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Content submission deadline: Dec. 17, 2020
If you have any topics you would like to see covered in this newsletter, please email: Contracts.Adoption.DHS@state.mn.us
The Permanency Support Unit update is a collaborative effort by Permanency Support Unit staff.
Commitment to anti-racist work and inclusivity: National Adoption Month and National Native American Heritage Month
The Permanency Support Unit is continuing to review policies, practices, and laws to determine where and how changes can or should be made to ensure racial equity and inclusivity, and promote better outcomes for children and families who are disproportionately represented in permanency and adoption.
Those who have personal and/or professional connections to adoption are likely aware that November is recognized annually as National Adoption Month (see also Governor Walz’s proclamation). This year’s theme is Engage Youth: Listen and Learn. An important component of anti-racist work is the inclusion of multiple perspectives, including the youth perspective, in policy development and practice. Not only should we be engaging youth when planning for their permanency, but we should also be engaging them as stakeholders when developing or changing policies and laws that have a direct impact on them.
November is also National Native American Heritage Month (see also Governor Walz’s proclamation). Recognizing National Adoption Month and National Native American Heritage Month in the same month is particularly meaningful in adoption. Government agencies and child welfare organizations in the U.S. historically facilitated adoptions of Native American children through a racist lens, without considering Native American cultural values and ways of life, contributing to the historical trauma that is still impacting Native American communities today. How adoption is written into our state and federal laws is not always recognized as a culturally appropriate permanency option among Native American communities and tribes.
As we continue our anti-racist work, it is critical that our adoption and permanency laws, policies, and practices include the perspectives of those who are directly impacted by them, and that they honor and respect the prevailing social and cultural values, conditions, and way of life of Native American children, their families, and their tribe.
Recap of annual Circus of the Heart event
For 22 years, we have kicked off Adoption Awareness Month in November with our annual Celebrate Adoption: Circus of the Heart event. It has always been a lively afternoon with hundreds of adopted children and their families dancing, playing games, riding ponies, listening to music, climbing onto fire trucks, getting their faces painted and celebrating their newly formed families. It’s also been a time of learning for those interested in adopting children from the foster care system. This year was equally as fun and informative but in a whole new way.
In partnership with MN ADOPT, we hosted our 23rd annual celebration virtually. From Nov. 1 to 20, there was a series of events to engage families, entertain children, celebrate adoption and provide important information through experts on panels. In addition to the online events, more than 1,700 people pre-registered for the Circus of the Heart event and received a box filled with gift cards, art supplies, small prizes, ideas for activities, tickets for prize drawings and a poster of adopted children’s names. It was a great event, thanks to all who helped make it happen!
COVID-19 emergency background studies back in effect
Effective Nov. 19 at 6:30 a.m., COVID-19 emergency background studies went back into effect for foster care licensure, but not for adoption. For more information, visit the DHS background studies COVID-19 webpage. You can also contact the DHS Background Studies Division.
Permanency quality assurance staff available for questions
If you have questions about permanency and adoption, including Northstar Adoption Assistance and Northstar Kinship Assistance, our permanency quality assurance team can help. Reach out to them at northstar.benefits@state.mn.us.
Conferences and events
The Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health is hosting a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Research Summit online, on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. Find more information and register here.
Other training opportunities
The MN ADOPT Education Program has many training opportunities for December 2020. Everything is online, so you can access it wherever you are. Don’t miss out on all of these great topics! One to highlight is a free webinar, for professionals only, by Dr. Tim Wright, called “Redirecting child problematic sexual behaviors.” This will be held on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register here.
Gamble-Skogmo Chair in Child Welfare and Youth Policy developed a free, publicly accessible 5-part course on moral injury and healing in child welfare. For more information and to view the learning modules, visit Moral Injury and Healing in Child Welfare.
Submitting home studies with APAs
Before children can be placed in adoptive homes, prospective adoptive parents must have approved adoption home studies. Upon submitting children’s Adoption Placement Agreements (APAs) and decision summaries to DHS permanency support unit staff, county case managers are verifying that prospective adoptive parents have approved adoption home studies and that children are legally able to be placed in their homes for adoption. Copies of adoption home studies are not required to be submitted with APAs, unless specifically requested by DHS permanency support unit staff. Unless specifically requested, DHS permanency support unit staff do not review submitted home studies.
