What "aging out" means
When a young person in foster care reaches adulthood — often 18 — without returning home or another permanent arrangement, they "age out" (sometimes called emancipating). It's a genuinely hard transition. But reaching 18 does not switch off support: many young people can keep getting help, and some can choose to stay in care longer.
Programs that can help your young adult
- The Chafee program. Colorado's Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood helps youth currently and formerly in foster care with education, employment, money-management skills, housing help, emotional support, and connections to caring adults.
- Education & Training Vouchers (ETV). Money for college or job training — up to $5,000 per year for eligible youth — through the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
- Staying in care longer. In Colorado, a young person may be able to remain in foster care past 18 (often toward 21) under certain conditions — worth asking the county about before an 18th birthday.
- Health coverage. Young people who age out of foster care are generally eligible for Medicaid until age 26.
- Housing help. Colorado has been expanding housing support for youth leaving foster care — another thing to ask the county and the Chafee program about.
Exactly who qualifies and how much is available varies — the county human-services department and the programs above can confirm what applies.
How to support your new adult
Even when your legal role has changed, you can still matter enormously to your child. Things many parents do:
- Stay reachable and steady — the programs above specifically value a "caring adult" in a young person's life, and that can be you.
- Help them navigate the paperwork — applications, deadlines, and phone calls are a lot for anyone starting out alone.
- Help with the practical foundations — an ID, a birth certificate and Social Security card, a bank account, a phone, a plan for housing.
- Keep the relationship open. Aging out of a system doesn't mean aging out of a family.
Where to turn
Start with the county human-services department (ask specifically about Chafee and independent-living services), the Colorado Department of Higher Education for the ETV, and our resource directory for housing, benefits, and support organizations across Colorado.