Colorado won’t require parents to make payments while children in foster care

DENVER (KDVR) — Until recently, Colorado families with children in foster care were automatically required to make child support payments, which the Colorado Department of Human Services said has led to delayed reunification for some families.

A rule change implemented in the department in 2023 has now been turned into law after Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 24-202. Until this law was passed, parents with children in foster care were charged monthly by the state to contribute to the child’s care costs.

“Most families that come into contact with the child welfare system are already facing some form of financial hardship. By removing this charge, parents will have a less burdensome path to getting their children back with their families,” Child Support Services Director Larry Desbien said in a DHS release.

DHS says this measure was an additional weight on parents already struggling financially and could result in the parents seeing negative impacts on their credit reports, even a suspension of their driver’s licenses or seizure of their bank accounts.

DHS said the rule change in June 2023 led to approximately 2,350 cases being closed and $8.7 million in past-due support previously owed to the State and/or counties having been forgiven.

DHS also said that research shows that badgering families for foster care costs can lead to an increase in the time children spend out of the home. The research also shows that states are spending more money pursuing parents for childcare cost reimbursements than the original amount owed to the departments.

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