Kinship caregivers are relatives, friends, neighbors and other people with a significant relationship to the child, youth or family. Kinship caregivers provide care and protection to children and youth who cannot remain safely in their home due to issues including:
- Child abuse and neglect
- Substance abuse
- Incarceration
- Mental health
- Domestic violence
- Death of a parent
- Financial hardships
- Military deployments
As kinship caregivers, you are not alone. You are a member of a large and growing community of caring people in Colorado. To keep up with what's going on in Colorado's kinship community, check out the Colorado Foster Care Facebook page.
- Colorado Kinnected Navigator Program
- Kinship Adoption Program
CDHS partners with a local law firm to offer free legal services for adoption to kinship caregivers in the Metro Denver area. To qualify, caregivers:
- Must live in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas or Jefferson Counties
- Must be a citizen of the United States or lawfully present
- Must be a relative of or have a significant relationship with the child or youth
- Must be willing to make a long-term commitment to the child or youth
- Must have been caring for the child or youth for the last 12 months or more
Other eligibility criteria include:
- No current child welfare involvement or pattern of child welfare involvement
- The adoption cannot be contested by more than one parent
- Household income may not exceed 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
Kinship caregivers not eligible for the Kinship Adoption Project may contact their local Colorado Legal Services office or Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center.
Resources
- Kinship Toolkit
- Kinship Family Foster Care and Non-Certified Kinship Care Comparison
The primary differences between Kinship Family Foster Care and Non-Certified Kinship Care are identified below. The county department will address any other requirements.
Kinship Family Foster Care Non-Certified Kinship Care Requirements:
- Fingerprint-based background checks with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for all adults age 18 and older living in the home
- A background check for confirmed child abuse/neglect in Colorado and all states where any adults in the home have resided for the past five years
- A check of the CBI and National Sexual Offender Registries by name and address for all adults age 18 and older living in the home
- A check of the Colorado Judicial database for all adults age 18 and older living in the home
- An application to provide foster care
- SAFE home study
- Financial assets/liabilities
- Monthly visits in the kinship foster home for supervision and support of the foster parent
- Monthly visits with the child/youth generally provided by the caseworker to assure the safety and well-being of the child/youth
- Affidavit of citizenship
- Current health evaluations for everyone in the home
- Copies of drivers license and auto insurance for anyone transporting the child/youth (with the county department's approval)
- Copies of pet vaccinations
- 27 hours of pre-certification training, CPR/First Aid
- 20 hours of annual training for recertification
- Home inspection to meet certification requirements
- County department director or designee may waive certain non-safety certification standards
Requirements:
- Fingerprint-based background checks with the CBI and the FBI for all adults age 18 and older living in the home
- A background check for confirmed child abuse/neglect in Colorado and all states any adults in the home have resided for the past five years
- A check of the CBI and National Sexual Offender Registries by name and address for all adults age 18 and older living in the home
- A check of the Colorado Judicial database for all adults age 18 and older living in the home
- An application to provide kinship care
- SAFE or modified SAFE home study, or a written county assessment
- Home inspection
- Monthly visits with the child/youth generally provided by the caseworker to assure the safety and well-being of the child/youth
- Training hours may be required, depending on the county department's policy (0-27 hours)
Possible Benefits:
- Reimbursement for child/youth maintenance from the county department with custody (based on the child's/youth's needs and county policy)
- Medicaid for the child/youth through the county department with custody - if the child/youth is not in the country legally, the county department must purchase an insurance policy
- Title IV-E Waiver Kinship Supports in participating counties
Possible Benefits:
- Child-only financial assistance from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)based on verification of the kinship caregiver's legal custody of the child/youth (for children/youth who are in the country legally)
- Kin may apply for Medicaid assistance through TANF in the county of the kin provider's residence or enroll the child/youth on private insurance
- Title IV-E Waiver Kinship Supports in participating counties
- Some county departments have additional kinship support services and kinship support staff
- Kinship Navigation Guide
The Navigation Guide provides local and statewide information about organizations and programs that may be useful for kinship caregivers. Download the guide in English or Spanish.