HB26-1374 • 2026

Kinship Care Funding Provisions

Budget Children

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rep. E. Sirota, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. J. Bridges, Rep. K. Brown, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer
Last action: 2026-04-14
Official status: Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the impact of discontinuing financial support for non-certified kinship care homes.

Kinship Care Funding Provisions

The bill removes financial assistance and supports for non-certified kinship care homes from county departments of human or social services, except as required by federal law.

What This Bill Does

Eliminates financial support and reimbursement for non-certified kinship care homes from county departments of human or social services.
Requires the state department of human services to create a standardized notice about discontinuing non-certified kinship care assistance by June 15, 2026.
Changes annual reporting requirements to focus on certified kinship care homes instead of non-certified ones.
Specifies that counties are not required to provide financial support for non-certified kinship care homes unless federal or state law requires it.

Who It Names or Affects

County departments of human or social services
Non-certified kinship care providers and families

Terms To Know

Kinship Care: Care provided by relatives or close family friends when children cannot live with their parents.
Certified Kinship Foster Care Home: A kinship care home that meets certain state standards and receives full financial support from the government.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens to children in non-certified kinship care homes after funding ends.
It is unclear how many families will be affected by this change or if they can become certified kinship foster care providers.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.005

HOU Appropriations

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill to remove requirements for certification in kinship care homes and adds reporting requirements about the impacts of financial assistance on non-certified kinship care.

Removes the requirement that kinship care homes must be certified.
Adds a new section requiring the state department to report annually from August 1, 2025, until August 1, 2030, about the impacts of non-certified kinship care on placements and county departments.

The amendment text does not provide details on how financial assistance will be provided to non-certified kinship care homes.

L.001

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill to require certified kinship care homes to receive financial assistance and supports from county departments of human or social services, while also creating a notice for non-certified kinship care providers about discontinuing their current support.

Adds requirements that only certified kinship care homes can get financial help from county departments.
Inserts new language to create a standardized notice for non-certified kinship care providers explaining the end of assistance and options to become certified.

The amendment text does not specify what happens to non-certified kinship care homes after June 15, 2026.
It is unclear how becoming a certified kinship care provider will affect the financial support these providers receive.

L.002

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: The amendment adds new requirements for county departments to provide detailed information and provisional certification options to relatives of children who have been removed from their homes.

Adds a requirement for county departments to inform all grandparents, adult relatives, and identified kin about placement possibilities within thirty days after the removal of a child or youth.
Includes specific details in notices sent to relatives, such as information on care options, legal rights, available services, background checks, and how to request provisional certification.

The amendment text does not specify all the exact details about how provisional certification will be implemented or what constitutes a 'good cause' for delaying contact with relatives.

L.004

Third Reading

Passed

Plain English: The amendment changes the effective date for certain sections of the bill to July 1, 2026.

Changes the effective date for section 26-6-904.5 (2) and (3), Colorado Revised Statutes, as amended in section 1 of this act, and section 2 of this act to July 1, 2026.

The amendment text does not provide details about the specific sections being modified or their content.
It is unclear what other parts of the bill are affected by this change in effective date.

Bill History

2026-04-14 Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-04-13 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
2026-04-11 House
House Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
2026-04-10 House
House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-09 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Floor
2026-04-08 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-06 House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-04-02 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Joint Budget Committee.
The bill eliminates financial assistance and supports to county departments of human or social services (county departments) for non-certified kinship care homes. The bill also eliminates reimbursement to county departments for non-certified kinship care homes
, except as required by the federal 'Social Security Act' and by Colorado's out-of-home placement required services and temporary custody provisions.

and

The bill
removes the exemption for the kinship foster care and the non-certified kinship care rates from the state fiscal year close-out process.
The bill makes reimbursement to county departments for certified kinship foster care subject to available appropriations and specifies that counties are not required to provide financial assistance and supports for non-certified kinship care homes.

Existing law requires the state department of human services to annually report to the joint budget committee on the implementation of non-certified kinship care homes. The bill changes the report's focus to certified kinship care homes. The bill removes consideration of maintaining financial support for a non-certified kinship care home from the reasons that may not be used to delay youth placement permanency planning.

