Foster Care Colorado

In 2024, there were roughly 3,500 children in foster care throughout Colorado, but only 2,400 licensed foster homes. Today, the state continues struggling to meet the demand for safe, supportive temporary homes for kids who are waiting to rejoin their biological families. If you’ve been wondering how to foster in Colorado, there’s no better time to find out.

This guide offers a step-by-step look at how you can become a foster parent in Colorado, from eligibility requirements to stipends and adoption. We’ll explore the process of becoming licensed, the home study experience, and who to contact when you’re ready to get started. Read on to find out how fostering can help you change the life of a child in your community.

The Need for Foster Homes in Colorado

When children have been removed from their biological families due to abuse or neglect, they need a place to stay while their parents work to meet reunification goals. The Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS) relies on foster parents to provide children with safe, loving temporary homes. Currently, licensed foster parents are needed in communities throughout the state.

Being a foster parent is a highly rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging. Many children in foster care have developmental or physical disabilities. Some come from traumatic backgrounds, or have special emotional or behavioral needs. It can also be challenging to find foster homes for sibling groups who must stay together. Colorado needs trained, licensed foster parents who are capable of treating kids in complex situations with love and support.

Not sure if you’re right for foster parenting? You don’t have to be an expert in child development to become a great foster parent. Next, we’ll look at some Colorado foster parent requirements.

Foster Parent Requirements in Colorado

Age: You must be at least 21 years old to become a foster parent in Colorado.
Residency: Colorado doesn’t have any specific laws regarding state residency, although candidates must be U.S. citizens. Foster parents are generally expected to be Colorado residents. However, the state sometimes places Colorado children in kinship foster homes across state lines.
Marital Status: You may be married, single, or in a domestic partnership. Colorado encourages people of all sexual orientations, genders, and ethnicities to become foster parents, and LGBTQ individuals are welcome to apply.
Financial Stability: Colorado provides a monthly stipend to help families cover the costs associated with fostering a child. However, you must be financially stable enough to support a child before you begin receiving the stipend.
Health: You should be physically and mentally healthy enough to care for and keep up with a child. During the home study, a child welfare professional will request your medical history.
Background Checks: Everyone in your household who is 18 or older must pass state and federal criminal background checks, including a child abuse and neglect registry check. They must also provide fingerprints.
Home Environment: Your home must pass a safety inspection and have adequate space for a child, including at least 75 square feet of outdoor play space for each child. You must have a working refrigerator and adequate utilities, such as light and heat.
Training: Initially, you must complete 12 hours of core training, which includes a first aid and CPR course, and another 15 hours of training. Coursework addresses topics such as parenting, legal issues in foster care, and child growth and development. Once you are certified to foster, you must complete an additional 20 hours of training every year.

How to Become a Foster Parent in Colorado: The Step-by-Step Process

Attend an Informational Meeting: The foster parenting journey typically begins with a virtual or in-person orientation session. Hosted by the DHS or another licensed child placing agency, these meetings cover the basic Colorado foster parent requirements and the licensing process. Child welfare professionals such as social workers are available to answer questions in depth. Session dates and times vary among Colorado’s regions. Agencies and regional human services departments post information about upcoming orientation meetings on the CO4kids website.
Complete the Application: After attending an orientation session, the next step is to complete and submit an application through the Colorado DHS website. All prospective foster parents complete the same application, whether they are seeking to provide standard foster care, kinship care, or a therapeutic foster home. On the application, you are expected to provide basic information about your home, your background, and your preferences in a foster child. You must also provide employer references, health information, and financial details, along with a copy of your birth certificate.
Participate in Pre-Service Training: Once your application is approved, you must complete the NTDC Certification Training for Colorado Foster and Adoptive Caregivers. The 27.5-hour program is available online and takes 1-3 weeks to complete. The curriculum includes three seminars, independent study assignments, and additional readings on topics such as trauma-informed care, child development, and family structures, along with self-paced mandatory reporter training and a safe sleep course.
Complete the Home Study: The home study consists of several elements, including a series of interviews between a social worker and you and other members of your family. Interview subjects may include your medical, work, and relationship histories; your attitudes towards topics like religion and education; and your parenting style and experience. You must also provide your fingerprints and consent to a background check. The social worker also performs a home inspection to ensure that the building is safe, clean, and meets Colorado’s space requirements for a foster home. They will ensure that all utilities are working and available. They will also identify any hazards and explain how to correct them.
Receive Your License: When your home study is completed and approved, you are eligible to receive a Colorado foster parent license. To remain licensed, you must complete 20 hours of training every year.

Financial Support: The Colorado Foster Care Stipend

Foster parents in Colorado receive a monthly stipend to help cover the costs associated with childcare, such as food, clothing, and school-related expenses. This non-taxable payment is not a salary and does not reimburse parents for all expenses. The stipend is only meant to supplement the family’s funds. You must maintain a steady, sufficient income before you become a foster parent.

A child’s age and needs affect the size of their foster care payments. Colorado provides additional funds for older children, who require more food and often have school-related expenses like sports and extracurricular fees. Foster children with complex medical or behavioral needs also receive larger stipends, which are meant to help cover the cost of medical equipment and additional training for their parents.

Most medical, behavioral, vision, and dental care is covered by Health First Colorado, the state’s Medicaid program. Foster children are also eligible to participate in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. WIC provides supplemental funds that can be used to buy healthy foods.

The 2026 CO foster care stipend rates are:

Ages 0-8: $42.86 per day
Ages 9-13: $64.35 per day
Ages 14+: $66.44 per day
Therapeutic, all ages: $106.09 per day
Treatment (medical), all ages: $109.30 per day

Adopting from Foster Care in Colorado

While the goal of foster care is to reunite kids with their biological families, it isn’t always possible. When a child’s biological parents are unable or unwilling to fulfill the DHS’ reunification plan, their parental rights are terminated and the child becomes legally available for adoption.

Often, children are adopted by their foster parents. Other times, they are adopted by individuals outside of the foster care system. In Colorado, families who want to adopt from foster care must first become licensed foster parents, even if they do not actually foster a child first. However, they do not need to be Colorado residents to become licensed or adopt a child from the state.

If you decide to adopt from foster care, Colorado covers most or all of the legal fees associated with the adoption. You may also be eligible to receive adoption assistance. This is a monthly subsidy that helps adoptive families cover the expense of raising a child with special needs. This could mean that the child has a medical, behavioral, or developmental problem that requires ongoing therapy. It can also apply to kids who are part of a large sibling group and are harder to place, those with certain genetic conditions, or children with learning disabilities.

Interested in adopting from foster care in Colorado? Check out the state’s Heart Gallery to learn more about the children awaiting a permanent home.

Get Started: Colorado Foster Care Resources

Ready to become a foster parent in Colorado, or thinking of adoption? Colorado DHS can help you get started. Whether you’re ready to submit an inquiry form or want to find out about the next information session in your area, a child welfare expert can walk you through the process. It’s a long one, but there’s plenty of joy at the end.

Official State Agency: Colorado Department of Human Services
Website: https://cdhs.colorado.gov/
Phone Number: 303-866-5700
Find a Local Licensing Agency or County Office Near You

Sources

Accessed on January 7, 2026. https://co4kids.org/
Accessed on January 9, 2026. https://cdhs.colorado.gov/
Accessed on January 9, 2026. https://www.childwelfare.gov/
Accessed on January 10, 2026. https://icpcstatepages.org/colorado/foster-care/
Accessed on January 11, 2026. https://kitcarsoncounty.colorado.gov/sites/kitcarsoncounty/files/documents/Foster%20Care%20Kinship%20Application.pdf