Foster Care

El Paso County Department of Human Services (DHS) is looking for families interested in making a tremendous impact. El Paso County has the highest number of youth in need of supportive and stable homes from which to launch into adulthood.

El Paso County DHS licenses a select number of specialized foster homes to meet the needs of older youth who require an extra layer of support and services. Foster parents who work directly with El Paso County receive a high level of support from a designated support worker as well as the youth’s caseworker.

El Paso County DHS is uniquely positioned to use creative solution-finding and front-loaded supports in order to enhance the placement experience for the provider and the youth, whether the youth returns home, to a relative, or achieves permanency with a family who responded to the need in our community.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact Children, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) Supervisor for the County Foster Home Program Jannice Zummo at DHSFosterCareProgram@elpasoco.com or (719) 433-5869.

The Chafee program provides assistance to help youth currently and formerly in foster care successfully transition to adulthood.

Child Placement Agencies

El Paso County Department of Human Services contracts with Child Placement Agencies that provide placement for foster care, group home care, treatment or adoption for county children. The Child Placement Agencies, or CPAs, handle training, support and recruiting.

Make a Difference

Foster and adoptive families truly change the lives of children in our community. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent in El Paso County, please contact the County or one of the agencies listed below.

Child Placement Agencies

Bethany logoBethany Christian Services is a non-profit agency providing services in Colorado for over 25 years. Bethany Colorado is part of a global organization which has a heart for children and has been equipping families for over 70 years to be the answer for children in need. Bethany’s staff members are committed to serving families every step of the way by providing initial and ongoing training, guiding families through the licensing process, and personally walking alongside foster families as they care for children. Each foster family has a Home Supervisor from Bethany who works diligently to find a great placement fit for the family and for the child or children. The Home Supervisor nurtures an ongoing and supportive relationship with the foster family, with regular face-to-face visits, encouragement, advocacy and resources. Bethany invests in foster families and values their contributions. Serving children from newborn to 18-years-old, Bethany foster families are licensed for both foster care and adoption.

Bethany Christian Services

Address: 4820 Rusina Road, Suite B, Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Phone: (719) 591-7595

E-mail: tlind@bethany.org

Fax: (719) 598-3204

Courage Community Foster Care logo

Definition of Courage: Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty- c.1300, from the French word, Coeur, meaning “heart”, which remains a common metaphor for inner strength.

After working in foster care for a decade, Kerri Hankin started Courage Community Foster Care. “I am passionate about working with foster families to help alleviate the suffering of children in our county. I believe that is best achieved by keeping services very small in scope, and by offering the most comprehensive education on brain development and trauma-informed care. Our results speak for themselves; we serve over forty children per year and have, on average, a 14 percent disruption rate.”

In commitment to these principles, Kerri Hankin certifies only a handful of families who are open to developing their understanding of the children and families, so that together, it provides an optimal environment for healing. Kerri Hankin only works with a few families at a time, with people who share the Courage world view. She is happy to talk about foster care, and welcomes questions! If you are ready to become part of a foster care revolution, please contact: Kerri Hankin, MSW, at the phone number and email below.

Courage Community Foster Care

Address: P.O. Box 262, Cascade, CO 80809

E-mail: kerrih@fostercourage.com

Phone: (719) 321-4319

Fax: (719) 466-2046

Dungarvin logoDungarvin was established in 1975 and provides services nationally. Dungarvin Colorado specializes in therapeutic foster homes, providing foster care to children ages 0 to 21. The CPA assists potential providers through the licensing process. Dungarvin focuses on making a good match for the provider and the child or children. Dungarvin staff have expertise in serving people with diverse needs, and provides extensive training for foster care providers including medication administration and crisis intervention. The CPA offers individualized training opportunities, 24/7 crisis intervention and monthly support groups. For additional information on how to become part of the Dungarvin family, please contact MaryAnne Cooper at mcooper@dungarvin.com or (719) 632-5205, ext. 4247.

