LGBTQ Families and Single Parents: Fostering in Colorado

Two of the most common reasons people talk themselves out of applying to foster in Colorado before they even pick up the phone are "I'm not sure if I'd qualify as a single person" and "I wonder if the system would be welcoming to us as an LGBTQ couple." Both concerns are understandable. Both reflect assumptions about the foster care system that Colorado's law and policy have explicitly rejected.

Here is the actual picture.

Colorado's Non-Discrimination Policy

Colorado's foster-care eligibility standards do not restrict applicants on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. Applicants may be single, married, in a domestic partnership, or part of a same-sex couple. Your family structure does not determine your eligibility.

This standard applies to county and CPA licensing pathways. If you are concerned about how an agency handles your application, ask the licensing supervisor or agency contact to explain its current process and document any specific concern.

In practice, LGBTQ families and single adults may be important sources of affirming homes. Ask the county or CPA about current recruitment priorities and the needs of children in its placement network.

What LGBTQ Applicants Should Know About the Process

The SAFE home study process is the same for LGBTQ applicants as for anyone else. You will be interviewed individually and jointly (if you have a partner), your household history and relationship stability will be assessed, and your home will be physically inspected. The goal is to determine your capacity to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment — not to evaluate the structure of your family.

That said, the home study includes questions about your parenting philosophy, your support network, and your childhood experiences. If you have concerns about how your assigned home study writer approaches LGBTQ applicants, you have the right to ask about their experience and training in this area. You can also ask the agency you are working with whether their staff have specific experience serving LGBTQ families — many CPAs in the Denver metro area do.

Some applicants prefer to work with an agency that has experience supporting LGBTQ families. In the Denver and Front Range area, ask organizations such as Hope & Home and Bethany Christian Services about their current staff training, foster-family support, and experience before committing to a licensing pathway.

Single Adults Fostering in Colorado

Colorado's minimum age to apply as a foster parent is 21. There is no requirement that you be partnered or married. Single adults — whether that means a single parent who already has biological children, a single adult without children, or someone who simply has not partnered up yet — are eligible to apply and to receive placements.

The home study process does explore your support system more carefully if you are single, simply because the question of who provides backup care when you are sick, need to travel for work, or face a family emergency is practically important. Having a network of trusted adults who could step in for respite or in an emergency strengthens your application. Colorado's foster care regulations permit licensed respite care for exactly this reason — you are not expected to be available without breaks.

Single foster parents in Colorado are eligible for all the same support structures as coupled households: the same board rates, the same Health First Colorado coverage for children in their care, access to the same respite programs, and the same rights under the Colorado Foster Parent Bill of Rights.

LGBTQ Youth in Colorado Foster Care

Understanding the population is relevant to why LGBTQ-affirming homes may be needed. LGBTQ youth may be disproportionately represented in foster care, as in national data. Some have experienced rejection by their biological families specifically because of their identity. Being placed in a home where their identity is treated with respect can support placement stability.

Colorado's foster-care training addresses cultural competence and individual differences. Foster parents should support a child's identity rather than work against it. For LGBTQ foster families, this means creating an environment where LGBTQ youth can be open and safe.

Finding an Agency That Fits

If you are an LGBTQ prospective foster parent or a single adult, the most practical advice is to contact two or three agencies before committing to a licensing pathway. Ask them directly about their experience with families like yours. Ask about their training on LGBTQ youth issues. Ask whether any of their current foster families are LGBTQ or single-parent households you could speak with.

The orientation meeting — which is no-commitment — is exactly the right venue for these questions. A good agency will answer them directly and without hesitation. An agency that hedges or deflects is giving you useful information about what your experience with them would look like.

The Colorado Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the eligibility requirements, the home study process, and how to navigate agency selection so you can find a licensing pathway that fits your household.

The Bottom Line

Colorado's eligibility standards allow LGBTQ families and single adults to apply. Ask your county or CPA about current placement needs and the support available for affirming homes.

See more Colorado guides →