Colorado Certified vs Non-Certified Kinship Care: Payment Differences Explained

When a Colorado county places a child with a relative through child welfare, the family faces a decision that directly affects how much financial support they receive each month. The distinction between certified and non-certified kinship care is fundamentally about foster home licensing — and the payment gap between the two tracks has historically been enormous.

What Certified Kinship Care Means

A certified kinship foster home is one where the relative has completed the full foster care licensing process through the county department of human services. This includes background checks, home safety inspections, training hours, and meeting facility standards set by the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS).

The payoff is substantial. Certified kinship foster parents receive 100% of the state-established foster care maintenance rate — the same daily rate paid to any licensed foster home. These payments cover the child's food, clothing, shelter, and daily supervision costs. A certified kinship placement also establishes the eligibility track for Title IV-E federal funding and, eventually, the Relative Guardianship Assistance Program (RGAP) if the family moves toward permanent legal guardianship.

Children in certified kinship homes maintain categorical eligibility for Health First Colorado (Medicaid), regardless of household income. The certification also opens access to Protective Services CCCAP, which waives the standard work-activity and income requirements for child care subsidies.

What Non-Certified Kinship Care Looks Like

Non-certified kinship care is what happens when a relative takes in a child through a child welfare placement but hasn't completed the full foster home licensing process. For years, these families received little or no financial support from the state — they absorbed the costs of raising someone else's child with almost no help.

Senate Bill 24-008 changed that. Beginning in state fiscal year 2026–27, non-certified kinship caregivers caring for children in temporary child welfare custody are eligible for monthly financial assistance equal to 50% of the age-based state foster care rate; the rate was 30% before then. The state reimburses counties 90% of these expenditures, protecting local budgets from absorbing the full cost.

SB 24-008 also expanded emergency financial assistance for eligible households with a child or youth under 21 at imminent risk of out-of-home placement who is living with a relative or kin. County departments can provide grants for immediate needs — beds, clothing, safety equipment, transportation — and limited rental or housing assistance capped at 60 days.

The Payment Gap in Practice

The difference between 100% and 50% of the foster care rate is not trivial. For a family already stretching a fixed income to cover a child's food, school supplies, and medical co-pays, that 50% gap can represent hundreds of dollars each month.

Here's what each track provides:

• Certified: full foster care maintenance rate, Title IV-E eligibility, RGAP pathway, categorical Medicaid, Protective Services CCCAP
• Non-certified: 50% of the age-based foster care rate beginning in state FY 2026–27, emergency material assistance, limited rental or housing assistance capped at 60 days, separate Medicaid application required

Non-certified kinship payments are classified as exempt unearned income within the Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS). For SNAP, the payments may be excluded from household income if you elect to exclude the foster child from the SNAP household.

Why Families Choose Not to Certify

Becoming a licensed foster home isn't always straightforward. Some relatives live in housing that doesn't meet facility standards — square footage requirements, bedroom configurations, or safety features that were designed for traditional foster placements. Others face barriers with the training hours or background check requirements that apply to every adult in the household.

CDHS has worked to address this. Under SB 24-008, the department promulgated rules establishing streamlined certification standards specifically for kinship care. These modified standards remove non-safety facility barriers, making it easier for relatives to achieve full licensing and access the higher payment rate.

If you're currently receiving the non-certified rate, asking your county caseworker about the streamlined certification pathway is worth the conversation. The financial difference over months and years is significant.

The RGAP Connection

One critical long-term consideration: the Relative Guardianship Assistance Program (RGAP) requires that the child reside in a fully certified foster home for at least six consecutive months before the family can transition to permanent guardianship with ongoing financial support. Non-certified kinship care does not count toward this residency requirement.

If permanent guardianship is the family's goal, starting the certification process early preserves the option for RGAP funding down the line. The RGAP agreement must be fully signed before the court enters the guardianship order — missing this deadline permanently disqualifies the family from that funding stream.

The Judicial Advisement Requirement

Before transferring temporary custody of a child to a relative, Colorado juvenile courts must now enter formal findings on the record that the caregiver was fully advised of the legal and financial differences between certified kinship foster care, non-certified kinship care, allocation of parental responsibilities (APR), and long-term guardianship assistance. This requirement exists precisely because the financial consequences of each path are so different.

If you weren't given this advisement, or if the differences weren't clearly explained, raise it with your caseworker or contact your local Colorado Legal Services office. The number 1-800-521-6968 serves Northwest Colorado; the office finder lists regional contacts.

Getting Organized

Understanding which track you're on — and whether switching makes sense — is one of the most consequential decisions in a kinship placement. The Colorado Kinship Financial Help Guide walks through the eligibility requirements, payment rates, and certification pathway for both certified and non-certified kinship care, with the specific documentation you'll need at each step.

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