Thank you for your interest in Garfield County's children and our Foster Care and Adoption Programs.

There are currently around 40-50 children living in out-of-home care in Garfield County. 

There is no "typical" child who comes into care.  The children are boys and girls of all ages and from all ethnic backgrounds.

They enter the Foster Care System when their birth families are unable to protect them and keep them safe. Our primary goal is to have children return home.  However, some will not and will require permanent Adoptive Families.

Feel free to call and inquire about being a foster or adoptive parent: 970-625-5282 x 274 or 970-945-9191 x3005 We are located at: Garfield County Department of Human Services 195 West 14th Street Rifle, CO 81650

FOSTER CARE INFORMATION

Family Foster Homes provide temporary substitute care for children, ages 0 through 18, who have been removed from their families due to physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect or the parent is otherwise unavailable.

Foster parents offer day to day care and guidance until the child can be reunited with his or her birth family, move to a kinship family or permanent adoptive home or emancipate. Caseworkers work closely with foster parents to identify and meet the special needs of the child(ren).

The children are covered by Medicaid insurance and the foster parents are given a monthly stipend to help reimburse the cost of care.

FOSTER HOME ADOPTION

If it is determined that a child cannot return to their birth-family home, Garfield County Department of Human Services is responsible for finding a permanent home.  Permanency can be achieved by permanent custody with kin, or adoption.

In cases where the birth parents are unable to make changes and cannot protect and care for their child, parental rights may be relinquished or terminated.  The child then needs a permanent family (Adoption). 

Foster families who are interested in adopting are called Foster-Adopt Families. These families give their hearts to a child, not knowing if the child will be returning to their birth family or if they will become legally-free for adoption.

While some of our Foster-Adopt placements result in finalized adoptions, it is important to understand that we cannot guarantee that outcome. 

Again, Foster-Adopt parenting is about the child.  For a child's sake, we ask you to take the risk.

POST ADOPTION SERVICES

Mission
The mission of the Post-Adoption Services Program is to support adoptive families in their community. We strive to strengthen families by providing a safe place to receive support, resources and understanding.

History
The Garfield County Post-Adoption Services Program was created in 2005 to provide support to families who have adopted children. The program is run through the Resource Family Team at the Department of Human Services.

The program currently serves families who have adopted through the child welfare system and reside in Garfield County

The Garfield County Post-Adoption Services Program is a developing resource. 

Services that are currently offered include:

• Adoption Competent Staff available to meet with you 
• Continued contact and support from the Garfield County Family Resource Unit
• A bi-monthly adoptive parent education group facilitated by an adoptive and foster parent
• Financial Assistance
• Lending Library
• Information on Community Resources

For information on the adoptive parent group or the Garfield County Post-Adoption Services Program, please call 970-945-9191 x3005.

For more post adoption resources in the state of Colorado visit: www.adoptex.org
And click on “post adoption center”

Waiting Children

There are a number of children waiting to be adopted throughout the state of Colorado and across the Nation.

For more information visit the following websites:

www.AdoptUSKids.org
and
www.adoptex.org