Frequently Asked Questions
Jump to the Adoption questions
Foster Care
- What is foster care?
- What is kinship care?
- How long will a foster child be part of my family?
- Why is foster care important?
- What is required to become a foster parent?
- Do I have to be married to foster?
- How long does it take to become an approved foster home?
- How long will I wait before I have a child in my home?
- Does my spouse or live-in partner have to go through the approval process?
- Do I have to own my home to foster?
- Do I need to add a foster child to my health insurance?
- Will a foster child attend a school in my district?
- Can I home-school a foster child?
- Can I travel out-of-state with a foster child in my care?
- Are foster children allowed to drive?
- Will a foster parent meet a child's birth parents?
- Can I work and be a foster parent?
- What if I'm not ready to be a full-time foster parent?
What is foster care?
Foster care is temporary care provided to children who have been removed from their home due to abuse or neglect. Foster parents are responsible for the day-to-day care of a child, including providing a place to live, food, clothing, and transportation to school, family visits, medical and dental visits and therapeutic services as needed.
What is kinship care?
Kinship care is when someone in the child's own family or a close family friend provides a temporary home for the child to prevent them from being placed in foster care. Living with a loved one is a less traumatic alternative for a child and the preferred option for placement when a child can not remain with his/her parents.
How long will a foster child be part of my family?
Foster care is a temporary situation, and is dependent on this child's family circumstances. This can range from days to months, or even years. Our main goal is to safely reunite a child with his or her family.
Why is foster care important?
Foster care gives a child a greater chance of future success by providing him or her a nurturing, safe and stable home in a time of crisis and a connection to a caring adult.
What is required to become a foster parent?
Please see our Qualifications to Foster page.
Do I have to be married to foster?
No, our program welcomes single parents, same-sex parents and any individuals in a committed long-term relationship.
How long does it take to become an approved foster home?
Plan on six months from the time you begin pre-service training until the time your home study is complete. This time may vary depending on the availability of home study contractors.
How long will I wait before I have a child in my home?
Once you are an approved foster home, the timeframe can vary greatly depending on the characteristics of children who you would like to foster. The more open a family is to fostering children of varied age groups, ethnicities, special needs and situations, the more possibilities arise for children being placed in their home.
Does my spouse or live-in partner have to go through the approval process?
Yes. Each adult that resides in your household should attend pre-service training and undergo the approval process, even if one parent plans to provide most of the care to foster children.
Do I have to own my home to foster?
No. You may rent or own your residence.
Do I need to add a foster child to my health insurance?
No, foster children will receive full medical coverage through Medicaid. Check with your family physician to see if their office accepts this coverage.
Will a foster child attend a school in my district?
Yes, typically a child in foster care will be transferred to attend school in the foster family's district.
Can I home-school a foster child?
No, foster children are required to attend public school.
Can I travel out-of-state with a foster child in my care?
Foster parents are required to get permission from birth parents to travel out of state. If birth parents decline permission, the County can request that a judge make a decision as to what is in the best interest of the child(ren).
Are foster children allowed to drive?
Foster children are allowed to earn their driver's permit and license with approval from the County.
Will a foster parent meet a child’s birth parents?
Yes. Foster parents will meet the child’s family and are expected to work on building positive, open communication with the family.
Can I work and be a foster parent?
Yes. While you are at work, children in foster care need to be in approved child care or school. Please be aware that daycare costs are the responsibility of the foster parent.
What if I'm not ready to be a full-time foster parent?
If you're not ready to commit to being a full-time foster parent, you can consider becoming a "respite care" provider, which means offering short-term care for the child when foster parents need some time away. You can also consider a variety of Volunteer Opportunities to support our children and families.
Adoption
- Can I adopt my foster child?
- If I'm interested in adopting a baby or young child, what are my options?
- What is the difference between public and private adoption?
- Is there a cost to adopt a foster child?
- Once I have adopted a child, can the birth parents ever come back and take the child?
Can I adopt my foster child?
Our primary goal is to return a child to their birth parents. A foster child is only able to be adopted if the Court has terminated their birth parents' rights due to ongoing safety concerns. Foster parents will receive serious consideration if they are interested in adopting the child in their care who becomes legally free.
If I'm interested in adopting a baby or young child, what are my options?
The majority of the children who become available for adoption through our program are over 8 years old. If you are only interested in adopting a baby or toddler, and are not open to being a foster parent, we recommend that you contact a private adoption agency.
What is the difference between public and private adoption?
Public adoptions are facilitated by the state child welfare system. The children involved in public adoptions were removed from their family due to abuse and/or neglect and the parents' rights terminated by the court. Private adoptions are facilitated by private agencies or an attorney. In private adoptions, the biological parents voluntarily relinquish their parental rights to allow their child to be adopted.
Is there a cost to adopt a foster child?
There are only nominal fees to adopt a child through Arapahoe or Jefferson Counties, which may include the cost of obtaining the child's birth certificate, conducting background checks and a filing fee.
Once I have adopted a child, can the birth parents ever come back and take the child?
No. Once an adoption has been finalized, the biological parents' rights cannot be reinstated.
