News from Mesa County Department of Human Services & Mesa County Workforce Center

CDHS and Casey Family Programs to Help Foster Youth Find Permanent Homes

 The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) has received $300,000 from its national partner Casey Family Programs to help foster youth find a loving, caring family.
CDHS has identified as many as 158 children and teenagers who are at risk of significant challenges if they do not find a permanent family. These challenges include homelessness, under-employment, failure to graduate from school, and criminal behavior.
The Casey Family Programs support will help Colorado caseworkers who are already searching for permanent homes for the youth before they turn 18 years old and age-out of the foster care system.
“Casey Family Programs believes that every child deserves to grow up in a safe, supportive and permanent family,” said Eric Fenner, managing director, Casey Family Programs. “We are pleased to support the State of Colorado in its efforts to find permanent families for youth.”
“This enhanced partnership with Casey Family Programs will help Colorado’s children find loving families,” said Julie Krow, director, CDHS Office of Children, Youth and Families. “We often find that family members, neighbors, even parents of a child’s friend are willing to adopt a child from the child welfare system, but need to overcome minimal financial barriers, like buying an extra bed or making an upgrade to a home, to meet a child’s needs. That is how this support will help us.”
Casey Family Programs is the nation's largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care and building Communities of Hope for children and families across America.
CDHS will disburse the resources to its county partners on a case-by-case basis. The support allows up to $10,000 per youth. Counties may begin applying for the program on March 1.