{"id":2569,"date":"2021-05-09T13:58:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-09T19:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/co4kids.org\/?p=2569"},"modified":"2023-11-22T08:59:50","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T15:59:50","slug":"five-colorado-families-recognized-in-celebration-of-national-foster-care-month-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/co4kids.org\/es\/news-press\/five-colorado-families-recognized-in-celebration-of-national-foster-care-month-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Colorado Families Recognized in Celebration of National Foster Care Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Back to Blogs<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
News & Press<\/a><\/div>\n\n

Five Colorado Families Recognized in Celebration of National Foster Care Month<\/h1><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Ten<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n
\n

DENVER (May 9, 2022) \u2014 To mark National Foster Care Month and encourage more Coloradans to become foster parents, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) celebrated five foster families during a luncheon at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on Saturday. Over the last two years of the pandemic, Colorado foster families have leaned into caring for Colorado\u2019s children and youth, and county departments of human\/social services and child placement agencies have continued to recruit and train new foster families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe five families being honored are examples of ordinary Coloradans doing something extraordinary to strengthen families and their community. Their support for reunification and commitment to caring for youth is remarkable,\u201d said Michelle Barnes, Executive Director of CDHS. \u201cThey are an inspiration for others to consider what they can do right now to make a difference for kids and families.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When parents need additional support to provide safety and care for their children, county human\/social service agencies work to meet those needs while keeping families together. If that is not possible, caseworkers first look for kin \u2014 adults who have an established, trusted relationship with the child \u2014 to step in. If no kin is available, a foster family is there to provide safety, stability and care. Today in Colorado, there are 3,735 children and youth living with Colorado\u2019s 1,937 certified kinship and foster families. Additionally, there are 402 children and youth in the foster care system who are waiting to be adopted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every community in Colorado needs more foster families as the state continues to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First). Family First is a federal law that, among several other provisions, seeks to ensure children and youth who can not live safely at home are living in a kinship or foster family home rather than in a congregate care setting. Many of the families recognized by CDHS this year excel at caring for older youth who might otherwise live in a congregate care setting, such as a group home or residential child care facility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a foster parent, while challenging, can be extremely rewarding. In Colorado foster parents can be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Single, married or in a committed relationship<\/p>\n\n\n\n