New ICWA/MIFPA brochure
Our colleagues in the Indian Child Welfare Unit at DHS have published a brochure for parents and families involved in Minnesota’s child protection and foster care system. This brochure explains the six major provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA) from a parent and family perspective. Parents and families can use the brochure to ask county caseworkers about how they are implementing ICWA and MIFPA. View “What you need to know about the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act” on the DHS public website within eDocs.
When to use “reestablishment of parental rights” in SSIS
“Reestablishment of parental rights” is a legal permanency disposition under Minnesota Statutes, section 260C.329, that reestablishes a previously terminated parent’s rights to a child under guardianship of the commissioner. It should only be used in SSIS when this situation has occurred. “Reestablishment of parental rights” must not be used when a parent’s termination of parental rights is reversed or vacated, when a previously terminated parent has adopted their child, or when a noncustodial parent takes custody of a child. It is very important to use this correctly in SSIS so that our data is accurate.
Applying a family preservation lens after permanency
Remember that family preservation requirements apply to adoptive and kinship families in the same way they apply to birth parents and their children. Adoptive parents and relative custodians should receive family preservation services, and reasonable efforts should be made to prevent out-of-home placement and to reunify, just as would occur with birth parents. Adoptive parents cannot voluntarily terminate their parental rights for reasons that would not apply to birth parents who wish to voluntarily terminate their parental rights (see Minnesota Statutes, section 260C.301, subdivision 5); this same concept should be applied to relative custodians as well.
Assigning Northstar benefits to new caregivers
For families who are receiving Northstar Adoption Assistance or Northstar Kinship Assistance benefits on behalf of children in their care, keep in mind that any change in the legal caregiver-child relationship, or in the child’s placement in the home, must be reported to the caregiver’s assigned DHS permanency support unit staff. Caregivers should be aware that generally speaking, Northstar benefits will end if they are no longer legally responsible for the child. Northstar benefits cannot be transferred to new caregivers. The only circumstances under which Northstar benefits may be assigned to new caregivers are:
- For Northstar Kinship Assistance:
- When a child’s legal relative custodian dies or becomes incapacitated, there is a successor relative custodian named in the child’s benefit agreement, and they meet the requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 256N.22, subdivision 10
- When a child’s legal relative custodian dies or becomes incapacitated, there is no successor relative custodian named in the child’s benefit agreement, the court appoints a custodian or guardian, and the commissioner gives written consent pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 256N.22, subdivision 10(d)
- When a child and the proposed relative custodian meet all eligibility requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 256N.22, subdivision 1
- For Northstar Adoption Assistance:
- When a child’s adoptive parent dies or their parental rights are terminated, the child meets criteria for the special needs determination, and the subsequent adopting parent resides in Minnesota, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 256N.23, subdivision 10(a)
- When a child’s adoptive parent dies, the court appoints a guardian, and the commissioner gives written consent pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 256N.23, subdivision 11
- When a child and their prospective adoptive parent meet all eligibility requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 256N.23, subdivision 1
Implications of saying “foster to adopt”
“Foster to adopt” is a term frequently used in the child welfare community to describe concurrent permanency planning, but has some implications professionals should consider. Concurrent permanency planning emphasizes reunification while at the same time, establishing an alternate permanency plan if a child is unable to be reunited. Foster care providers who engage in concurrent permanency planning efforts with the agency should be open to partnering with the child’s birth family to support reunification as the primary goal and to being considered a permanency resource should reunification fail. For more information about foster care in Minnesota, click here.
“Foster to adopt” does not reflect concurrent permanency planning. Rather, it implies there is a clear goal of the caregiver providing foster care until they can adopt the child in their care, which can have a negative effect on the caregiver’s support of reunification and relative engagement efforts. It also indicates that an agency worker has already determined that the foster care provider will adopt a child in their care, which also can negatively affect the agency worker’s efforts towards reunification as well as relative search, engagement, and placement consideration. “Foster to adopt” also gives the wrong message to individuals seeking to adopt a child that becoming a foster care provider will lead to adoption. In 2019, 56% of all foster placements and 80% of placements of children under the age of 1 ended in reunification with the birth family. Therefore, it is important that prospective and current foster care providers clearly understand their role in helping children achieve permanency, whether it is reunification or another permanency option, and are aware of the likelihood that a placement will end in reunification.
