For specific information on becoming a Kinship/ Foster/Adoptive Parent or Respite Care Provider for Fremont County please contact:
Fremont County Department of Human Services
Foster Care Certification
172 Justice Center Road
Canon City, Colorado 81212
719-275-2318
Family First
The goal of the Fremont County Department of Human Services is to reunite children with their families. If a child cannot be returned to their primary caregiver, every effort will be made to place that child with appropriate relatives or other caring adults in their life. If after all relative options have been exhausted then we place children with a foster or foster-adopt family.
Non-Relative or Foster Care/Fost-Adopt
Today, Fremont County Department of Human Services has approximately 24 certified foster homes (non-relative) to care for children and youth of our community. Often times our foster homes are full, which requires that children who come into care must be placed outside of our community/county away from their schools, friends, neighbors and extended families. It is traumatic enough to tell a child we have to place them with people they don’t know, but if the only foster family available is in another community/county, it only adds to the child’s anxiety and fear.
Should you become a Kinship/Foster/Adoptive Parent?
Some things to consider:
- What are your beliefs and attitudes about the Fremont County Department of Human Services?
- What are you beliefs and attitudes about Child Welfare or Child Protective Services?
- What are your beliefs and attitudes about foster care?
- What are your beliefs and attitudes about adopting from the child welfare system?
- What are your reasons for becoming a foster or foster/adopt parent?
- Are you ready emotionally and is your home ready?
- What impact might fostering have on your own family? What if you end up adopting a child?
- What age and behaviors of children vs. your own children would be the best match?
- Have you talked to your own children and/or family about fostering?
- Is it realistic for you to become a foster parent? Is it realistic for you to become an adoptive parent?
What is Foster Care?
Foster care means the placement of a child into the legal custody or legal authority of a county department of human/social services for physical placement of a child in a certified or licensed facility.
Foster care is intended to provide a substitute family for children for a temporary period of time, during which the family can work towards the goal of reunification.
Foster care is not a punishment for behavior and children in foster care are not bad. Children in foster care may have a variety of behaviors as a result being abused and/or neglected; such as differed appearance due to physical abuse (bruises/cuts, low weight), parent-like behavior, hoarding food, shy and reserved, very talkative, etc.
Children and Youth may need foster care placements for a variety of reasons:
- They have been emotionally, physically, or sexually abused
- They have been neglected medically, educationally, or a parent fails to protect them from abuse or neglect
- The physical or mental incapacity of their parent(s) creates an unsafe situation
- They have been abandoned
- The drug, alcohol, or other chemical abuse by their parent(s) has created an unsafe environment for the child
- Injurious environment
- Youth in conflict
- When a child has been deemed beyond the control of his/her parent(s)
Family to Family Model Explanation
Annie E. Casey Foundation’s explanation of Family to Family:
Family to Family uses neighborhood-based foster care as a bridge to permanence. Recognizing the need to nurture strong emotional bonds between parent and child, Family to Family builds a network of family foster care that is neighborhood-based, culturally sensitive, and places children primarily in the communities in which they live. Using this approach, and consistent with the Adoption and Safe Families Act’s guidelines, foster care is viewed as a temporary extension of the child’s family, not a replacement for it. Family to Family partners treat foster families as professional members of the child’s team. Foster families receive enhanced training and support to care for the often complex needs of their foster children. They participate in the team decision making meetings and therefore shape the critical decisions made on behalf of the children for whom they care. Foster families also are trained to become a resource for and partners with birth parents—working to assure birth families remain connected with their children and, where possible, are prepared for a safe reunification. Foster parents serve primarily as partners in reunification by supporting and maintaining the child’s connection to the birth family. However, statistics indicate that foster families are also the primary adoptive resource when reunification cannot occur. Family to Family encourages combined recruitment and training of prospective foster and adoptive families. This approach ensures that the child’s first placement is the only placement. Family to Family uses foster parents from the community as recruiters and ensures that recruitment is community-owned, culturally sensitive, and reflective of the children entering care. The agency enlists foster
families as the primary recruiters of other foster families. Family to Family encourages community supports for all families caring for children in agency custody, including kinship families. Family to Family also places a strong emphasis on empowering extended family members to care for related children as a means to lessen the likelihood of long-term system involvement for children in care.
Fremont County Principles of Family to Family
- A child’s safety is paramount.
- Children do best with strong families.
- Families can become strong when they have the support of their communities.
- Child welfare agencies can do their job better when they partner with communities in support of families.
Family to Family is designed to:
- Develop a network of family foster care that is focused on safety and located in children’s communities
- Ensure that all children who come into care are placed with families (kin or foster)
- Increase the number and quality of foster and kinship families to meet needs
- Provide services to families in a timely manner so that they can be safely reunified as soon as possible
- Screen children being considered for removal from home to determine what help their families need to keep them safe and if possible in their home
- Support children if removal is needed
- Involve birth parents, foster parents, and kinship families as team members
- Become a community resource for children and families by investing in the community
What does this mean for you as a foster parent?
