Foster & Kinship Care
About Us
Foster care provides temporary care of a child or children while supporting family and agency efforts to reunify the parents with their children. Most children served by the agency remain at home, but for those children whose safety requires temporary removal, the goal is always to reunite the family.
Larimer County needs foster families to serve children of all ages and their families. The children most in need of your help are adolescents, siblings who wish to stay together in foster care, and children with special needs.
Many foster parents hold the hope of adopting a child. For some foster families, this is possible. All families are initially certified exclusively for foster care. In the event that a child or children in their care is unable to return to her/his parents, that foster home may be asked to be the permanent family for the child or children.
Kinship care simply means family and/or friends of the children can become foster parents or “kin providers”. Children who are eligible must have a current open case and their temporary custody is with the Department of Human Services. The Department’s goal is to place children with relatives or close family friends whenever it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Our Foster Family Helper program was started as a way for others in the community to support a foster family. Helpers provide support such as childcare, transportation, meals, etc. This is a great way to get involved in foster care and help families feel supported.
We prohibit discrimination or harassment because of race, ethnicity, culture, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, gender expression, or any other legally protected characteristic.
How to Become a Foster Care Provider
The process to become a foster care provider requires the following:
- Attend an orientation
- Complete foster and kinship provider training
- Submit your application
- Complete the home study
- Certification
- Background check
Contact Alison Wright for more information on becoming a foster care provider
How to Become a Foster Family Helper
The process to become a Foster Family Helper requires the following:
- Attend an orientation
- Complete helper training (45 min)
- Submit your application
- Background check & fingerprinting
Contact larimer@cokidsbelong.org for more information on becoming a foster family helper.