Adult siblings and the Foster Care Sibling Bill of Rights
The Foster Care Sibling Bill of Rights applies to siblings in Minnesota’s foster care system. While these rights generally pertain to siblings who are in foster care at the same time, there are some provisions that also apply when a child has adult siblings who are not in foster care.
- When a child enters foster care, child welfare agency staff are required to give a copy of the Foster Care Sibling Bill of Rights to the child’s adult siblings (if known).
- A child placed in foster care has the right to be placed in foster care homes with their siblings, when possible and in the best interests of each sibling. This includes when their adult sibling is the foster care provider.
- If not placed together, a child has the right to be placed in close geographical distance to their siblings, have frequent contact with their siblings (unless contact is not in the best interests of any of the siblings), and participate in regular face-to-face visits whenever possible (unless visits are contrary to the safety or well-being of any of the siblings).
- A child placed in foster care also has the right to be informed of expectations for, and possibility of continued contact with a sibling (including adult siblings), after an adoption or TPLPC occurs.
Additionally, adult siblings of children in foster care have an explicit right to be considered as foster care providers, adoptive parents, and relative custodians for their siblings, if they choose to do so. Licensing requirements allow adult siblings age 18 and older to be licensed to provide foster care and become permanent caregivers for their siblings in foster care.
Minnesota Youth Voice program from Ampersand Families
The DHS permanency support unit contracts with Ampersand Families to provide services to youth and families throughout the foster care and adoption process. One such service is the Minnesota Youth Voice program (MYVoice), a youth leadership program where Ampersand Families collaborates with young people ages 12-20 with experience in the foster care and/or adoption systems to promote connection, education, and change. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, virtual connections have been particularly important, as well as creative and artistic engagement.
MYVoice interactive: The MyVoice interactive art project is an ongoing program that is gaining momentum as the community focuses on staying home and COVID-safe. Ampersand Families issues art calls each month via the agency website and social media; these art calls vary from general to specific themes or topics. Young people are paid for their art submissions, which are shared online as well as used in Ampersand Families programming. Find information about the current MYVoice Interactive art project here and check out past submissions here.
MYVoice virtual hangouts: The MYVoice program holds regular, youth-facilitated virtual hangouts for young people with experience in the foster care system. These virtual hangouts allow young people to connect online for games, discussions, and fun. Virtual hangouts provide a great opportunity to connect young people from throughout the state and from various settings. Ampersand Families has reported that young people feel these virtual hangouts are special because they do not have other spaces where they can fully relate to others about some of their life experiences. Find info about the next MYVoice virtual hangout here.
For more information and to keep up on MYVoice activities, follow Ampersand Families MYVoice on Instagram at @mnyouthvoice or watch the program website for all the latest activities. You can also email myvoice@ampersandfamilies.org to sign up for the colleague mailing list to receive occasional emails with information about Ampersand Families programming for professionals to share with youth clients. Ampersand Families also has separate mailing lists for youth and for caregivers. If you’d like to refer youth, or if you have questions about any of these programs, contact the Youth Leadership Program Coordinator, Emily Lindell, at 612-695-4328.
Adoption Medicine Clinic telehealth appointments
The Adoption Medicine Clinic has launched telehealth appointments! The Adoption Medicine Clinic provides comprehensive child wellness assessments for foster, adoptive and kinship youth. Assessments screen for medical, developmental, cognitive and mental health needs through review of the child’s family, medical and developmental history; a medical exam including lab work, screening for toxic exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; and screening of developmental skills and mental health needs. Find more information here.
Caregiver Resources Library from MACMH
The Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH) recently launched a free Caregiver Resources Library. Users can subscribe to have access to the library for free. Current topics include attachment, trauma and child development.
National Adoption Month resources for child welfare professionals
The Children’s Bureau’s National Adoption Month website has resources and tips for child welfare professionals on engaging and involving youth in their own case. It includes common challenges encountered by child welfare professionals, such as youth feeling unsure about permanency, or prioritizing youth engagement when there are competing priorities. View these tips and resources on the National Adoption Month website.
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