Adoption in Colorado
Adoption creates supportive, loving families for children, youth and adults. There are three types of adoption: adoption from foster care, international adoption and private domestic adoption. Most adoptions in the United States are through the foster care system.
The primary goal of foster care is to reunify children with their parents. However, if that option is not available, adoption or another type of permanent home is the secondary goal. There are currently 355 children and teens in Colorado who are waiting for a family.
Kids Who Are Waiting for Adoption
Children and teens who are waiting for a family are a lot like the kids you already know. Kids are resilient. Even when they’ve experienced toxic stress, like child abuse or neglect, they can overcome and reach their full potential with help from the community.
Adoption is child-focused. The goal of adoption is to find the right family for a child, rather than to find a child for a family. Most children who are adopted are adopted by their foster families. However, there are many more young people who are still waiting. Children of every age are waiting for a family, but the average age of a child on the Colorado Heart Gallery is 13.
Meet Colorado’s children and teens who are waiting for families on the Colorado Heart Gallery.
Who Can Adopt?
Colorado is committed to inclusion. There are no restrictions on who can adopt based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or marital status. You must be at least 21 years or older and ready to make a difference in a child or teen’s life at a time when they need you the most. If you have time and patience to dedicate to helping a young person work through the challenges that often accompany a difficult childhood, we need your help.
Adults who are interested in adopting through the foster care system must first become certified as a foster parent. You must be at least 21 or older, pass a background check, complete training and receive a home study. Foster parents must be able to use sound judgment like a prudent parent and demonstrate a responsible, stable and emotionally mature lifestyle.
Meet Colorado Adoptive Families
In 2023, 711 Colorado children and youth who were in foster care were adopted. Meet adoptive families from across the state.