Dungarvin Colorado

Address: 805 N Murray Blvd. #201, Colorado Springs, CO 80915

Phone: (719) 632-5205, ext. 4247

E-mail: mcooper@dungarvin.com

Family Resource Network logoFamily Resource Network is a nonprofit Child Placement Agency that was established in 1985 by child advocates, and moved to Colorado Springs in 1997. The CPA helps to create nurturing and safe homes for children throughout the community. The agency strives to ensure the best possible support for the children, foster parents, and biological parents served. The agency looks for potential foster and foster/adopt homes that have the patience, love, and a family-focused approach to help the children in care. The goal is family reunification—but, when that is not an option, we look for a home that best suits the needs of the children and the families served. For more information on how you can help children in our community, please call (719) 227-7477, Ext. 13.

Family Resource Network

Address: 5360 N. Academy Ste. # 130, Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Phone: (719) 227-7477

E-mail: shawntel@familyresourcenetworkco.com

Fax: (719) 227-7474

Griffith Centers for Children logoA foster and adoptive family with the Griffith Centers for Children Chins Up can expect initial and on-going training, access to a number of audio and visual continual education units, support meetings, agency hosted holiday events and celebrations, professional support, 24/7 crisis intervention, financial reimbursement, respite care, and wrap-around service options. At the Griffith Centers for Children Chins Up, the continuity of care is important. The CPA’s goal is to place foster and adoptive children with the home that best meets their needs and personalities. The CPA is looking for caring and dedicated people who love spending time enriching the lives of children, giving back to their community, and are ready to be the change they wish to see in the world. If you are ready to begin your foster and/or adoptive journey.

Griffith Centers for Children Chins Up

Address: 17 N. Farragut Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Susy Tucker (Director of Foster Care)

Phone: 719-220-4066

Email: susy.tucker@griffithcenters.org

Marsha Hilty (Placement Supervisor)

Phone: 719-494-4890

Email: marsha.hilty@griffithcenters.org

Hope & Home is one of the largest, most dynamic CPAs in the state of Colorado — with hundreds of children happily adopted. Each year, the agency provides short- and long-term, in-family care to hundreds of children in crisis. At any given time, well over 100 families across the Front Range are either providing care for foster children or are in training to become licensed.

First-hand experience from a Hope & Home Parent: My husband, Rod, and I joined Hope & Home 10 years ago because we wanted to help kids in crisis and provide a permanent home to those who needed one. Six months later, we adopted our preschool foster kids Nathan and Amber. Then we fell in love with a teenager and adopted Tasha when she was 17. Finally, newborn Gracie blessed our lives. Our family was complete, and I am now a full-time soccer mom, chauffeur, cook, bedtime story-reader, homework teacher and boo-boo fixer. Over the five years that we were certified, we also took care of more than a dozen other children. Each one left footprints on our hearts! Saying goodbye was hard, but we got through it with the love and support of “Team Hope & Home.” We are no longer licensed, but we are still an active part of Hope & Home. They promise, and deliver, long-term support for all their families and kids. We love this. We are part of a community of loving, caring parents. My kids love the Summer O’ Fun picnics, campouts, and activities during support groups. When we visit, they check out the Zoondoogle Factory and Woodsum Daniel Store and inevitably end up outside at Ta’s Place, their fun, private park. During visits, I enjoy a cup of coffee at the Jericho Java coffee shop, then head upstairs to the red couch room for foster parents, where there’s a big screen TV and views of the city. Whew! Peace and quiet at last. I drink my latte and enjoy a book as the kids play outside at the park. If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll work off some energy in the spacious exercise room. There is always something going on at Hope & Home. As foster parents, we are linked together through support groups, activities, newsletters and Facebook. That’s where I recently learned that Hope & Home won El Pomar Foundation’s Outstanding Service Award for the fifth year in a row! That tells you something about the quality of their program. Simply stated, if you’re looking for an agency that loves kids, supports parents and does everything with the highest standards of care, call them and say Toni sent you!

Hope & Home

Address: 4945 N. 30th St., Colorado Springs, CO 80919

Phone: (719) 575-9887

E-mail: info@hopeandhome.org

Fax: (719) 575-0553

Kairos Family Services logo

Greek noun pronounced ki-ross – “An opportune moment for decision or action”

As one of the newest child placement agencies to be licensed in the state of Colorado, Kairos is pleased to provide training and certification to both treatment and traditional foster families. In addition to child placement services, Kairos is authorized to provide mental health services and offense-specific treatment when needed.

