The Collaborative Foster Care Program was created in August 2008 as a joint venture between Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties, with a goal to combine the best practice from both counties and improve placement outcomes for children in care. In July 2012, Douglas County joined the collaborative program. The program is designed to provide high quality temporary care to abused and neglected children and
youth in need of out-of-home placement until permanency can be achieved. The program serves children from Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson Counties in the state of Colorado. On average, there are more than 1,100 children combined in out-of-home care and approximately 40 children awaiting adoption at any given time in our three counties. There are only a small number of families available to care for these youth which results in many of them being placed in homes far outside their home town. Our goal is make sure youth who have been removed from their home due to safety concerns are placed in a safe, temporary foster home within their same neighborhood. Our social media goal is to share and connect with the community, to gain others’ interest in foster care and adoption, to educate the public about foster care and adoption and the needs of Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson County, and ultimately to recruit families to be more involved in the lives of our children and youth in foster care. In addition this will serve as a tool to help provide resources and support to our own certified foster families. Collaborative Foster Care Program values foster parents who bring diverse experiences, abilities, and backgrounds to the care of children and youth. Children and youth in foster care need foster parents that will honor, respect, and welcome all diverse backgrounds. Foster parents will work diligently to meet the child and/or youth’s unique needs. This includes but is not limited to supporting: Race, Religion, Ethnicity, Language, Documentation Status, Sexual orientation, Gender expression, All abilities, And Other Identities
