Foster Parent

Job Description

Job Description

Open Your Home. Create Stability. Change a Child’s Life.

Sample Supports is seeking compassionate, stable, and committed individuals and families to open their homes to children and youth who need safety, consistency, connection, and someone firmly in their corner.

As a foster parent, you will provide daily care and a nurturing home while working closely with Sample Supports and the child’s care team. You will receive extensive training, monthly compensation, access to clinical and behavioral professionals, skilled respite resources, and 24/7 on-call support.

You will not be doing this alone. Our team will support you throughout the licensing, matching, placement, and ongoing care process.

Culture Index Requirement

To be considered, you must complete the
Culture Index Survey. This is not a test, and there are no right or wrong answers. It helps us understand your caregiving approach and identify placements where both your family and the child can thrive.

Two Ways to Foster

Traditional Foster Care

Provide a safe, stable, and nurturing home for a child or youth who cannot currently live with their family. Foster parents provide daily care, encouragement, structure, and connection while collaborating with Sample Supports and the child’s care team.

CHRP Foster Care

Children’s Habilitation Residential Program, or CHRP, foster care supports children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities who may require a higher level of care in the home.

Depending on the child, support needs may include:

• Intellectual or developmental disabilities
• Mental health or trauma-related needs
• Behavioral challenges
• Verbal or physical aggression
• Communication or sensory needs
• Assistance with personal care and daily living skills

CHRP foster parents receive individualized training and ongoing guidance from experienced clinical, behavioral, and youth-services professionals.

Compensation and Support

Foster parents may receive a range of $2,000- $5,000 per month, depending on the child’s authorized services, placement arrangement, and level of support.

Actual compensation is determined before placement and varies based on the individual child’s needs and service eligibility.

Sample Supports also provides:

• 24/7 on-call support
• Initial and ongoing foster parent training
• Individualized training based on the child’s needs
• Education related to trauma, child development, mental health, developmental disabilities, and behavioral support
• Access to experienced clinical and behavioral professionals
• Skilled respite providers and respite-planning support
• Ongoing guidance from a team experienced in supporting children with IDD

Your Responsibilities

• Provide a safe, stable, welcoming, and supportive home
• Meet the child’s physical, emotional, developmental, behavioral, and social needs
• Provide appropriate supervision, structure, routines, and boundaries
• Support the child in building relationships, life skills, confidence, and independence
• Ensure school attendance and support educational progress
• Coordinate and attend medical, dental, therapeutic, and other required appointments
• Administer or support medications when trained and authorized
• Help the child navigate the emotions, transitions, and adjustments associated with foster care
• Provide recreational, community, cultural, and enrichment opportunities
• Maintain required records, including behavioral, developmental, medical, and service documentation
• Communicate changes, concerns, incidents, and progress to the appropriate team members
• Collaborate with families, schools, clinicians, caseworkers, guardians, and other professionals
• Support family connections and permanency goals as directed by the child’s plan
• Maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries
• Follow applicable Colorado foster care requirements and Sample Supports policies

Who We’re Looking For

Great foster parents come from many different backgrounds. You do not need to know everything on your first day—we provide training and continued support.

Successful foster parents are typically:

• Patient, dependable, and emotionally stable
• Caring and committed to helping children thrive
• Able to provide a consistent and structured home environment
• Open to learning about developmental disabilities, mental health, trauma, and behavior
• Able to respond calmly and supportively during challenging situations
• Willing to collaborate with families, schools, clinicians, and agency professionals
• Organized and able to complete required documentation
• Respectful of each child’s identity, culture, relationships, preferences, and individual needs

Basic Requirements

Applicants must:

• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Provide an appropriate home with at least one available bedroom
• Have dependable transportation and the ability to safely transport a child
• Maintain a valid driver’s license and meet applicable motor vehicle record requirements
• Complete required criminal background and Child and Adult Protection Services checks
• Complete required training, interviews, home assessments, and licensing activities
• Meet applicable Colorado foster care and Sample Supports requirements
• Maintain confidentiality and follow all agency policies and procedures
• Ensure household members participate in required screening, interviews, and training when applicable

Final approval and placement depend on completion of all licensing, training, background, home-safety, and matching requirements.

About Sample Supports

Sample Supports is a Colorado-licensed Child Placement Agency providing comprehensive youth services, including:

• Traditional and CHRP foster care
• Behavioral and clinical counseling
• Transition services
• Adolescent employment opportunities
• Vocational training programs

Ready to Make a Difference?

Becoming a foster parent is a significant commitment, but it is not one you have to take on alone. Sample Supports provides the training, resources, professional guidance, respite support, and compensation needed to help foster parents and children succeed together.

Learn more about becoming a foster parent with Sample Supports.