Kairos Family Services was born out of the personal experience of Executive Director Marilyn Puryear, LCSW, after years of working in and with the child welfare system – as a foster parent, adoptive parent, educator, CASA, social worker and mental health clinician. Marilyn and her husband Bill have adopted four of their six children from the foster care system – providing a unique perspective to working with foster families.

Recognizing the challenges of the system that serves families and children, and acknowledging the hope and resilience of those same children and families, Kairos desires to “bridge the gap” by providing services that view all clients through the lens of trauma – requiring attention to the distinct needs of children and youth to feel safe, to connect, and cope adequately (with inner stress and external challenges).

Kairos works alongside caseworkers, providers, and the children, youth, and families that we serve to become an inclusive and trauma-focused agency, providing a continuum of services that range from parenting and transition/mentoring services, to clearly defined placement and post-placement services.

Kairos, along with partnering agencies and organizations, leans heavily on the teachings and strategies of hope proposed by Dr. Karyn Purvis; Bryan Post, LCSW; Dr. Bruce Perry; Dr. Daniel Siegal; and Heather Forbes, LCSW.

Kairos Family Services

Address: PO Box 62723, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Email: mpuryear@kairosfamilyservices.com

Phone: (719) 238-7908

Fax: (719) 960-3210

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Kids Crossing logoKids Crossing was founded by foster parents for foster parents! Kids Crossing, founded in 1992, is a private non-profit Child Placement Agency that licenses and supervises foster and foster/adopt families for children. At Kids Crossing, foster parents are appreciated for their diversity. Some of our foster parents provide short-term respite care, others have served hundreds of foster children, and other families want to grow through adoption. Some of our foster parents may be single parents, active military, working professionals, urban families or ranchers on the eastern plains. Some foster parents take teens, others only infants, and some prefer working with medically fragile children. Most importantly, all of the CPA’s foster parents are valued as integral members of a multi-disciplinary team. To find out more, please contact Sarah Bailey at (719) 667-7046 or email her at sbailey@kidscrossing.com.

Kids Crossing

Address: 1440 East Fountain Blvd.,Colorado Springs, CO 80910

Phone: (719) 667-7046

E-mail: tgonzales@kidscrossing.com or sbailey@kidscrossing.com (licensing/recruitment)

Fax: (719) 632-6573

Kids Crossing FamilyKids Crossing Family Baby

Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains is a faith-based human services agency providing domestic and refugee foster care and adoption services since 1948. LFS believes there is no such thing as “other people’s kids.” Through its Foster Care Program, the CPA works diligently with families to support them through the foster process and beyond. LFS provides skilled, caring substitute families for children unable to live with their birth families. The agency recruits, licenses, and oversees foster parents willing to provide a nurturing environment in their homes for children, teens or sibling groups.

Interested in learning more?

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a foster parent or how you can personally help kids and young adults in the child welfare system? At Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, we believe that YOU CAN be a foster parent. Learn more about our foster care program and how you can be the difference in the life of a child or youth.

Our Foster Care Providers gain knowledge and understanding by completing the National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (NTDC), a state-of-the-art training program designed to provide prospective foster and adoptive parents with the competencies, skills, and support they need to effectively parent children and youth who have experienced separation, loss, and grief. Great training can be paramount in successful fostering.

Schedule an Information Meeting with our Licensing Team who will guide and support you every step of the way. Our Licensing Specialists will explain the process to become a Foster Parent and answer all of your questions.

Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains

Licensing Team email: fcsouthlicensing@LFSRM.org

Licensing Specialists: Beth Schlauch – Beth.Schlauch@LFSRM.org and Beth Santiago – Beth.Santiago@LFSRM.org

Main office number: (719)227-7571

LFSRM Address: 108 East Saint Vrain Street, Suite 14, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Lutheran Rocky Mountain faces

Maple Star logo

Maple Star provides an opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child within a loving family. A non-profit child placement agency, Maple Star has a presence throughout the front range including Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Castle Rock, Denver, Loveland and surrounding areas. Part of a nationwide organization called Pathways, Maple Star has been serving in foster care since 1994.

