HB 1374: Kinship Care Funding Provisions - Colorado

Rerevised → Final Act · 6 edits · May 21, 2026

MODERATE

This bill shifts Colorado's kinship care funding from a punitive model to a supportive one. Previously, the law eliminated financial assistance for non-certified relatives caring for children. The new version mandates that counties provide 90% reimbursement for certified kinship care and 30% to 50% reimbursement for non-certified care, funded by the Long-Term Works Reserve. It also requires the state to send notices to non-certified caregivers explaining how to become certified and informs courts that financial support for kinship homes should not delay a child's permanency planning.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of financial assistance to include non-certified kinship care providers, whereas the previous version explicitly eliminated such funding.

FISCAL

Changed the policy from eliminating financial assistance for non-certified kinship care to providing 30% of the foster care rate (rising to 50% in FY 2026-27) for non-certified homes.

Authorized the use of the Colorado Long-Term Works Reserve to fund the new reimbursement rates for fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26.

REQUIREMENT

Required the state department to create and distribute a standardized notice to non-certified caregivers by June 15, 2026, informing them of the end of current assistance and the option to obtain certification.

Instructed courts to prioritize the placement of children with kinship caregivers and to not delay permanency planning decisions based on the availability of financial support for these homes.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that counties are not required to provide financial assistance to non-certified kinship care providers unless mandated by federal law or specific state statutes.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date for the new funding and court provisions to July 1, 2026.

Revised → Rerevised · 3 edits · Apr 16, 2026

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect its current status as 'Rerevised' rather than 'Revised', indicating that additional amendments have been adopted by the Senate. A new header was added to mark the bill as having passed the Senate on April 16, 2026, without any amendments at that stage. The list of House sponsors was also updated to include a new co-sponsor.

TECHNICAL

The document title was changed from 'REVISED' to 'REREVISED' to accurately reflect the legislative history and the inclusion of all amendments adopted in the Second House.

A new header was inserted stating '3rd Reading Unamended' with the date April 16, 2026, and the chamber 'SENATE', tracking the bill's procedural progress.

The list of House sponsors was updated to add a new co-sponsor, indicated by a trailing comma after the existing names.

Reengrossed → Revised · 3 edits · Apr 15, 2026

MINOR

The bill's status was updated from 'Reengrossed' to 'Revised' to reflect that amendments were adopted during the second reading in the second house. The document now includes a new '2nd Reading Unamended' section dated April 15, 2026, and adds a Senate Bill Summary, indicating the bill has progressed through the legislative process. No substantive policy changes regarding funding, eligibility, or scope were identified in this specific diff.

Scope change

The bill's procedural status changed from a reengrossed version to a revised version following second reading in the second house.

TIMELINE

Added a specific date of April 15, 2026, marking the 2nd Reading Unamended status.

TECHNICAL

Added a new section for the Senate Bill Summary to accompany the revised text.

Removed the 'Reengrossed' header and replaced it with 'Revised' to reflect the current legislative stage.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 2 edits · Apr 11, 2026

MINOR

The bill title was updated from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' to reflect that it includes all amendments adopted during the House of Introduction. A note was added indicating that an amended bill summary will be available after the third reading on April 11, 2026. These changes are primarily procedural and technical, clarifying the bill's current status and providing a future date for updated legislative summaries.

TECHNICAL

The bill status header was changed from 'ENGROSSED' to 'REENGROSSED' to accurately reflect that the text includes amendments adopted in the House of Introduction.

A new note was inserted stating that an amended bill summary will be available at the legislature's website after the third reading on April 11, 2026.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 9, 2026

MODERATE

This bill amends Colorado's kinship foster care laws to clarify that only certified homes receive full financial reimbursement, while non-certified homes are excluded from the state fiscal close-out process. It introduces a new requirement for county departments to send standardized notices to non-certified providers by June 15, 2026, informing them that their financial assistance will end and explaining how to become certified. Additionally, the bill modifies court procedures for permanency hearings to ensure they are not delayed by the goal of maintaining financial support for non-certified kinship care homes.

Scope change

The bill narrows the scope of financial eligibility, explicitly restricting full reimbursement and exemption from fiscal close-out rules to only certified kinship foster care homes, while removing the previous blanket exemption for non-certified homes.

ELIGIBILITY

Financial reimbursement eligibility was restricted to certified kinship foster care homes; non-certified homes are no longer explicitly exempt from the state fiscal close-out process.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement mandates that county departments provide a standardized notice to non-certified providers by June 15, 2026, detailing the discontinuation of assistance and options for certification.

ENFORCEMENT

The bill adds specific language to permanency hearing procedures to prevent courts from delaying decisions to maintain financial support for non-certified kinship care homes.

DEFINITION

The statute now explicitly defines certified kinship foster care homes as eligible for financial reimbursement at the same rate as standard foster care homes.

Kinship Care Funding Provisions

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