The bill requires the state department of human services to create a standardized notice for non-certified kinship care providers regarding the discontinuation of non-certified kinship care financial assistance. The bill requires county departments to provide the notice by June 15, 2026, to non-certified kinship foster care homes currently receiving monthly payments.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0856.01 Lindy Schaible x4215 HOUSE BILL 26-1374
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING KINSHIP CARE FUNDING PROVISIONS.101
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov/.)
Joint Budget Committee. The bill eliminates financial assistance
and supports to county departments of human or social services (county
departments) for non-certified kinship care homes. The bill also
eliminates reimbursement to county departments for non-certified kinship
care homes and removes the exemption for the kinship foster care and the
non-certified kinship care rates from the state fiscal year close-out
process.
The bill makes reimbursement to county departments for kinship
HOUSE
Amended 3rd Reading
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Sirota and Taggart, Brown
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Bridges, Kirkmeyer
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
foster care subject to available appropriations and specifies that counties
are not required to provide financial assistance and supports for
non-certified kinship care homes.
Existing law requires the state department of human services to
annually report to the joint budget committee on the implementation of
non-certified kinship care homes. The bill changes the report's focus to
certified kinship care homes. The bill removes consideration of
maintaining financial support for a non-certified kinship care home from
the reasons that may not be used to delay youth placement permanency
planning.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-6-904.5, amend2
(2) and (3); and add (8) as follows:3
26-6-904.5. Kinship foster care homes - certification and4
revocation of certification - financial assistance and supports -5
training - interagency resource data - report - rules - repeal.6
(2) CERTIFIED kinship foster care homes are eligible for financial7
reimbursement and supports at the same rate as foster care homes, as8
established in rules promulgated ADOPTED by the state board of human9
services. Non-certified kinship care homes are eligible for financial10
assistance and supports at thirty percent of the foster care rate, based on11
the age of the child or youth receiving care. Beginning in state fiscal year12
2026-27, non-certified kinship care homes are eligible for financial13
assistance and support at fifty percent of the foster care rate, based on the14
age of the child or youth receiving care. Funding to cover financial15
assistance and supports comes from the revenue stream identified in16
subsection (3) of this section.17
(3) (a) The state department shall, SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE18
APPROPRIATIONS, reimburse the county departments ninety percent of the19
amounts expended by county departments for CERTIFIED kinship foster20
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care and non-certified kinship care daily rates to support financial1
assistance. The kinship foster care rate and non-certified kinship care rate2
are exempt from the close-out process described in section 26-5-104 (3).3
(b) For state fiscal year s 2024-25 and 2025-26, the general4
assembly may appropriate money from the Colorado long-term works5
reserve, created in section 26-2-721, for the purposes of providing the6
funding required by subsection (2) of this section.7
(c) A COUNTY DEPARTMENT IS NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE8
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORTS FOR NON-CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE,9
EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 475 OF THE FEDERAL"SOCIAL SECURITY10
ACT", 42 U.S.C. SEC. 675, OR SECTIONS 19-3-208 AND 19-3-403 (3.6)(c)11
AND (9).12
(8) T HE STATE DEPARTMENT SHALL CREATE A STANDARDIZED13
NOTICE FOR NON-CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE PROVIDERS REGARDING THE14
DISCONTINUATION OF NON-CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE ASSISTANCE. THE15
NOTICE MUST SPECIFY THE DATE NON-CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE16
ASSISTANCE ENDS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE OPTION17
FOR THE NON-CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE PROVIDER TO BECOME A CERTIFIED18
KINSHIP CARE PROVIDER, IF ELIGIBLE, INCLUDING THE OPTION FOR19
PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATION. EACH COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN OR20
SOCIAL SERVICES SHALL PROVIDE THE NOTICE, NO LATER THAN JUNE 15,21
2026, TO ALL NON-CERTIFIED KINSHIP FOSTER CARE HOMES CURRENTLY22
RECEIVING MONTHLY PAYMENTS.23
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-3-702, amend (3)24
introductory portion as follows:25
19-3-702. Permanency hearing.26
(3) At any permanency planning hearing, the court shall first27
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determine if the child or youth should be returned to the child's or youth's1
parent, named guardian, or legal custodian and, if applicable, the date on2
which the child or youth must be returned. If the child or youth cannot be3
returned home, the court shall also determine whether reasonable efforts4
have been made to find a safe and stable permanent home for the child or5
youth. The court shall not delay permanency planning by considering the6
placement of children or youth together as a sibling group or for purposes7
of maintaining financial support for a CERTIFIED kinship foster care home,8
or a non-certified kinship care home, unless there are exceptional9
circumstances approved by the court. At any permanency planning10
hearing, the court shall make the following determinations, when11
applicable:12
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-3-403, amend13
(3.6)(a)(IV) introductory portion and (3.6)(a)(IV)(B) as follows:14
19-3-403. Temporary custody - hearing - time limits -15
restriction - rules.16
(3.6) (a) (IV) The court shall order a county department of human17
or social services to exercise due diligence to contact all grandparents and18
other adult relatives and identified kin within thirty days after the removal19
of the child or youth and to inform them about placement possibilities for20
the child or youth, unless the court determines there is good cause not to21
contact or good cause to delay contacting the child's or youth's relatives22
and kin, including, but not limited to, family or domestic violence.23
(B) The notice must include information about providing care for24
the child or youth while the family receives reunification services, with25
the goal of returning the child or youth to the parent or legal guardian; the26
relative's right to intervene in the proceedings with or without an attorney27
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following adjudication; and additional services and supports that are1
available in out-of-home placements. The notice must also include2
information regarding the state's entitlement plans, including, but not3
limited to, child care assistance, supplemental nutritional assistance4
programs, the relative guardianship assistance program, child-only5
eligibility for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), and6
adoption assistance, as well as other options for contact. Information7
about family foster care certification, including how to request a variance8
from certification standards that do not present a safety or health risk to9
the child or youth in the home OBTAIN A PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATION, and10
supports that are available for relatives and kin and children or youth and11
what background checks are required, as well as how relatives or kin may12
request the court review decisions to deny placement based on13
background checks and why certification as a kinship foster home may be14
denied, must also be provided in the notice.15
SECTION 4. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;16
except that section 26-6-904.5 (2) and (3), Colorado Revised Statutes, as17
amended in section 1 of this act, and section 2 of this act take effect on18
July 1, 2026.19
SECTION 5. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,20
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate21
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for22
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state23
institutions.24
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