What can foster parents expect from Maple Star during their foster experience? First and foremost, Maple Star focuses on providing a trauma-sensitive, healing environment for the children in their care. Additionally, Maple Star offers professional training before and during fostering; an opportunity to meet and share with other foster parents through a support network; guidance and help from a qualified home supervisor; and, a 24-hour crisis line staffed by the Maple Star foster care team.

Maple Star is open to families of all religions, ethnicities, and sexual orientations/identities. Confidential information is shared to foster parents about the children/youth before being accepted into the foster home. A fair rate of financial reimbursement is provided. Foster/adoptive placements are available and foster parents can expect to be treated with the same respect due any Maple Star staff person and appreciated as an integral part of the treatment team. In addition, volunteer opportunities include mentoring, community support, and event planning. For more information, please contact John Rosati, a former foster parent and adoptive father of four children from the foster care system. John can be reached at (719) 286-0014 or john.rosati@pathways.com.

Maple Star

Address: 1465 N. Union Blvd. #102, Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Contacts:

General Email Address: Maplestar_Foster_Recruitment@pathways.com or (719) 694-8037

Foster Care Director: Lisa Siminitus, lisa.siminitus@pathways.com or (719) 231-7401

Fax: 719.445.0841

Maple Star Family

A New World CPA is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization established to promote and support children in need of foster care placement. A New World accepts children ages 0-18. The CPA strives to encourage a positive outlook on life and deeper appreciation for oneself, through pairing children with foster homes that will promote their growth and development while in out-of-home care. The opportunity to provide children with a nurturing and stable environment during one of the most challenging times in their life is not to be taken lightly. At A New World foster or foster/adopt parents receive training, knowledge and support including a comprehensive pre-placement orientation and training program, a case manager to support and guide you through the process, 24-hour on-call support, monthly support meetings, and ongoing training opportunities. If you are interested in becoming a foster or foster/adopt parent, please contact Lindsey Armstrong at 720-667-6378 or at the email below.

A NEW WORLD CHILD PLACEMENT AGENCY

Address: 10800 E Bethany Dr, suite 225, Aurora, CO 80014

Referral Phone: (719) 985-1642

Referral Email: referrals@anewworldcpa.org

General Inquiries: lindsey@anewworldcpa.org

General Phone: (720) 667-6378

The mission of Rocky Mountain Kids, Inc., is to help boys and girls, ages 10-18 and who have been removed from their home due to abuse or neglect. Our vision is to provide a safe, therapeutic environment to work on healing the effects of abuse and neglect, and to help these kids turn their lives around. Rocky Mountain Kids, Inc. consists of four licensed group homes: Drew’s Place Jeremiah 29, Brad’s House, Nevada House and Future Bound. With over 20 years of service to teens in Colorado Springs, The teens in our programs are supported by a caring staff in a safe environment where they can heal from the abuse and neglect in their past. Additionally, these individuals are provided with the knowledge and life skills training necessary to succeed in life, whether their goal is to return home, or to emancipate and live independently. Typically, the length of stay for a teen in our Program varies from 6 months to 2 years. For more information, please call Felice Liquori at the number below.

Rocky Mountain Kids

Address: 2210 East LaSalle St, #219, Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Phone: (719) 330-7244

E-mail: rockymountainkids@live.com

Fax: (719) 635-3601

Special Kids Special Families logoSpecial Kids Special Families (SKSF) has been providing services to the Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak community since 1998. The SKSF Child Placement Agency is one of the leading foster care agencies in the region with unique skills and experience supporting the care and placement of foster children with special needs, including mental, emotional, behavioral and physical disabilities. While SKSF Child Placement Agency places children of all ethnicities, ages and situations, especially siblings, it is uniquely positioned as the “go-to” agency supporting foster children with disabilities due to its integration and access to the full range of SKSF programs and services (Zach’s Place respite/childcare program, Adult Day Programs, Residential Services/Foster Care for adults).

