard as careful, sensible decisions that protect a foster child's health, safety and best interests while encouraging emotional and developmental growth. The standard provides a framework for ordinary day-to-day parenting decisions, while CO4Kids says foster parents receive a monthly stipend intended to offset food, shelter, clothing and other related expenses.
Foster Fête's approach is to gather information about each child before assembling a birthday package. CBS Colorado reports that the bags typically include a custom cake and gifts requested by the child. The nonprofit's process, as described by Colorado Expression, asks foster families about a child's favorite color, interests and needs. Foster Fête also says each child is asked for one thing they need and one thing they want, with the organization trying to provide both, according to its about-us page.
The packages may include cakes, balloons and presents, according to a Canvas Rebel profile of Schneider. CBS Colorado reports that Foster Fête provided 250 birthday bags this year, supported by partnerships with organizations and businesses and by an Amazon wish list on the nonprofit's website. The group is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) that accepts donations and service referrals, according to the same CBS Colorado account.
One Foster Mother's Experience
Maryanne, a single mother raising three children, including two foster siblings, told CBS Colorado that Foster Fête's birthday assistance has been a major help. CBS Colorado also reported that the organization provided a crash pad for Maryanne's oldest child, who is sensory seeking, when he was 2.
Reach Across the Denver Area
Public descriptions of Foster Fête's reach use slightly different figures. Colorado Expression reported in 2025 that the group had celebrated nearly 1,500 birthdays since its 2021 founding, while Foster Fête's own about-us page says it had celebrated more than 1,500 birthdays in the Denver area as of 2025. Schneider told Colorado Expression that her next goal is 365 birthdays in one year.
The organization currently serves Colorado children ages 0 through 22, per its about-us page, and works with partners including Denver Human Services to connect with families through caseworkers and foster parents, Colorado Expression reports. Foster Fête has also taken its model beyond Denver, recently partnering with LoveShackFancy for a fundraising event in Aspen, according to the nonprofit's own site.
Who Gets Overlooked
Foster Fête identifies teen boys as a particularly difficult group to support, saying on its website that they are its most requested group but receive the fewest donations. Colorado Expression reported that people can support the program with cash, Amazon-wishlist purchases, new unwrapped toys or handmade birthday cards through fosterfete.com.
