Foster Care in Colorado
Foster care is a temporary home where adults provide a safe home for children and teens, because their parents need time to learn new skills to become the parents their children need them to be. Social services agencies are always in need of families who are willing to care for children with special needs, sibling groups, older youth and young people who speak a different language.
How do I become a foster parent?
The first step to becoming a foster parent in Colorado is to contact your local county department of human services or a child placement agency and attend an information meeting. You can find the dates, times and location of information meetings on each organization’s website.
Every foster parent must complete core training and other trainings, such as CPR and first aid. The county or child placement agency that you are working with may also require other training.
To maintain certification, foster parents are required to complete additional trainings each year. Your county or child placement agency or the Child Welfare Training System can help you fulfill these requirements.
Who can be a foster parent?
Colorado is committed to inclusion. There are no restrictions on who can foster based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or marital status. All that matters is that you are at least 21 years or older and that you are ready to make a difference in a child or teen’s life at a time when they need you the most.
Foster parents must be at least 21 years old, 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 foster families
You often hear of the seemingly heroic experiences of foster parents and you wonder: ‘Could I do that?’ The truth is that foster parents are ordinary Coloradans who have answered the call and stepped up to care for children and teens who need a safe and loving place to live while their parents receive support and learn the skills they need to build a stable home.
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