A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning creating a pilot program to encourage youth in
Page 1, Line 102foster care to graduate from high school.
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.)
The bill creates the fostering success pilot program (pilot program) in the department of human services (department). The pilot program is a 2-part program, which includes:
- The supplemental support for foster students program (supplemental support program), which awards $2,000 scholarships annually to a foster care provider, kinship foster care provider, or a non-certified kinship care provider (provider) who cares for a youth in the legal custody of a county department of human or social services until the youth graduates from high school; and
- The milestone incentives program (milestone program), which awards $1,000 to a youth for successfully graduating from high school.
- A nonprofit organization;
- Experienced working with students and families; and
- Experienced administering student scholarship and grant programs.
- Announcing the pilot program;
- Accepting applications from youth and their providers; and
- Selecting youth and their providers to participate in the pilot program.
- Ensure that the scholarship account is accessible through an online portal for the provider to facilitate payments to a qualifying vendor for the supplemental support program;
- Ensure the transfer of scholarship funds from the online portal directly to a qualifying vendor without direct access to scholarship funds by a provider; and
- Distribute money to each scholarship account.
- The number of participants selected for the pilot program;
- The amount of money awarded through the pilot program;
- The survey results from youth and their providers; and
- How the pilot program affected the youth's performance in school.
On or before September 30, 2025, subject to available appropriations, the department shall contract with a third-party administrator (administrator) to develop, implement, and administer the pilot program. The department shall contract with an administrator that is:
On or before December 31, 2025, subject to available appropriations, the department shall establish a timeline for:
The department shall select youth and provider participants in the order of applications received. A youth and their provider selected to participate in the pilot program must participate in the supplemental support program and the milestone program.
The administrator may contract with one or more private entities to develop and implement a system to establish scholarship accounts that allows payment to qualifying vendors by electronic means from an online portal.
The administrator shall:
The administrator shall ensure that a youth has sole access to the milestone program award funds. There are no restrictions on how the youth may use the milestone program award funds.
On or before July 1, 2028, the administrator shall administer a survey to youth and their providers to receive feedback on the pilot program.
On or before October 31, 2028, the administrator shall report to the department the following information:
On or before December 31, 2028, the department shall submit a report summarizing the information collected from the survey to the education committees of the house of representatives and senate, the health and human services committees of the house of representatives and senate, or their successor committees.
Page 3, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 3, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 19-7-105 as follows:
Page 3, Line 319-7-105. Fostering success pilot program - financial support
Page 3, Line 4for youth in foster care, kinship foster care, or non-certified kinship
Page 3, Line 5care - report - rules - definitions - repeal. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 3, Line 6(a) "Fostering success pilot program" or "pilot program"
Page 3, Line 7means the fostering success pilot program created in subsection
Page 3, Line 8(2) of this section, which consists of two programs: The
Page 3, Line 9supplemental support for foster students program created in
Page 3, Line 10subsection (2)(a)(I) of this section and the milestone incentives program created in subsection (2)(a)(II) of this section.
Page 3, Line 11(b) "Milestone incentives program" means the milestone
Page 3, Line 12incentives program created in subsection (2)(a)(II) of this section.
Page 3, Line 13(c) "Provider" means a foster care parent or a relative or
Page 3, Line 14kin who provides kinship foster care and who is certified to
Page 3, Line 15operate a kinship foster care home pursuant to section 26-6-910.
Page 4, Line 1"Provider" also includes a relative or kin who provides
Page 4, Line 2non-certified kinship care, as defined in section 26-6-903, to a
Page 4, Line 3child or youth who is in the legal custody of the county department.
Page 4, Line 4(d) "Qualifying vendor" means an eligible service vendor
Page 4, Line 5that the third-party administrator approves to participate and
Page 4, Line 6provide services to youth and providers participating in the supplemental support for foster students program.
Page 4, Line 7(e) "Supplemental support for foster students program"
Page 4, Line 8means the supplemental support for foster students program created in subsection (2)(a)(I) of this section.
