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Content submission deadline: August 20, 2021
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: Stakeholder engagement
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.
Following the end of a legislative session in Minnesota, DHS staff work on implementing new laws as well as any changes to existing law. This type of work may include:
- establishing task forces or workgroups
- working on legislative reports
- conducting pilot programs
- issuing new or updated policy bulletins
- developing new training and updating existing training
- communicating with our partner agencies and stakeholders.
Even as DHS staff are working towards implementation of new and modified laws, DHS staff are also preparing for future legislative sessions, including exploring ideas for possible legislative proposals.
An important component for both implementation and exploration work is stakeholder engagement. The goal of implementing new laws and making changes is to better meet the needs in the community, which can only be done if stakeholder feedback is fully considered. Stakeholder engagement should not be used just to seek approval of an already existing legislative proposal. Rather, stakeholder engagement is most effective when authentically used at all stages of legislative proposal development, from the very beginning stages (e.g., identifying areas of concern, researching possible solutions, etc.) to the very end (e.g., putting forward a legislative solution, ensuring informative testimony, implementing laws, etc.).
Not engaging stakeholders means we lose a critical perspective: That of the persons and communities who will be most affected should our proposed change occur. This can result in legislative proposals failing to move forward, as areas of concern emerge that had not previously been taken into consideration, or even legislative proposals becoming law and failing to achieve the intended outcome. Uninformed legislative proposals can also create or exacerbate existing harm for communities of color and other communities who already experience disparate outcomes. It is important to us that the voices of those who actively experience disparities and disproportionality in our child welfare system are included in any proposed solution aimed to alleviate and remove said disparities and disproportionality.
To support stakeholders being able to provide feedback and engage in the process, we encourage all feedback in any format that feels most comfortable to each individual, whether it is a formal stakeholder group meeting or a private phone call or email, to allow for stakeholders to provide honest and direct feedback. Additionally, we also encourage stakeholders to share concerns when requests for feedback are made without full consideration of their needs; for example, a stakeholder engagement opportunity that is only available via remote technology may result in individuals without access to such technology not being able to provide feedback.
Foster care recruitment campaign starts July 6th
MN ADOPT, in partnership with the Department of Human Services and Imagewërks Marketing, is launching a foster care recruitment campaign, beginning July 6, 2021. The goal of this 3-month campaign is to increase the number of foster parents in Minnesota with an emphasis on recruitment of foster parents in diverse communities and greater Minnesota.
The campaign is part of MN ADOPT’s Fostering Network Program, and will consist of social media, email, traditional mail, and online digital outreach. All materials will direct those interested in learning more to fostertodaymn.com on the MN ADOPT website, where they can learn about the process, get answers to their questions, connect to support services, or begin the foster care process.
“COVID-19 has drastically reduced our ability to participate in community events geared toward family recruitment, so we’re excited for this unique opportunity to raise awareness about the need for foster parents for Minnesota children. We are especially thankful for the support the Department of Human Services has provided for this project, as well as the professional expertise of Imagewërks Marketing in helping to develop and launch this campaign. We hope this opportunity helps us to reach a larger and more diverse pool of families to support Minnesota’s youth in foster care.” ~ Rachel Walstad, MN ADOPT Executive Director
Recent DHS bulletins
Bulletin 21-32-02C Corrected: Northstar Care for Children Basic and Supplemental Payment Rates and Initial Clothing Allowance
Basic and Supplemental payment rates for Northstar Care for Children, and Initial Clothing Allowance for all children in foster care, effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, and related fiscal considerations.
Bulletin 21-68-17 Family First Prevention Services Act: Children’s residential facilities/foster residence settings implementation (state.mn.us)
Provide resources to assist children’s residential facilities and foster residences licensed under Minnesota Rule, Chapter 2960, to maintain or obtain Title IV-E approval after implementation of Family First Prevention Services Act.
Bulletin 20-68-13C Corrected: Modify timelines and face-to-face requirements for child protection responses to alleged maltreatment
Policy modification for face-to-face contact requirements and timelines for child protection assessments and investigations in limited circumstances related to COVID-19 precautions.
Invitation to participate in preschool rate study
We are looking for families who are currently receiving Northstar Adoption Assistance or Northstar Kinship Assistance who would be interested in participating in a doctoral study. The study will give families an opportunity to share their experiences with the Northstar Adoption Assistance and Northstar Kinship Assistance programs and how the preschool entry rate may have affected the process of finalization.
