§ 19-7-305 — Available services and supports

Colorado § 19-7-305

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 19: Children's
• Art.: Youth in Foster Care

Text

(1) Each county department
shall offer, at a minimum, the following services and supports to participating youth
in the transition program:

(a) Assistance with enrolling in the appropriate category of medicaid for
which the participating youth is eligible;

(b) Assistance with securing safe, affordable, and stable housing in the
following ways:

(I) The participating youth's living expenses are fully or partially funded
through foster care maintenance payments, in addition to any other housing
assistance the youth is eligible to receive. Any expectations for the youth to
contribute to the youth's own expenses must be based upon the youth's ability to
pay.

(II) With the participating youth's consent, the participating youth's housing
may be in any placement approved by the county department or the court for which
the participating youth is otherwise eligible, including a host home, as defined in
section 26-5.7-110, or a supervised independent living placement that is the least
restrictive option to meet the participating youth's needs; or

(III) If the participating youth needs placement in a qualified residential
treatment program, then such placement must follow all relevant procedures
pursuant to section 19-1-115 concerning the placement of a child or youth in a
qualified residential treatment program.

(c) Case management services, including the development of a case plan
with a roadmap to success for the participating youth, as well as assistance in the
following areas, as appropriate, and with the agreement of the participating youth:

(I) Provision of resources to assist the participating youth in the transition to
adulthood;

(II) Obtaining employment or other financial support and enhancing financial
literacy;

(III) Obtaining a driver's license or other government-issued identification
card;

(IV) Obtaining appropriate community resources and public benefits,
including applying for federal benefits as defined in section 19-7-105, conserving or
managing federal benefits obtained pursuant to section 19-7-105, or obtaining
related financial literacy training;

(V) Upon request, and if services are available, referral to services satisfying
any juvenile or criminal justice system requirements and assisting with expunging
the participating youth's court records, as appropriate, pursuant to section 19-1-306;

(VI) Pursuing educational goals and applying for financial aid, if necessary;

(VII) Upon request, and if services are available, referral to services for
obtaining the necessary state court findings and applying for special immigrant
juvenile status pursuant to federal law, as applicable, or applying for other
immigration relief for which the participating youth may be qualified;

(VIII) Obtaining copies of health and education records;

(IX) Maintaining and building relationships with individuals who are
important to the participating youth, including searching for individuals with whom
the participating youth has lost contact; and

(X) Accessing information about maternal and paternal relatives, including
any siblings.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2021: Entire part added, (HB 21-1094), ch. 340, p. 2204, � 1, effective June 25. L. 2022: (1)(b) amended, (HB 22-1245), ch. 88, p. 419, � 7, effective August 10. L. 2024: (1)(b)(II) amended, (SB 24-191), ch. 221, p. 1384, � 2, effective August 7. L. 2025: (1)(c)(IV) amended, (HB 25-1271), ch. 262, p. 1344, � 2, effective May 28.