Page 4, Line 9(2) (a) The fostering success pilot program is created in
Page 4, Line 10the department. The pilot program is a two-part pilot program that includes:
Page 4, Line 11(I) The supplemental support for foster students program,
Page 4, Line 12which awards two-thousand-dollar scholarship payments
Page 4, Line 13annually to a scholarship account established in subsection
Page 4, Line 14(3)(a) of this section for a foster care provider, kinship foster
Page 4, Line 15care provider, or a non-certified kinship care provider who cares
Page 4, Line 16for a youth in the legal custody of a county department until
Page 4, Line 17the youth graduates from high school to be used for education-related expenses for the youth; and
Page 4, Line 18(II) The milestone incentives program, which awards a
Page 4, Line 19youth who is in the legal custody of a county department and
Page 4, Line 20living in a foster care home, kinship foster care home, or
Page 4, Line 21non-certified kinship care home one thousand dollars for
Page 4, Line 22successfully graduating from high school.
Page 5, Line 1(b) On or before September 30, 2025, subject to available
Page 5, Line 2appropriations, the department shall contract with a
Page 5, Line 3third-party administrator to develop, implement, and administer
Page 5, Line 4the pilot program. The department shall contract with a third-party administrator that is:
Page 5, Line 5(I) A nonprofit organization, as defined in section 26.5-5-303;
Page 5, Line 6(II) Experienced working with students and families; and
Page 5, Line 7(III) Experienced administering student scholarship and grant programs.
Page 5, Line 8(c) (I) The department shall examine urban, rural, and
Page 5, Line 9suburban areas with high rates of youth in foster care to identify the regions to implement the pilot program.
Page 5, Line 10(II) The third-party administrator shall implement the
Page 5, Line 11pilot program in the regions that the department identifies pursuant to subsection (2)(c)(I) of this section.
Page 5, Line 12(d) On or before December 31, 2025, subject to available appropriations, the department shall establish a timeline for:
Page 5, Line 13(I) Announcing the pilot program;
Page 5, Line 14(II) Accepting applications from youth and their providers; and
Page 5, Line 15(III) Selecting youth and their providers to participate in the pilot program.
Page 5, Line 16(e) The department shall select youth and provider
Page 5, Line 17participants in the order of applications received. A youth and
Page 5, Line 18their provider selected to participate in the pilot program must
Page 5, Line 19participate in the supplemental support for foster students program and the milestone incentives program.
Page 6, Line 1(f) As part of the application process, a youth and their
Page 6, Line 2provider must agree that the youth's academic performance may
Page 6, Line 3be shared by the youth's education provider, as defined in
Page 6, Line 4section 22-32-138 (1), with the department of education as described in section 22-32-138 (9.5)(b).
Page 6, Line 5(3) (a) The third-party administrator shall establish a
Page 6, Line 6scholarship account on behalf of a youth. The third-party
Page 6, Line 7administrator may contract with one or more private entities to
Page 6, Line 8develop and implement a commercially viable, cost-effective, and provider-friendly system to:
Page 6, Line 9(I) Establish scholarship accounts; and
Page 6, Line 10(II) Maximize payment flexibility by allowing for payment
Page 6, Line 11of services to qualifying vendors by transferring scholarship funds by electronic or online means from an online portal.
Page 6, Line 12(b) The third-party administrator shall:
Page 6, Line 13(I) Ensure that the scholarship account is accessible
Page 6, Line 14through an online portal for the provider to facilitate
Page 6, Line 15payments to a qualifying vendor who provides services to youth
Page 6, Line 16and their providers participating in the supplemental support for foster students program;
Page 6, Line 17(II) Ensure the direct transfer of scholarship funds from the online portal to a qualifying vendor to pay for expenses;
Page 6, Line 18(III) Ensure youth and their providers cannot withdraw or have direct access to the scholarship funds; and
Page 6, Line 19(IV) Distribute money to each scholarship account.
Page 6, Line 20(c) Starting in the 2026-27 fiscal year, the department
Page 7, Line 1shall distribute two thousand dollars to youth and providers
Page 7, Line 2for the supplemental support for foster students program. The
Page 7, Line 3providers may use the scholarship funds on education-related
Page 7, Line 4services for youth that are provided by a qualified vendor that include, but are not limited to:
Page 7, Line 5(I) After-school tutoring services;
Page 7, Line 6(II) Computers or technological devices intended for a youth's educational needs;
Page 7, Line 7(III) Transportation fees;
Page 7, Line 8(IV) Expenses or fees related to extracurricular activities, field trips, or other educational experiences; and
Page 7, Line 9(V) Personal growth experiences, which may include participating in sports and outdoor nature experiences.
