The December 2025 edition of our Regional Partnerships newsletter explored child welfare in Colorado through an interview with leading expert on the matter Alicia Economos.
Alicia Economos, who brings more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit work, now serves as the State Executive Director of Colorado Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). She recently joined Colorado CASA from Urban Peak, a Denver-based organization supporting youth facing homelessness, many of whom also experienced foster care. Now at Colorado CASA, Economos works to strengthen support for youth in the welfare system, aiming to set them up for long-term success both within the system and as they transition beyond it.
Colorado CASA has been supporting children and youth in the welfare system since 1989 and today has 18 local organizations serving 20 of the state’s 23 judicial districts. These local organizations connect children in the welfare system to volunteer court appointed special advocates – community members appointed by family court judges to provide stability, trust, and advocacy for children in dependency and neglect cases, many of whom are in foster care.
The Numbers
Data shows spending time in foster care can have detrimental and long-term impacts on children and youth. As reported by the Colorado Department of Education in 2024, only 40 percent of students in foster care graduated high school, compared to 84 percent of all students in Colorado. Additionally, 37 percent of Colorado youth in foster care experience homelessness by the age of 17, and by the age of 19, nearly 30 percent of former foster youth were incarcerated within the previous two years according to the Kids Count Data Center published by the Colorado Children’s Campaign.
The Colorado Department of Human Services reports the number of children in foster care has steadily decreased in the last two decades. In 2024, approximately 6,400 children were placed in foster care across the state compared to 14,000 in 2007. However, the length of time children stay in the foster system remains stagnant across the same time period. In 2024, 56 percent of children were in foster care for less than one year, 34 percent for one to three years, and 10 percent stayed in foster care for more than three years.
Current Challenges and Regional Trends
When asked about the challenges currently facing the child welfare system, Economos noted cases are increasingly complex, and she is concerned with the number of foster home placements for each child along with an increase in trauma: “Kids who have been to 13 different schools or placed in upwards of 10 different families…that is unacceptable,” Economos emphasized, pointing to the distress caused by instability.
Though the child welfare system operates across the state, rural areas of Colorado face distinct obstacles to child success. Economos highlighted transportation, access to resources, and availability of childcare as significant challenges: “…pulling those resources together is critical.” With large distances between court houses, families, and the few resources available to them, children are less likely to get the support they need to thrive.
Economos also noted many rural areas of Colorado have four-day school weeks, making it difficult for parents to find care for their children. These challenges increase the likelihood that a child may be in an unsafe home environment and away from mandated reporters, individuals legally required to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. In both urban and rural areas, a lack of affordable housing exacerbates issues families might already face: “When there is not a safe place for our children and families to live in, that makes everything else hard.”
Child Welfare Policy
Economos celebrated the recent passing of the Federal Benefits for Youth in Foster Care Bill in the Colorado House of Representatives, which ensures foster youth receive the survivor benefits they are owed after the death of a parent. Historically, these benefits were often used to offset the cost of the child’s foster care, leaving them with no financial stability when they age out of the child welfare system.
Though policy work in child welfare is often challenging, Economos shared that a guiding light should be the voices of those with lived experience in the welfare system: “We have got to look, and listen, and hear people who’ve come up through these systems. If we don’t have that voice, then I don’t think we’re actually doing our job.”
Data comes alongside those voices, but Economos urges: “The numbers are only one piece… there are stories beyond numbers.”
Philanthropy’s Role
Beyond the critically needed financial support, philanthropy has the power to foster community in this space. Economos shares how impactful it can be when funders connect organizations supporting foster care children and youth: “The work is hard, and it can be lonely at times… so when I can connect with other people at my level it’s really great.” Once this community of support is created, it often leads to collaboration between organizations, maximizing impact.
As Colorado CASA continues to work around the state, Economos keeps a clear focus on the children: “It’s up to others to help these kids get connected to people and resources that can help change the trajectory of their lives…success looks different for everybody, but to be self-sustaining and to feel safe… that takes a lot.”
