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  • Foster or adopt
  • Child protection
  • Child and teen checkups

Hennepin County > Human services > Foster parents

Foster parents

Find information and resources to maintain your license and care for your foster children.

  • Learn about becoming a foster parent
  • Binti login for current foster parents
  • Foster parent guide (PDF)

Foster care licensing

fostercare@hennepin.us

Phone: 612-348-5437

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Resources for new foster parents

Important information to support new foster parents. You will review these materials with your licensing worker.

  • Foster parent guide (PDF)
  • Comfort call guide (PDF)
  • Mental health emergencies
  • Age-appropriate sexual behavior
  • A guide to court proceedings for foster parents (PDF)
  • Foster provider liability insurance (PDF)
  • Paths to permanency: Adoption of children in foster care (PDF)
  • Paths to permanency: Transfer of physical and legal custody of children in foster care (PDF)
  • Relative permanency services: Reducing time in foster care (PDF)
  • Welcoming a foster child or youth to your home (PDF)
  • Minnesota Rules, 2960.3000-2960.3340
Updates

Essentials – foster parent email newsletter

Regular updates for foster parents, including policy and practice changes, training opportunities and events, guidance on caring for foster children and youth, and support and recognition for foster parents.

Foster parents receive the newsletter by email.

  • Summer ideas, online invoicing and direct deposit, recognizing providers – May 2023
  • Fire safety, May 20 picnic and resource fair, updated Foster Parent Guide – March 2023
  • Introducing the Placement Coordination team, welcoming youth into your home – January 2023
  • New service for foster families, Binti, National Adoption Day – November 2022
  • Education supports, respite care – September 2022
  • Foster care picnic, provider perspective on comfort calls – July 2022
Training

Calendar and registration

Hennepin County foster care training calendar (PDF)

You must register for all trainings.

Registration for in-person trainings

Register with your Hennepin Learning Account. Each foster parent in the home needs to register. Registration closes the day before each training.

To create a Hennepin Learning Account:

  1. Email fostercare@hennepin.us and write “Hennepin Learning Account” in the subject line
  2. Include your first and last name, and the name of your Hennepin County Foster Care Licensing Worker

Registration for pre-recorded trainings

  1. Email fostercare@hennepin.us and write “Pre-recorded training” in the subject line
  2. Include the name of your Hennepin County Foster Care Licensing Worker
  3. Include the complete name of the training(s) you want to register for

Training requirements

Foster care training requirements depend on the stage of licensure — initial, first year, or ongoing — and whether you are a relative or non-relative foster care provider. Find the requirements that apply to you below. If you have questions, consult your licensor.

All training must be completed before your relicensing or annual review due date. It is recommended that you start taking training right after your annual/relicensing review is completed each year.

Record your training on the Foster care provider record of training (PDF).

Initial training requirements

Relative

  • Nuts & Bolts: Foster Care the Hennepin Way
  • Introduction to Children’s Mental Health
  • Prudent Parenting
  • Car Seat Safety – if fostering children under 8 years old
  • Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUID)/Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) – if fostering children under 6 years old

Non-relative

  • Nuts & Bolts: Foster Care the Hennepin Way
  • Introduction to Children’s Mental Health
  • Prudent Parenting
  • Racial Identity Development
  • Discipline in Foster Care
  • Developmental Impact of Trauma
  • Car Seat Safety – if fostering children under 8 years old
  • Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUID)/Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) – if fostering children under 6 years old

First year after license training requirements

Relative

12 training hours minimum required

  • Foster Parent Guide test
  • Racial Identity Development
  • Discipline in Foster Care
  • Developmental Impact of Trauma
  • FASD training
  • Mental health training
  • Nuts & Bolts: Foster Care the Hennepin Way – if not taken prior to licensure

Non-relative

12 training hours minimum required

Required trainings

  • Foster Parent Guide test
  • FASD training
  • Mental health training

Recommended trainings

  • MAPCY
  • Foster Parent Court
  • Mandated Reporter

Ongoing training requirements - after the first year

For relatives and non-relatives

12 training hours minimum required each year

  • 5 hours minimum from the In-Person training options listed on Hennepin County’s foster care training calendar
  • 1 hour of Mental Health training must be completed every year
  • 1 hour of FASD training must be completed every year

You may count up to six hours combined from the following categories:

  • Up to three hours of relevant reading or videos of your choice, related to the needs of foster children
  • Up to three hours individual training such as special staffings or meetings about a child in your care
  • Up to three hours of webinar training, related to the needs of foster children
  • Up to six hours from the online video options listed on Hennepin County’s foster care training calendar
Support

Immediate, in-person support and stabilization for foster families

Family Response offers immediate in-person support and stabilization for children and youth (ages 5-18) and their caregivers.

If you feel overwhelmed by your foster child’s mental, behavioral, or emotional needs, Family Response can help. There are no specific criteria required to initiate Family Response, but concerns may include children or youth who are: 

  • Having a hard time with a family member or change in the home
  • Showing aggression or anger
  • Feeling down or less engaged 
  • Experiencing worry and concern
  • Having issues at school

The goal of Family Response is to keep youth and families – including foster families – stable at home by helping you determine and connect to the support you need to thrive.

Call Family Response

  • 612-979-9511
  • Available every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

More about Family Response

Concurrent Families support group

  • For Hennepin County families, facilitated by Adoptive Foster Kinship Connections
  • Second Monday of the month, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
  • If you'd like to attend, ask your licensor for more information.

Additional support groups

Find more resources from Adoptive Foster Kinship Connections, including calendar of support groups.

Forms

Financial

  • Foster care provider direct deposit enrollment
  • Online invoice
  • Miscellaneous expense voucher (PDF)

Respite

  • Respite reimbursement form (PDF)
  • Child questionnaire for respite care (PDF)

Other

  • Incident report form (PDF)
  • Resource family and caseworker visit discussion tool (PDF)
  • Medical monitoring equipment training (PDF)
  • Foster care minimum clothing standard (DOCX)
  • Certification of foster child status for school lunch or food program (PDF)
Northstar Care for Children

Northstar Care for Children helps children in foster care grow up in safe and permanent homes. It provides medical and financial benefits for children in foster care and for eligible children finding permanency through an adoption or transfer of permanent legal and physical custody to a relative.

Learn more from the Minnesota Department of Human Services – Northstar Care for Children: Encouraging safe, permanent homes (PDF)

Northstar benefits

The Northstar Care basic payment is set by a child’s age and provides for a child’s food, clothing, shelter and daily supervision.

Beyond the basic payment, Northstar Care also has a supplemental payment that provides for the extra care and attention for many children and youth who are placed in foster, relative care or adoptive placements. This supplemental benefit level is determined by the Minnesota Assessment of Parenting for Children and Youth (MAPCY).

MAPCY (Minnesota Assessment of Parenting for Children and Youth)

Learn more about MAPCY from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

  • Q and A for foster care providers (DOCX)
  • Prep sheet cover letter (DOCX)
  • Foster parent prep sheet (DOCX) – an optional worksheet for foster parents to complete in preparation for MAPCY assessment
  • Survey cover letter (DOCX)
  • Survey for foster parents (DOCX)

For more information or assistance, talk with your placement or licensing social worker.

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