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You are receiving this email because you are a child foster care licensor or supervisor.
Thank you for all that you have done to support child foster care providers during the pandemic. Your efforts to adapt to changing circumstances and develop new routines are greatly appreciated and have not gone unnoticed—thank you!
In spring 2020, the Commissioner of Human Services temporarily modified certain requirements for licensed child foster care in order to give providers more flexibility to operate in a pandemic and focus on critical health and safety measures. On June 30, the Minnesota Legislature voted to end the state peacetime emergency effective Thursday, July 1, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. This means that some temporary modifications put in place during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency will be ending immediately while other modifications will end on August 30, 2021. The legislature only allowed DHS to extend some of the waivers for 60 days beyond the end of the peacetime emergency, after which providers must return to following licensing requirements as provided in rule and statute.
Information about the timelines for ending the modifications to child foster care licensing requirements can be found here:
Effective immediately on July 2, 2021
- Being familiar with and following COVID-19 guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is no longer a licensing requirement. As of July 2, 2021, licensors cannot cite a provider for not following MDH and CDC guidance.
Starting on August 31, 2021 (60 days after the end of the peacetime emergency)
Effective August 31, 2021, all programs must be fully compliant with all relevant statutes and rules, including the previously waived requirements that have not otherwise expired:
- Licensors will transition back to conducting in-person visits for licensing reviews.
- Licenses will no longer be extended for an additional three months. The last three-month extension will be issued for licenses expiring on July 31, 2021.
- The time to complete an application for licensure for an emergency relative placement is within 10 days of placement. (Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.035, Subd. 5)
- Long-term substitute caregivers who provide more than 30 cumulative days of substitute care in a 12-month period must have at least six hours of training or 20 hours of experience in caring for children with the particular needs of the foster children to be cared for. (Minnesota Rules, part 2960.3090, subp. 2)
- Child foster residence setting staff must be 21 years of age or older. A variance must be requested from the county to have staff younger than 21 years of age work in the program. (Minnesota Rules, part 2960.3220, subp. 5)
- New family foster parents must complete at least six hours of orientation prior to licensure. Relative foster parents must complete orientation within 30 days following the initial placement of a child. (Minnesota Rules, part 2960.3070, subp. 1)
- New staff at a child foster residence setting must complete at least six hours of orientation training before having unsupervised contact with foster children. (Minnesota Rules, part 2960.3210, subp. 1)
- Prior to licensure or nonemergency placement of a child in a foster care home, the child foster care license holder and caregivers in foster family and treatment foster care settings, and all staff providing care in foster residence settings must complete two hours of mental health training. (Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.175)
- Individuals who need to take initial child passenger restraint systems (CARS) training or who need to renew CARS training must complete an in-person training according to the timelines below.
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New applicants or individuals who need CARS training after August 30, 2021: After the 60-day waiver off-ramping period ends, all new applicants and individuals must meet the child passenger restraint systems training requirements outlined in Minnesota Statutes 245A.18.
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New applicants or individuals who completed CARS training during the peacetime emergency or 60 day waiver off-ramp period (through August 30, 2021): Individuals who completed the online CARS training, as allowed by the waiver, must come into full compliance with the requirements of Minnesota Statutes 245A.18 and complete in-person training by their next license renewal or December 31, 2021, whichever date is later. (Note: a license can be recommended after August 30, 2021, for any new applicant who completes online CARS training through August 30, 2021.)
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Existing license holders or individuals whose training expired during the peacetime emergency or 60 day waiver off-ramp period (through August 30, 2021): License holders or individuals whose training expired during the peacetime emergency must come into full compliance with the requirements of Minnesota Statutes 245A.18 and complete in-person training by their next license renewal or December 31, 2021, whichever date is later.
A Frequently Asked Questions document has also been prepared for your reference.
DHS Licensing will send a similar email with this information to the authorized agents for foster residence settings.
Background Studies
Please watch your emails, as additional information about background studies will be distributed by the DHS Background Studies Division.
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