Colorado Works Application Step by Step: How to Apply for Your Grandchild

Applying for a Colorado Works child-only grant should be straightforward, but the PEAK portal wasn't designed with kinship caregivers in mind. The system asks about household income, employment, and assets in ways that can lead grandparents and relatives to accidentally disqualify a child who is clearly eligible. Here's how to navigate the process without tripping over the common pitfalls.

Before You Start: Gather Your Documents

You'll need these before you sit down at the computer or walk into the county office:

• Child's birth certificate (or U.S. passport, adoption decree, hospital birth record, or school transcript)
• Child's Social Security number (or proof you've applied for one — the SSA application receipt, Form SS-5, is accepted)
• Proof of your relationship to the child — birth certificates showing the generational connection, a court guardianship order, or alternative evidence like school enrollment forms listing you as the primary contact
• Proof of Colorado residency — lease, utility bill, Colorado driver's license, or a written statement from your landlord
• Proof the child lives with you — a court order granting custody, a JDF 751 power of attorney, school records, or pediatrician records listing your address
• Information about the child's income — Social Security survivor benefits, child support received, trust distributions. If the child has no income, a sworn affidavit of zero income works

You do not need to bring your own pay stubs, pension statements, or Social Security award letters. In a child-only case, the caretaker relative's income and assets are entirely excluded from the eligibility determination.

Step 1: Access Colorado PEAK

Go to the Colorado PEAK portal (peak.my.site.com). Create an account or sign in. The portal routes your application to the county department of human services where you reside.

If you run into technical problems — account lockouts, linking errors, or system failures — call the PEAK Technical Support line at 1-800-250-7741 (Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.).

Step 2: Select the Right Program

Choose to apply for cash assistance (Colorado Works / TANF). When the portal asks about your household, this is where you need to be careful.

You are applying as a non-needy caretaker relative. The child is the only person in the assistance unit. Your income, your spouse's income, and your household assets are not part of this application. If the system prompts you to enter your financial information, you may need to indicate that you are a caretaker relative applying on behalf of the child only.

Counties process this differently. Some PEAK workflows handle non-needy caretaker cases smoothly; others require you to call the county office and explain that you're filing a child-only application so a caseworker can code it correctly in the Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS).

Step 3: Report the Child's Income Accurately

The only income that matters is income received by or on behalf of the child:

• Counted: Social Security survivor benefits paid to the child, child support paid directly to the household, trust distributions
• Excluded: SSI payments the child receives (fully excluded — an SSI-recipient child is also removed from the financial assistance unit without penalizing siblings)
• Not relevant: your wages, retirement, pension, Social Security, rental income, savings

If the child has zero countable income, the Basic Cash Assistance grant for a single child is $173 per month. Two children: $362. Three: $543. The amounts increase on a scale set by 9 CCR 2503-6-3.606.

Step 4: Submit and Track

After submitting, write down (or screenshot) the confirmation number and the date. The county has a processing window to review your application. If they need additional documentation, they'll send a request — respond within the deadline stated in the letter.

If you don't hear back within a reasonable time, call your county's human services department directly. Have your confirmation number ready and ask specifically about the status of a "non-needy caretaker child-only Colorado Works case."

Step 5: Understand What Happens Next

Once approved, a few things to know:

• No work requirements: Child-only cases are exempt from all Work Participation Rate requirements. You won't be asked to complete job training or employment activities.
• No time limit: Child-only grants don't count against the federal or state 60-month lifetime benefit cap. The child remains eligible until they turn 18 (or 19 if enrolled full-time in high school or vocational training).
• Child support cooperation: You'll be asked to cooperate with county Child Support Services (CSS) to establish paternity and pursue support from absent parents. If cooperating would put the child or you at risk — domestic violence, abuse, safety threats — you can claim a Good Cause exemption with supporting documentation.
• Six-month recertification: Your case is certified for six-month periods. Before each period ends, you'll receive a Redetermination of Eligibility (RRR) packet. Submit it on time to avoid any interruption.

If Your Application Is Denied

If the county denies your application, they must send a written Notice of Action (NOA) explaining why. You have 90 calendar days from that notice to request an administrative fair hearing through the Office of Administrative Courts.

If you request a hearing within the 11-day advance-notice window for a reduction, suspension, or termination, benefits you were already receiving must continue at the prior level until the dispute is resolved. If the county's action is upheld, the household may have to repay benefits issued during the appeal period.

Colorado Legal Services may help with appeals if you qualify for free legal aid; its office finder lists regional contacts.

The Full Walkthrough

The Colorado Kinship Financial Help Guide covers the entire PEAK application process for child-only Colorado Works, including the specific CBMS coding to request, alternative documentation when a parent's information isn't available, and what to say if a county worker tries to count your income.

See more Colorado guides →