Colorado Kinship Support Groups, Legal Aid, and Free Caregiver Resources

Raising a relative's child can feel isolating, especially when you're learning an entirely new system of agencies, benefits, and legal requirements at the same time. Colorado has a scattered but genuine network of free resources for kinship caregivers — the challenge is knowing they exist and how to reach them.

Colorado Kinnected Kinship Navigator Program

The Colorado Kinnected program is the closest thing the state has to a dedicated kinship support system. Funded through CDHS and operating in participating counties (Adams County was among the first), Kinnected navigators help families with:

• Finding and applying for public benefits
• Connecting to county-specific services
• Understanding the differences between informal care, guardianship, and foster certification
• Accessing emergency resources during the initial placement period

Kinnected navigators are not caseworkers — they can't make eligibility decisions or access your case files. What they can do is guide you to the right desk, the right form, and the right person. If your county participates, ask your department of human services about the Kinnected program by name.

Colorado Legal Services (CLS)

CLS provides free civil legal representation to low-income Coloradans. For kinship families, they handle:

• Guardianship petitions for minor children
• Public benefit appeals when applications are denied
• Custody representation in family court
• Protective orders in some circumstances

To apply for services:

• Denver office: 303-837-1313
• Northwest Colorado Legal Services Project: 1-800-521-6968
• Other regions: Find the local office and phone number at Colorado Legal Services
• Online intake: applyonlinecls.org

CLS has income limits, and its ability to take a case depends on eligibility and available capacity. Its public-benefits help includes issues such as benefits that were denied, reduced, or terminated. For routine questions about guardianship forms or benefit applications, you may be directed to their self-help resources or to the Colorado Judicial Branch Self-Help Centers.

The Judicial Branch Self-Help Centers (courts.state.co.us) provide free access to all JDF forms — guardianship petitions (JDF 824), Letters of Guardianship (JDF 830), power of attorney for a minor (JDF 751). Court clerks can help you find the right form but cannot give legal advice about how guardianship affects your benefits.

Mile High United Way 2-1-1

Dial 2-1-1 from any phone in Colorado (or call 1-866-760-6489). The 2-1-1 network is a statewide referral database covering:

• Local housing assistance and emergency shelter
• Food banks and pantries
• Utility payment help
• Senior services and respite care
• Transportation assistance

For rural caregivers who live far from county offices and lack local kinship navigators, 2-1-1 is often the most practical starting point. The online directory at 211colorado.org lets you search by ZIP code.

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)

If you're 55 or older and raising a grandchild or relative's child under 18, your regional Area Agency on Aging administers the Title III-E National Family Caregiver Support Program. This includes:

• Respite care: temporary childcare or camp placements
• Support groups: specifically for grandparent and kinship caregivers
• Material assistance: vouchers for school supplies, clothing, and utilities
• Legal referrals: connections to attorneys and legal aid programs

Title III-E services don't affect your eligibility for any public benefit. Contact your regional AAA through 2-1-1 or through the Colorado State Unit on Aging.

Hunger Free Colorado

For food-specific help, the Hunger Free Colorado Hotline (1-855-855-4626) provides bilingual navigation for:

• SNAP application assistance
• WIC enrollment help
• Emergency food bank locations
• Connection to school meal programs

The hotline staff can walk you through the SNAP application process over the phone — useful if the PEAK portal isn't cooperating or if you need help understanding household composition rules for a kinship family.

PEAK Technical Support

Not a support group, but a practical lifeline. When the PEAK portal locks you out, rejects your login, or won't let you link your account to a pending case, call the PEAK Technical Support line at 1-800-250-7741 (Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m.). They can resolve system-level issues that county workers often can't.

Online and Peer Support

AARP's GrandFacts program publishes state-specific fact sheets for kinship caregivers. Grandfamilies.org and Generations United offer policy updates and national resource directories. These are helpful for understanding your rights at a high level, though they don't replace Colorado-specific guidance on county processes and benefit calculations.

Local peer support groups — often organized through churches, community centers, or AAAs — give caregivers a space to share experiences with people in similar situations. Ask your county navigator or AAA about groups meeting in your area.

Connecting the Dots

Each of these resources serves a different piece of the puzzle. The Colorado Kinship Financial Help Guide brings them together in one place — organizing the agencies, phone numbers, programs, and documentation requirements so you can work through them in a logical order instead of making dozens of separate calls.

See more Colorado guides →