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Are you interested in learning more about foster care? Register for orientation to learn more about foster care and the certification process.
Upcoming options:
Wednesday, March 11, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Weld County Human Services, Building A, 315 N. 11th Ave., Greeley
Wednesday, April 8, 4:30 to 6 p.m., virtual via Microsoft Teams
 Already attended orientation? Register for pre-certification training by contacting your foster care coordinator or Kristy DeAnda.
Upcoming pre-certification training options: Choose one cohort to meet training requirements
May 2026 Cohort - Intensive
Friday, May 1, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 2, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Friday, May 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location for all three sessions: Weld County Training Center, 1104 H St., Greeley
July 2026 Cohort - Intensive
Friday, July 17, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 18, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Friday, July 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location for all three sessions: Weld County Training Center, 1104 H St., Greeley
Interested in Specialized Foster Care?
Anyone can become a therapeutic foster parent with the necessary experience and training. Therapeutic foster care certification requires an additional 12 hours of specialized training and bi-weekly visits from our support team. Contact Kelly Krause for more information.
In addition, foster parents can explore providing care for children and youth through the Children’s Habilitation Residential Program (CHRP). Weld County partners with two disability services and support organizations, Mosaic in Fort Collins and Parker Personal Care Homes in Lakewood, to provide foster care services for children and youth who have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) or serious emotional disturbances (SED) and receive services under the CHRP waiver. For more information, contact Kristy DeAnda.
Meet Oscar, age 14!
Visit Weld County’s Waiting Kids for more information about children and youth waiting for a foster adoptive family.
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Mark your calendar for opportunities for learning, connection with other families, and respite opportunities!
Ambassador Project: Italian Cooking Class
Friday, March 6, 6 to 8 p.m., The Bottled Olive Pantry (1550 Main St. Suite 130, Windsor)
Connect with Weld County foster and kinship families during a demonstration-style Italian cooking class. Watch a professional chef create a delicious Italian meal, learn tips and tricks to elevate your cooking at home, and then enjoy the four-course feast together.
Learn more and register now as spots are limited.
Connected and Protected: Raising Digitally Safe Kids in a Connected World
Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., virtual live event
An important and practical training designed to equip parents, caregivers, and anyone who cares about kids with the tools to navigate today’s digital world with confidence. This session is designed to empower caregivers — not with fear — but with knowledge, language, and practical next steps. Whether you’re parenting a preschooler or a teen, you’ll leave with concrete tools to help children stay safe while building digital responsibility and resilience.
For more information and to register, visit Be the Source.
The Truth About Lying: Understanding Lying as a Trauma-Driven Behavior
Saturday, March 14, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., virtual live event
Lying is a common, and deeply misunderstood, protective behavior, especially in children with trauma histories. What often looks like manipulation or defiance is more accurately a fear-based survival strategy rooted in a child’s nervous system and lived experience. In this training, Robyn Gobbel reframes lying through a trauma-informed, neurobiological, and relational lens — helping caregivers understand what’s happening beneath the behavior, not just how to stop it.
For more information and to register, visit Be the Source.
No Ordinary Liz: When a Child Becomes the Advocate
Saturday, April 11, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., virtual live event
What happens when a child becomes the one who calls for help? As a young girl living in an abusive home, Liz made a decision that would change the trajectory of her and her siblings’ lives. She reported the abuse herself, stepping into a role no child should have to carry: advocate. In this powerful and deeply personal session, Elizabeth Sutherland — author of "No Ordinary Liz" and contributor to "Growing Up in the Care of Strangers" — shares her lived experience of entering foster care, navigating sibling separation, and holding onto hope for reunification.
For more information and to register, visit Be the Source.
Foster, Adoption and Kinship Support Group
Join Weld County to connect with other foster parents, kinship caregivers, adoptive parents, childcare providers, and family childcare (FCC) home providers to share parenting strategies, successes and struggles with those who can relate! We focus on support around parenting and caregiving issues using a nationally recognized, research-based framework for keeping children safe and families strong.