Page 7, Line 10(d) The provider may not use the scholarship funds on tuition and fees for private school.
Page 7, Line 11(e) Scholarship funds must be spent within nine months
Page 7, Line 12after the third-party administrator distributes the scholarship
Page 7, Line 13funds in the youth's scholarship account. At the end of the nine
Page 7, Line 14months, unspent scholarship funds are reverted back to the department.
Page 7, Line 15(4) (a) Upon a youth's graduation, the third-party
Page 7, Line 16administrator shall distribute the award funds described in subsection (2)(a)(II) of this section into the youth's account.
Page 7, Line 17(b) The third-party administrator shall ensure that a
Page 7, Line 18youth has sole access to the milestone incentives program
Page 7, Line 19award funds. There are no restrictions on how the youth may
Page 7, Line 20use the milestone incentives program award funds.
Page 8, Line 1(5) On or before July 1, 2028, the third-party
Page 8, Line 2administrator shall administer a survey to youth and providers to receive the following information:
Page 8, Line 3(a) Feedback from providers regarding their experience participating in the pilot program;
Page 8, Line 4(b) Feedback from youth regarding their experience participating in the pilot program; and
Page 8, Line 5(c) How youth who received award funds through the milestone incentives program used the award funds.
Page 8, Line 6(6) (a) On or before October 31, 2028, the third-party
Page 8, Line 7administrator shall provide the department with the following information:
Page 8, Line 8(I) The number of applicants selected for the pilot program;
Page 8, Line 9(II) The amount of money awarded through the pilot program;
Page 8, Line 10(III) The results of the survey conducted pursuant to subsection (5) of this section; and
Page 8, Line 11(IV) How the pilot program affected the youth's performance in school, including, at a minimum:
Page 8, Line 12(A) The graduation and completion rates of youth participating in the pilot program; and
Page 8, Line 13(B) The aggregated academic performance of youth participating in the pilot program.
Page 8, Line 14(b) On or before September 1, 2028, the department of
Page 8, Line 15education shall provide the department the information
Page 8, Line 16regarding the effects of the pilot program on youth in school as described in subsection (6)(a)(IV) of this section.
Page 9, Line 1(c) On or before December 31, 2028, the department shall
Page 9, Line 2submit a report summarizing the information described in
Page 9, Line 3subsection (6)(a) of this section to the education committees of
Page 9, Line 4the house of representatives and senate, the health and human
Page 9, Line 5services committees of the house of representatives and senate, or their successor committees.
Page 9, Line 6(7) The department may adopt rules for the purposes of this section.
Page 9, Line 7(8) The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts,
Page 9, Line 8grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section.
Page 9, Line 9(9) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2031.
Page 9, Line 10Before the repeal, this section is scheduled for review pursuant to section 24-34-104.
Page 9, Line 11SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-32-138, add (9.5) as follows:
Page 9, Line 1222-32-138. Out-of-home placement students - school stability,
Page 9, Line 13transfer, and enrollment procedures - absences - exemptions -
Page 9, Line 14provision of academic supports - report - definitions. (9.5) (a) On or
Page 9, Line 15before July 1, 2028, an education provider with students
Page 9, Line 16participating in the fostering success pilot program created in
Page 9, Line 17section 19-7-105 (2) shall report to the department of education, at a minimum, the following:
Page 9, Line 18(I) The graduation and completion rates of students participating in the fostering success pilot program; and
Page 9, Line 19(II) The aggregated academic performance of students participating in the fostering success pilot program.
Page 10, Line 1(b) On or before September 1, 2028, the department of
Page 10, Line 2education shall report to the department of human services the
Page 10, Line 3information described in subsection (9.5)(a) of this section for purposes of section 19-7-105 (6)(b).
Page 10, Line 4SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-34-104, add (32)(a)(XVI) as follows:
Page 10, Line 524-34-104. General assembly review of regulatory agencies
Page 10, Line 6and functions for repeal, continuation, or reestablishment - legislative
Page 10, Line 7declaration - repeal. (32) (a) The following agencies, functions, or both, are scheduled for repeal on September 1, 2031:
Page 10, Line 8(XVI) The fostering success pilot program created in section 19-7-105.
Page 10, Line 9SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 10, Line 10takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 10, Line 11ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 10, Line 12that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 10, Line 13of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 10, Line 14act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 10, Line 15effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 10, Line 16November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.