FAQs • Jefferson Co CFC, CO • CivicEngage

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1. Foster Care

1. Are foster children allowed to drive?: Foster children are allowed to earn their driving permits and license. However, it is required to have approval from the child's caseworker and supervisor.

2. Can a foster child see my family physician?: Foster children can see any physician that accepts Medicaid.

3. Can I home-school a foster child?: No, foster children are required to attend public school. If you adopt a child, once the adoption is finalized, you are free to home-school that child.

4. Can I travel out of state with a foster child in my care?: Yes. 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).

5. Do I need to add a foster or adoptive child to my health insurance?: Foster children will receive full medical coverage through Medicaid. You cannot add a foster child to your health insurance plan. Once an adoption has finalized you can add your adopted child to your health insurance plan. Some children qualify for continued medical coverage by Medicaid until the age of 18 and your health insurance can be utilized to supplement the Medicaid coverage.

6. How long will a foster child be part of my family?: The length of a child's stay in your home is dependent on the complexity of the family's circumstances - sometimes it takes only days, other times it may be months or even years.

7. What is respite care?: Respite care is overnight care of a foster child provided by another certified foster family.

8. Will a foster child attend a school in my district?: Typically, a child in your care will be transferred to attend school in your district. If there are special circumstances, you will be informed at the time a placement is needed and can decline placement if you are unable to accommodate the educational needs.

9. Will a foster parent meet a child's birth parents?: Absolutely; building a positive rapport with birth family members significantly contributes to the wellbeing of the child. The child will feel more comfortable knowing the adults in their life are working together and it helps to prevent loyalty issues.

1. Does my spouse/partner have to attend pre-service training?: Yes, even though one adult may be the primary care giver for children, both adults have to attend training and participate in the entire certification process.

2. How long will the certification process take?: We estimate the process to become certified with our program will take approximately 4.5 months from the time you complete a pre-application meeting until your certification caseworker completes a home visit. This time may vary depending on your ability to complete the required application.

3. How much does it cost to become certified?: We ask families to cover the cost of processing their background checks, currently the cost is $39.50 per person. The other cost is becoming CPR and First Aid certified. That cost will vary. Our agency will cover the cost of training and the home study.

1. Can I adopt my foster child?: If a child in your home is not able to be safely reunified with their family you will receive serious consideration as an adoptive resource for that child.

2. If I'm only interested in adopting a baby or young child, what are my options?: If you are only interested in adopting a baby and are not open to being a foster parent, we recommend that you contact an adoption agency.

3. Is an adopted child really mine?: Yes. Once you adopt a child, you are the legal parent of that child for the rest of his or her life.

4. Is it expensive to adopt a child?: There are only nominal fees to adopt a child through Arapahoe, Douglas or Jefferson Counties.

5. Once I have adopted a child, can the birth parents ever come back and take the child?: No. Biological parents are not able to have their rights reinstated once an adoption has finalized.

6. What is the difference between an open and closed adoption?: An open adoption is when there are court orders mandating adoptive parents to maintain a degree of communication with the biological parents of a child. A closed adoption is absent any orders regarding communication between parties. In the state of Colorado all adoptions are closed. This means that any and all communication between a child and their biological parents is at the discretion of the adoptive parents.

7. What is the difference between public and private adoption?: Public refers to an adoption facilitated by the state. The children involved in public adoptions were removed from their family due to abuse and/or neglect and the parents' rights were terminated by the court. Private adoptions are facilitated by private agencies or an attorney. In private adoptions, the biological parents relinquish their parental rights to allow their child to be adopted.