Upcoming Dates: March 19
When: Third Thursday of the month, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Department of Human Services (315 N. 11th Ave., Building B, Greeley)
Ready to RSVP?
Childcare and dinner are provided, so all you need to do is come as you are. Help us pick meals that work best for your family by taking our quick survey!
Coffee and Tea with your FCC
Join us for a cup of coffee and some time to connect as a team. Earn 1.5 hours of training credit.
Thursday, April 2, 9 to 10:30 a.m., Zoe’s Café (715 10th St., Greeley)
Please RSVP with your Foster Care Coordinator (FCC).
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Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
Children who have experienced trauma (neglect, abuse, institutionalization) benefit from caregivers who understand the impact of that trauma. TBRI is a training that teaches practical strategies to help children through self-regulation and building trust — and it is backed by neuroscience. In just 20 hours (that’s essentially the time it takes to watch every "Bluey" episode), you will learn how trauma impacts the brain and behaviors, the “why” behind challenging behaviors, strategies you can use right away for connection and regulation, and more! Also, the sessions are virtual, so you can tune in from the comfort of your home. See below for this year’s schedule options and sign up for the session that's best for you.
Spring: Thursdays, April 2 through May 21, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Summer: Mondays, June 1 through July 27, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Fall: Tuesdays, Sept. 1 through Oct. 20, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Save the Date: April 11 Respite Event
Kids at Heart and Rebalance (Northern Colorado Youth for Christ) are pairing up to offer Weld County foster, kinship, and adoptive families a respite night in Greeley. More info to come!
Tip of the Month
Weld County foster parents, don’t forget you can access online training anytime through The National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC).
NTDC’s Right-Time Training for Families e-learning courses provide foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers with information and resources through the right training at just the right time. Whether you need information to respond to a child in crisis or adjust to new family dynamics, the Right-Time courses are available to guide you.
The NTDC courses can be completed from your mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer at any time and place that is convenient for you.
In each interactive course, through videos and podcasts, you will hear from child welfare professionals, foster and adoptive parents, and young adults with lived expertise. You will complete interactive activities and quizzes that will help you apply what you hear and learn to your individual experience. Each course will also give you suggestions for additional resources you can use to enhance your ongoing exploration of this topic.
Once you complete a course, you will be able to download a certificate of completion. Be sure to save these certificates if you need documentation for the training you complete. Visit courses.ntdctraining.org to get started.
Be the Source - The Learning Source
Children deserve to heal, and adults who continue to engage in trauma- and evidence-informed training can be that healing source. The Learning Source offers on-demand training that is free for Colorado foster and kinship parents. Foster care training credits can be earned by completing courses.
Check out and complete training courses at your own pace.
Bridge the Gap Resource Map
Bridge the Gap is a new Northern Colorado nonprofit connecting with individuals, organizations, and churches across Northern Colorado to inspire, equip, and support initiatives that serve children and families impacted by the child welfare system (foster, kinship, adoptive, and bio). Needing support? Check out the Resource Map or contact someone through the website who can help you navigate available help.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here.
This national mental health hotline connects people in Colorado to trained crisis specialists offering compassionate mental health, emotional, and substance use support via call, text, and chat. For foster parents, this could serve as an alternative to contacting law enforcement in crisis situations which do not include imminent risk of danger, preventing unnecessary exposure to police interaction. Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Be sure to add this to your emergency contacts and keep in an accessible place in your home in case it’s needed!
For more information, visit 988lifeline.org.
Referral Incentives
Foster parents are the best recruiters!
Weld County foster parents can refer a family, up to five per calendar year, and receive $100 upon placement. The referred family must name you at inquiry or by their orientation. Have your friends and family visit www.weld.gov/go/fostercare for more information and to register for orientation.
Help Kids in Foster Care – Donate Today
Weld County is proud to work with Realities For Children, a nonprofit group that helps kids and teens in foster care. Your donation gives emergency help to local youth who have been abused, neglected, or are at risk.
All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of your gift goes directly to Weld County foster care.
Visit the Foster Care webpage for more information.
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