{"id":19770,"date":"2024-06-14T10:04:24","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T16:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/co4kids.org\/?p=19770"},"modified":"2024-07-09T13:35:55","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T19:35:55","slug":"colorado-needs-more-therapeutic-and-treatment-foster-care-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/co4kids.org\/es\/parent-partner-blog\/colorado-needs-more-therapeutic-and-treatment-foster-care-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Needs More Therapeutic and Treatment Foster Care Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Back to Blogs<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Parent Partner Blog<\/a><\/div>\n\n

Colorado Needs More Therapeutic and Treatment Foster Care Homes<\/h1><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n
\n

Counties and CPAs can better meet the needs of children and youth in foster care with the best training and increased support from the State<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act<\/a> of 2018 (Family First), Colorado and other states have shifted their approach to foster care. For the first time, child welfare agencies are able to use federal funding to provide additional services and resources that help keep kids safely with their families. Should an out-of-home placement be needed, Family First encourages care in a family-like setting or, if necessary for a short time period, care in a congregate setting designed to meet specialized treatment needs. The goal is for children and youth to be placed in the least restrictive, most family-like setting appropriate when foster care is needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To address this shift, Colorado is creating a continuum of care for children and youth. Those with a higher level of emotional, behavioral or mental health needs can be cared for in a family-like setting instead of a residential setting through therapeutic foster care or treatment foster care<\/a>. With these two levels of care, the foster parents receive additional training and support to help them meet the higher needs of children or youth in their home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to ensure children and youth grow up in families, we must expand the availability of treatment and therapeutic foster homes. Colorado needs more counties and child placement agencies to recruit, train and support those foster parents. As of April 2024, there are 2,573 children and youth living with Colorado\u2019s 2,067 certified kinship and foster families, and more than 200 children and youth in congregate care settings who need support from therapeutic or treatment foster care parents in a family-like setting. In May of 2024, Colorado had 56 therapeutic foster care homes and 6 treatment foster care homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently just three of the 64 counties and seven placement agencies in Colorado train and certify parents for treatment and\/or therapeutic foster care:<\/p>\n\n\n\n