Foster families under the supervision of SKSF experience an exceptional amount of collaboration and involvement from staff members to ensure the highest level of care possible, 24 hours a day. SKSF will provide a full spectrum of support from initial introduction through specialized training, certification to placement and continual regular involvement with the foster family and child to ensure successful placements and positive outcomes. The CPA assigns a Home Supervisor to help navigate the journey of foster parenting with consistent encouragement along the way. The agency also provides short-term respite and foster-to-adopt services. Please call, email or visit its website with any questions or for additional information.

Special Kids Special Families

Address: 424 W Pikes Peak Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80905

Phone: (719) 447-8983

E-mail: sksf@sksfcolorado.org

Fax: (719) 447-9482

Treatment Child Placement Agencies

Kairos Family Services logo

Greek noun pronounced ki-ross – “An opportune moment for decision or action”

As one of the newest child placement agencies to be licensed in the state of Colorado, Kairos is pleased to provide training and certification to both treatment and traditional foster families. In addition to child placement services, Kairos is authorized to provide mental health services and offense-specific treatment when needed.

Kairos Family Services was born out of the personal experience of Executive Director Marilyn Puryear, LCSW, after years of working in and with the child welfare system – as a foster parent, adoptive parent, educator, CASA, social worker and mental health clinician. Marilyn and her husband Bill have adopted four of their six children from the foster care system – providing a unique perspective to working with foster families.

Recognizing the challenges of the system that serves families and children, and acknowledging the hope and resilience of those same children and families, Kairos desires to “bridge the gap” by providing services that view all clients through the lens of trauma – requiring attention to the distinct needs of children and youth to feel safe, to connect, and cope adequately (with inner stress and external challenges).

Kairos works alongside caseworkers, providers, and the children, youth, and families that we serve to become an inclusive and trauma-focused agency, providing a continuum of services that range from parenting and transition/mentoring services, to clearly defined placement and post-placement services.

Kairos, along with partnering agencies and organizations, leans heavily on the teachings and strategies of hope proposed by Dr. Karyn Purvis; Bryan Post, LCSW; Dr. Bruce Perry; Dr. Daniel Siegal; and Heather Forbes, LCSW.

Kairos Family Services

Address: PO Box 62723, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Email: mpuryear@kairosfamilyservices.com

Phone: (719) 238-7908

Fax: (719) 960-3210

SAFY of Colorado logo

SAFY is a national nonprofit in seven different states, that has been specializing in providing child placement and community-based behavioral health services for 35 years. SAFY works with children and families to reach their full potential increasing the well-being of our communities. Established in 2014, SAFY of Colorado offers hope and healing through their Model of Care. SAFY serves a culturally diverse population delivering the right care at the right time to strengthen families and children. Recognized as a leader in the management and provision of the highest quality community-based services, our clinical expertise produces positive, sustainable change in the lives of families and their children.

SAFY of Colorado

Address: SAFY of El Paso County, PO Box 783, Colorado Springs, CO 80901

Phone: (970) 494-5891

Fax: (970) 494-5895

Kinship Support Group

The Department of Human Services hosts a series of informational sessions to discuss everything related to Kinship care. This is a safe place to discuss your challenges, gather resources, and receive support. The kinship support group is also an opportunity to make connections with other caregivers, acquire new skills, and strengthen your community supports.

Topics of discussion may include:

  • Navigating the Legal System
  • TANF & CCAP
  • Adoption/Certification/R-Gap
  • Local Community Resources

Kinship Support Group Flyer and Calendar

Please see the Kinship Support Group Flyer and Calendar for days, time, and location. Childcare will be provided. Please reach out to your DHS kinship support worker for any additional questions or e-mail DHSKinshipsupport@elpasoco.com.

Additional Resources

Foster families and community organizations and others support foster families in many different ways. El Paso County wants to ensure all foster homes have the supports they need to help children thrive. The El Paso County Foster Parent Resource Guide has been developed to empower foster parents with a better understanding of our community supports.

Health First Colorado (Medicaid) is an important benefit for the foster children. Like health insurance, it can be used to ensure medical and mental health needs are addressed. A searchable list of providers is online at https://www.healthfirstcolorado.com/.

An El Paso County committee continues to meet to gain new insights into programming which will enhance foster parent success in helping children on their healing journeys.