Adams, Denver, and El Paso County Kinship Care Benefits
Why Your County Matters
Colorado runs public assistance programs through 64 county human services departments. The core benefit rules — child-only Colorado Works grants, Health First Colorado, SNAP — are set at the state level. But each county handles its own intake, staffing, wait times, and discretionary supportive payments. What you experience applying for help in Adams County can look quite different from Denver or El Paso.
Adams County
Adams County Human Services has been one of the most active counties for kinship navigation. It participates in the Colorado Kinnected program, operates specialized navigation hubs, and integrates the MyFriendBen online eligibility screening tool that helps caregivers identify which programs they may qualify for before walking into the office.
Adams County also provides live chat support through its human services portal, which can be faster than phone hold times for straightforward questions about application status or required documents.
For kinship caregivers in Adams County, the standard programs apply: child-only Colorado Works ($173/month for one child), Health First Colorado, SNAP, and CCCAP. Contact Adams County Human Services at 720-523-2700 or visit their offices at 11860 Pecos Street, Westminster.
Denver (City and County)
Denver Human Services manages high case volumes through a centralized call center model. The dedicated individual caseworker system for Colorado Works was replaced with a phone queue, which means longer hold times and less continuity between calls. If you're applying in Denver, having your documents assembled and your questions written down before calling saves significant time.
One local detail: Denver Human Services paused certain Colorado Works supportive payments (emergency housing vouchers, gas cards, vehicle repair) effective July 1, 2026, due to budget realignments. Monthly Basic Cash Assistance payments — the child-only grant — continued uninterrupted. Check with Denver DHS about current supportive payment availability.
Denver Human Services: 720-944-4DHS (720-944-4347), offices at 1200 Federal Boulevard.
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El Paso County
El Paso County (Colorado Springs) is the state's most populous county and serves a large military and veteran community alongside its general population. The Department of Human Services processes kinship care applications through the same Colorado Works and Medicaid channels as other counties.
El Paso County's kinship cases benefit from proximity to Fort Carson and Peterson Space Force Base family support services, which can supplement state benefits for military-connected families. The county also partners with local legal aid organizations for guardianship assistance.
El Paso County DHS: 719-636-0000, offices at 1675 West Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs.
What's the Same Everywhere
Regardless of which county you're in, the core entitlements don't change:
- Child-only Colorado Works grant amounts are uniform statewide ($173 for one child, $362 for two)
- Health First Colorado and CHP+ eligibility rules are the same across all 64 counties
- SNAP income thresholds and BBCE rules apply statewide
- CCCAP income limits vary slightly by county, but the program structure is the same
The main differences are in wait times, staffing quality, local supportive payments, and availability of dedicated kinship navigators.
For a complete walkthrough of every benefit program and how to apply, see our Colorado Kinship Financial Help guide.
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