Foster Care Support Resources and FAQs

There are 400,000 youth in foster care in the United States. Each day in Colorado, approximately 12 children and teens enter foster care. There are over 6,000 children in an out-of-home placement in Colorado on any given day.

Children in foster care range between the ages of birth to 18 years. The greatest need is for children ages 8 and up and for sibling groups.

Foster parents provide a temporary, safe, and stable home while caring for the physical, emotional, and social needs of children in foster care. The intent is to safely reunify children with their families. Foster parents are expected to work closely when possible with parents, as well as the county department of human services who has legal custody, the Guardian Ad Litem, and other service providers.

Yes, through your partnership with Hope’s Promise your caseworker will work with you to evaluate the best fit for your home. You may select an age range, gender, ethnicity, and types of behavior you feel most equipped to parent. Through ongoing training this may change as you grow as a foster parent.

In most cases, a trusted babysitter 16 years or older can babysit for 6 hours or less without needing background checks. For more than 6 hours, the substitute caregiver must be at least 18 years old, trained in first aid and CPR, and must have completed the required background checks.

For short-term temporary relief, other certified foster families can provide respite care for no more than seven consecutive days per month and no more than 28 days in a calendar year.

75% of children that enter foster care are reunified with birth family or relatives. Of the children that are adopted, 36% are adopted by a relative, 52% are adopted by their foster parents and 12% are adopted by non-relative families. Children that wait for adoption are often over the age of 10, have higher needs, part of a sibling group, and have been in care longer. The goal of foster care is always reunification! Read more about adopting a child through the foster care system.