Become a Foster Parent
Here's Why
We are thrilled that you are interested in supporting kids who need a foster family in Larimer County. Your energy and dedication are crucially important and deeply appreciated.
- Each month, 9 Larimer County kids enter foster care.
- Larimer County needs 40 new foster homes so our kids can stay in their communities.
Consider the following options to find the right fit to help us meet this critical need.
Here's How
Your first step is to find a partner.
These local organizations all support foster families with training, professional caseworkers, community resources, and financial reimbursement. All of these organizations share a commitment to increasing the number of foster families in Larimer County.
Reading about their specific support and specialties can assist you in identifying the best organization to help you become a licensed foster home.
Larimer County
Provides intervention and services to support children remaining safe, stable and intact within their families and communities, while respecting the culture of each family.
- All appointments, visits and meetings happen locally.
- Majority of the paperwork can easily be filled out online so the process is manageable and convenient.
- 27 hours of trauma informed pre-service training.
- Wellness reimbursement fund allows foster parents to prioritize self-care (therapy, yoga, workout classes/gym, massage, etc.).
- Foster Parent Advisory Board-- to discuss barriers/issues, updates, changes and successes.
- Year round appreciation events including a family bowling day at The Summit, family days at Colorado Youth Outdoors and Annual Foster Parent Appreciation dinner and a birthday celebration for each foster parent.
- Scholarships to attend other trainings of interest + invites to free, relevant community trainings.
- May receive additional support from a Caregiver Support Staff through the Matthews House.
- Cost for certification-$0 for fingerprinting and background check.
- America's Kids Belong is contracted with Larimer County Department of Human Services for foster care and adoption recruiting.
Lutheran Family Services
Provides skilled, caring substitute families for children unable to live with their birth families and to address each child’s individual needs.
- Foster care and fos-adoption.
- Foster care to Unaccompanied Refugee Minors.
- STEP program, teen-focused foster care which trains foster families to help transition teens in foster care into adulthood.
- Volunteers opportunities to support licensed foster families. (driving, respite care, etc.).
- 27 hours of trauma informed pre-service training.
- 24/7 on-call support.
- Ongoing development and training opportunities.
- Assessment and therapy.
- Psychoeducation classes.
- Cost for certification- $100/adult for background check. Additional $800 if fostering to adopt, for home study.
NightLight
Provides for the unmet needs of abused and neglected children in the Colorado foster care system by placing them with safe and loving families.
- Ministry-minded staff with professional and personal experience in the fields of foster care and adoption.
- Prayer with and for our families as requested.
- 28 hours of trauma-informed pre-service training with an emphasis on Trust Based Relational Interventions.
- Ongoing training through books, webinars, in-person trainings, and podcasts.
- One on one intensive support for the family, their biological children, and the foster children.
- 24/7 on-call support and in-home visits based on the child’s level of need, ranging from weekly to monthly home visits.
- Year-round events for families, including our Annual Foster Parent Appreciation event and summer picnic.
- Clothing and childcare basics, assistance setting up respite care.
- Foster care certification costs $130 per couple for background checks. Fostering to adopt services cost varies.
- Volunteer opportunities to support foster parents and kids.
SAFY
Therapeutic Foster Care. Provides child placement and community-based behavioral health services so children and families reach their full potential.
- Therapeutic Foster Care for youth with significant emotional and behavioral needs due to complex trauma.
- Help children "step down" from an institutional level of care (residential treatment facilities, group homes, etc.) so that they can be part of the community again.
- inclusive of medically fragile or developmental disability cases where challenging behaviors are also present.
- 30 hours of trauma informed pre-service training.
- Two master's-level clinicians assigned to each foster home to do weekly in-home therapeutic sessions with foster youth and caregivers.
- 24/7 on-call services and weekly in-home visits based on needs of child.
- Regular respite care for when families need a break.
- No cost for foster certification process. Families are required to have current physicals and Tuberculosis tests for all family members.
Other Ways To Help
Kids at Heart provides supportive services to foster, adoptive, and kinship families in Colorado. This is a great organization for prospective foster parents to volunteer with in order to interact with and experience foster children from our community in a low key no pressure setting.
For other ways to get involved in support of kids in Foster Care, please explore opportunities through the Realities For Children partner agencies or with United Way's 211.
New Partner/Agency Questions
Are you an organization that would like to be included on this page? Potential partner organizations should meet the following criteria for inclusion in these county-wide recruitment efforts:
- Be committed to the overall goal of increasing the number of certified foster homes in Larimer County.
- Engage in the group with a spirit of collaboration and win-win problem solving.
- Have a primary focus on foster home recruitment.
- Have a strong presence in Larimer County.
- Be willing to attend monthly meetings of the collaborative.
- Be willing to report on outcomes as agreed upon by the group. These reporting expectations may change over time according to funding streams, and other group priorities.
*If your organization fits these criteria, please contact Jerri Schmitz ([email protected]).