Becoming a
Foster Parent
Interested in becoming a foster parent? Foster parents play a crucial role in supporting children who - through no fault of their own – are in need of love, safety, and stability. Foster parents are needed throughout Colorado. Ready to get started? Click here to contact us to ask questions or begin the process of becoming a certified foster parent or parents!
“You don’t have to be a perfect parent. You just have to be willing to help, willing to learn, and willing to love. ”
Being a Foster Parent means….
Believing in kids! Foster parents have to believe in young people with enormous potential. Youth and children in foster care have unstable backgrounds and have experienced significant trauma. Sometimes they show concerning behaviors.
These behaviors reflect what they’ve been through, not who they are. Being a foster parent means providing the love, stability, and security that all young people need to a child whose only family is not able to provide a safe and stable environment.
It also means you’ll change a child’s life - and a whole family’s life. Fostering is a rewarding experience. As a foster mother or foster father, you will offer a child love, consistency, and care. Our foster families report getting back even more in return.
Did you know that we have a monthly virtual information night about becoming a foster parent?
Find out more about this opportunity on the first Thursday of every month! Check out the link below to join our next session, learning about how you can impact a child’s life through the power of providing a healing home.
Our next session is March 7th From 6:00-7:00pm
Qualifications to be a Foster Parent
Savio is proud to license families in all different forms and sizes, including people from every race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status.
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Foster parents can be renters. There is no requirement to own your own home.
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No. Single can become foster parents. Some of our best foster parents are not married
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Foster parents must be at least 21 years old
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Foster parents are provided with a monthly stipend. The stipend is intended to support the needs of a child. Foster parents need to be able to financially support themselves and provide a stable environment for a child.
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Yes. You must be able to pass child abuse and criminal background check, as required by state and federal laws. However, not all past arrests exclude you from becoming a foster parent. Please contact if us if you have questions about your situation.
You can read more about the background check process and what happens after you apply to become a foster parent on our blog. -
Not necessarily. This depends on the age and gender of the children (and the age and gender of your children). Generally, you need at least 40 sq ft of bedroom space for each child.
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Yes. All gun regulations and laws must be followed to ensure the safety of the child. These will be reviewed during the home study process.
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Yes, assuming they do not have or demonstrate aggressive tendencies. There are no breed restrictions. Our foster licensing team will discuss the guidelines for pets during the home study process.
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Yes! Foster families are paid a stipend for each child in their care. The amount depends on the child’s needs. You can learn more about how much foster gets paid on our blog.
Steps to Becoming a Foster Parent
Step 1: Inquiry and Information
This first step is a chance for you to get more information. We’ll meet with you, either in person at your home or at one of our information nights, answer your questions and provide you with the information you need to decide if fostering is right for you.
Step 2: Applications and Background checks
Savio ensures all children are provided with a safe home. The Colorado State Application and the Savio Application start this process. You will also undergo fingerprint and background checks.
The home study is the story of you and your family. It helps us identify strengths and needs, insure we know how to best provide support to you, and best match a child to your family
Step 4: Trainings
Our trainings will enhance your ability to care for children with a wide range of backgrounds and needs. Savio provides most of the pre-certification trainings free of cost.
Foster Family
Will I be a good foster mother or foster father? Is fostering right for my family?
A successful foster family can provide a temporary, safe, stable, and loving homes for children who need to heal from past experiences and trauma. Watch these videos to hear from foster parents about their experiences and what makes them successful.
You will change the life of a child who need healing while receiving a life-changing experience of their own.
You may be wondering how fostering will impact your children and family. Fortunately, adults who grew up with foster siblings almost always view it as a positive and formative experience.
Or you may be interested in how much foster parents are paid and other financial assistance. Fortunately, there are many state benefits available that pay for healthcare, assist in education expenses, and more.
Fostering teenagers:
Some prospective foster families hesitate at the thought of fostering a teenager. It is raising any teenager can be difficult and teens in the foster system have typically been through trauma and can present unique challenges. However, teenagers also bring their own unique rewards that cause some foster families to only want to foster teenagers. Savio also has a unique treatment foster care program for teenagers that provides additional support, which we highly recommend this program for anyone interested in fostering a teenager!
Fostering Infants:
Infants enter foster care at higher rates than other age groups and often spend longer in care. Savio works with infants when the county caseworkers establish reunification as the case goal. We are not an adoption agency and do not facilitate adoptions. Foster parents who are willing to support reunification play an incredibly important role. The rapidly developing brains of an infant means they can be impacted if the are not finding the care they need, and can result in developmental delays. Foster parents can play a critical role in ensuring infants are receiving the emotional, social, and cognitive support they need.
Want to speak to an existing foster family?
We would be happy to connect you to an existing foster family if you’d like to know more about what it’s like to be a foster parent.
Foster Care Licensing
How do you become a licensed foster parent?
Foster care licensing includes several steps. As a Colorado foster care agency, Savio will guide you through the process. Background checks, pre-certification trainings (provided by Savio free of cost), and a SAFE home study are the core components of the licensing process. Prospective foster parents often have questions about the home study process. This is designed to ensure children are placed in safe, supportive homes and to understand your strengths as a parent.
The first step of the home study licensing process is a questionnaire. It will ask about how you were raised, your family relationships, your mental and physical health and more. The second step is a reference check. The licensing specialist will ask for several references that can speak to your background and abilities as a parent.
The next stage is set of interviews with you, any other adults in the household, and your children. This helps us get a full picture of what your family dynamic is like and how that could benefit a child. Each of the interviews will last no more than an hour and a half and must be done seven days apart. They will be done in your own home to make you comfortable and allow you to show your most authentic self.
From here, an evaluator will know what questions they need to ask you when you meet in person. They will dive deeper into each of these questions to truly get an overall sense of how you might respond to different situations that could happen as a foster parent.
Next, the evaluator will generate a structured report of your life. This is a long report, roughly 30 pages, highlighting your strengths and what will make you a good foster parent. It also shows where you might struggle, this is not meant to be critical but instead to give to prepare you and your future caseworker where you may need to develop your skills. This report is meant to prepare Savio staff for the final step, determining if you are an appropriate fit for a specific child.
This process may seem long, but it is designed that way for a reason. It is important to recognize that when you make the decision to become a foster parent you are making a commitment to a child to be there for them, however they need, through their entire foster placement. A thorough home study helps to prepare you for what that will really mean and make sure that you are ready. By the time the process is complete, you will have all of your questions answered and are well on your way to helping a child by giving them the safe home they need while their family heals.
Questions? Ready to start the process? Get Started Today by contacting us below.
You are always welcome to contact Rebecca at rcarpenter@saviohouse.org
or 720-530-6071.
Foster Parent Application
To get started, download Savio’s application and the Colorado State application. Email them to fosterwithsavio@saviohouse.org