The understanding that you will be willing to work with children, youth and their biological families to support and encourage reunification when appropriate.
Icebreaker Meetings:
An icebreaker meeting provides an opportunity for parents and foster parents to “break the ice” and talk about the needs of the child. The parents and foster parents are able to share information about themselves and their parenting practices. Parents also share information critical to the child’s comfort and adjustment in a new setting. The meeting is the first step in the development of partnership between the family and the temporary caretakers of their child.
Family to Family
Fremont County Department of Human Services
Nine Outcomes
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
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40 % of active children were in care. |
35 % of active children were in care. |
32 % of active children were in care. |
2. Children remain in their home school. |
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53 % of children remained in their home school. |
51 % of children remained in their home school. |
57% of children remained in their home school. |
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27 % of children in care experienced a higher level of care. |
20 % of children in care experienced a higher level of care. |
29 % of children in care experienced a higher level of care. |
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Average length of stay was 536 days. |
Average length of stay was 404 days. |
Average length of stay was 509 days. |
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30 % were reunified with family. |
58% with a parent |
46 % with a parent |
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17% of children in care experienced a re-entry into care. |
15 % of children in care experienced a re-entry into care. |
14 % of children in care experienced a re-entry into care. |
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38 % of children in care experienced a placement move. |
38 % of children in care experienced a placement move. |
28 % of children in care experienced a placement move. |
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43% of children were placed with their siblings. |
57 % of children were placed with their siblings. |
47 % of children were placed with their siblings. |
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56% of children in care |
54% of children in care |
59% of children in care |
Basic Requirements
The following are basic requirements for the certification process:
-Are at least 21 years of age
-Are single, married, divorced, widowed, or in a stable domestic partnership
-Own or rent your home
-Have a valid driver’s license and car insurance
-Willing to transport the children to and from appointments to include school, visitation, and medical/dental appointments
-Willing to get your CPR/First Aid Certification and maintain it through the life of certification
-Willing to participate in the Family to Family Model (TDM’s, Icebreakers, keeping kids in their home communities and schools, etc.)
-Have adequate financial resources to sustain your household independently
-Demonstrate an adequate level of physical fitness and stamina to care for active children.
-Demonstrate personal characteristics/strengths needed to meet the challenges of parenting children with varying emotional and behavioral needs associated with trauma, grief and loss
-Are open to learn
-Can work in partnership with our county agency and are open to consult with others on a child’s professional team
-Can remain open to and maintain safe and appropriate connections with a child’s extended family of origin.
The Role of a Foster Parent:
Foster parents are caring, and committed individuals who open their hearts and home to meet the needs of children who must be placed in out-of-home care in order to be safe. A foster family provides the child with an emergency or temporary home and a supportive, stable family environment while the birth family addresses the concerns or situation that prevents them from parenting their child. Typically, foster parents care for the child until reunification with the birth family occurs, there is an adoption or guardianship with kin, or the child is legally available for adoption. Sometimes foster parents become the permanent home for the child through adoption.
How fostering is similar to parenting your own children?
- they need daily care and supervision
- they need their basic physical and emotional needs met
- you’ll work with schools, medical personnel, and other professionals to meet their needs
- help guide the child’s development in all areas: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, etc.
- provide structure, rules, and discipline
- teach values and self-direction
- model appropriate family relationships
How fostering is different from parenting your own children?
- Must be able to recognize that a child in care may have a variety of developmental levels which may or may not match his/her chronological age.
- Only having a limited time to work with a child and his family.
- Understanding and accepting agency/department involvement and responsibilities.
- Comply with certification standards.
- Must keep records.
- Must work with biological children to support reunification (if appropriate).
- Will be able to make only limited decisions.
- Must respect confidentiality.
- Must report changes in family household to the department.
- Must be able to offer flexibility and work with the objectives of the case plan (visitation, therapy, etc.).
How is fostering similar to a job?
- Have specific duties and responsibilities
- Held accountable
- You work closely with professionals in a child’s life.
- You keep records
- Maintain confidentiality.
How is fostering different from a job?
- It involves your entire family.
- Requires a warm environment, involving love and commitment.
- On duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Fostering is not a source of income or a form of employment.
Basic expectations of a foster parent:
- Support reunification when it is in the best interest of the child.
- Healthy communication with a child’s treatment team.
- To ask for support when needed.
Types of Foster/Adoptive Homes Fremont County needs:
Traditional Foster Care homes for youth ages zero to eighteen years of age.
Homes for sibling groups of all ages
Homes for Teens (both boys and girls)
Homes for Teen moms and pregnant teens
Respite homes
I’m Still Interested…now what? How to start the process page