Family fights 3 years for custody of their own child

“The hoops that these parents had to jump through … none of that would have happened without foster parent intervention,” said Melanie Jordan. She is the Case Strategy Director for the Colorado Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC), a state-funded agency that helps parents get back their parental rights.

“Foster parents come into a case as full parties. They are able to file motions, call witnesses, cross-examine witnesses, and participate fully in all aspects of the case,” Jordan said.

According to data provided by the ORPC foster parent intervention has increased in Colorado in the past decade. In 2020, 10% of Dependency and Neglect cases had Intervenors. When foster parents intervene, the chance of reunification decreases from 62% to 22% for the birth parents.