Health First Colorado and Foster Care: What Medicaid Covers for Foster Children

One of the most common fears prospective foster parents have is the cost of medical care. Children coming into foster care often arrive with untreated health conditions — dental problems, vision issues, unmanaged chronic conditions, or behavioral health needs that have gone unaddressed for years. The thought of absorbing those costs on top of day-to-day caregiving can make fostering feel financially out of reach.

What many people don't realize is that children in Colorado foster care are eligible for and generally enrolled in Health First Colorado, the state's Medicaid program. The research supports medical, dental, and behavioral-health coverage; ask the caseworker or provider about vision and particular services. Covered care generally does not come out of the foster parent's pocket.

What Health First Colorado Covers

Health First Colorado provides coverage for medical, dental, and behavioral-health needs of children in Colorado's foster care system. Specific services, providers, and approvals vary:

Medical care. Ask the caseworker and provider how routine, specialist, hospital, and emergency care are covered for the child. Children entering foster care may need catch-up care after removal.

Dental care. Dental coverage is included, but the covered service, provider, and authorization rules should be confirmed for the child.

Vision care. Ask the caseworker or Health First Colorado provider about vision benefits, examinations, and corrective lenses for the child.

Behavioral and mental health care. Health First Colorado covers behavioral-health care, subject to the applicable provider and authorization rules. Ask the caseworker how to locate a provider for the child's needs.

Other behavioral-health services. Ask the caseworker or provider whether substance-use or other specialized treatment is covered for the child's circumstances.

How Enrollment Works

When a child is removed from their home and placed in foster care, the county department of human services handles the Health First Colorado enrollment process. Ask the caseworker when coverage and identification information will be available.

What you do need as a foster parent is the child's Health First Colorado identification and current provider information. Ask your caseworker for these details at or shortly after placement.

When you need to take a foster child to a medical appointment before you have received their coverage information, contact the caseworker and provider first to ask how the appointment should be handled. Document the appointment date and provider in your own records.

The Interplay with the Foster Care Board Rate

The daily board rate you receive as a foster parent — ranging from $42.86 to $66.44 per day for standard care, and significantly higher for therapeutic placements — is intended to cover the day-to-day costs of caring for a child: food, clothing, transportation, school supplies, activities, and so on. It does not need to cover medical expenses, because Health First Colorado handles those separately.

This is worth understanding clearly, because one of the most common misconceptions about fostering is that you will be personally responsible for a child's health costs. The structure is specifically designed to prevent that from being a barrier to fostering.

Extended Health First Colorado Coverage

Some young people may remain connected to foster-care services beyond 18 and continue to receive Health First Colorado coverage, depending on current program eligibility. Confirm the rules for former foster youth with the caseworker or Health First Colorado.

This is worth knowing if you are fostering a teenager who is approaching adulthood. Discuss what coverage may continue after leaving care and confirm current eligibility before relying on it.

Prescription Medications

Ask the caseworker and provider how prescription medications are covered for a foster child. This is especially relevant for children who arrive with existing prescriptions. Your caseworker should provide information about current medications at placement; if that information is incomplete, the prescribing physician's office or pharmacy may help fill in the gaps.

Colorado regulations require that medications be stored locked and out of reach of children in the home, regardless of whether those medications belong to the foster child or other household members.

When Health First Colorado Has Gaps

The coverage is broad but not unlimited. Some services may require prior authorization or provider-specific approval. Ask the caseworker, provider, or Health First Colorado about the applicable process; a CPA or county may also be able to help navigate it.

If coverage is denied, ask the caseworker or Health First Colorado about the applicable review or appeal process.

Knowing What Your License Covers

Understanding the full picture of financial support available to foster parents — including Health First Colorado coverage — is part of making an informed decision about fostering. The Colorado Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the board rate structure, Health First Colorado enrollment, the clothing allowance, and other supports in detail, so you can see clearly what the state provides and what you are expected to supply as a licensed foster family.

The short version: Health First Colorado covers major categories of care for children in foster care, but specific services and providers should be confirmed. Covered costs generally are not expected to be absorbed by foster families.

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