Participants would share their experiences via a 30-45 minute phone interview with the researcher. All responses to the interview questions will be kept confidential, and identifying information will be removed from the data to protect participants’ identity.
No compensation will be given for participation in the study. However, their participation will provide a greater understanding of how the Northstar Adoption Assistance and Northstar Kinship Assistance programs’ preschool entry rate affects families and Minnesota children in need of permanent homes.
If you know a family who may be interested in participating in this study, and are either receiving the preschool entry rate for a child, or are receiving the school age entry rate but their child was between the ages of 6 and 7 years old at the time of finalization, please have them email Catrina Ankarlo at catrina.ankarlo@state.mn.us, or call Catrina at (651) 431-4718 to set up an interview.
Employment opportunities
DHS recruitment consultant focus group opportunities
In our March 2021 newsletter, we noted the Permanency Support unit had started consultation with Michael Sanders and Adrian McLemore of The 220 Experience to review child-specific recruitment services, practices and policy in Minnesota. This collaboration has begun to provide an analysis of policy, outcomes, and feedback to identify areas of strength and areas to grow in child-specific recruitment practices for older youth in out-of-home care. Also, Michael and Adrian have provided direct consultation on some child-specific recruitment cases.
We anticipate to have stakeholder feedback opportunities for professionals, youth, and families in September. These opportunities will include individual conversations and group options, all to occur remotely. If you are interested in participating in in these stakeholder groups or providing feedback on child-specific recruitment, please contact Michelle Frazier at michelle.frazier@state.mn.us.
DHS training opportunities
DHS Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) staff are available to provide training to your team. If your agency would be interested in receiving training on ICPC, contact Ashley Holmes, ICPC Deputy Compact Administrator, at ashley.holmes@state.mn.us.
DHS permanency unit quality assurance staff provide training on permanency-related topics, including adoption, transfer of permanent legal and physical custody to a relative, Northstar Adoption and Kinship Assistance, social and medical histories, relative search and engagement for permanency, and more. If your agency has permanency-related training needs, contact the permanency quality assurance team at northstar.benefits@state.mn.us.
Based on feedback obtained from the SSIS mentor assessment, DHS SSIS Training team is offering 14 live SSIS Coffee Talk webinars for professionals. SSIS Training has worked with the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy to create a landing page for the previous SSIS Mentor Coffee Talks as well as ICWA coffee talks. These can be found at SSIS Training Unit | MN Child Welfare Workforce Training Academy.
Conferences and events
Other training opportunities
Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health’s Summer Training Series is open for registration. The Summer Training Series features webinars on grief, substance use, mindfulness, the importance of play, early childhood trauma, and more. Each webinar will be recorded and available to watch for 30 days following the live session. Registration is required prior to each webinar, whether attending live or viewing the recorded webinar at a later date. Up to 32 CEHs are available. For more information and to register, visit the MACMH Summer Training Series webpage.
The MN ADOPT Education Program has closed captioned, pre-recorded webinars available. Find the selection here. Join MN ADOPT on July 27, 2021, for a webinar titled Understanding Autism in Adoption and Foster Care. This workshop will help adoptive and foster parents, as well as professionals, better understand autism spectrum disorders. Presenters will discuss the intersection between autism and foster care/adoption. Register here.
Children’s Home Society is offering foster care adoption education classes online in August and September.
In-person visit requirements for adoption-only home studies
Recently, DHS Licensing issued guidance noting that the end of Minnesota’s peacetime emergency on July 1, 2021, will result in the end of waivers and modifications that were put in place during the peacetime emergency. This guidance clarified that certain waivers have a 60-day extension following the end of the peacetime emergency.
The Permanency Support unit provided guidance in spring of 2020 which referenced a bulletin released by the Child Safety and Permanency division. At that time, our department supported the same guidance provided by the Licensing division, which indicated agencies could conduct visits that are intended to be in person to the best extent possible using remote technologies that support social distancing and community mitigation. The guidance was based on how relevant sections of Minnesota Statutes were worded, and whether flexibility could be supported (regardless of applicability of the various waivers) in light of the pandemic and in consideration of temporary, pandemic-specific guidance provided by the federal Children’s Bureau and DHS in related areas. All bulletins released during this time can be found here.
The Child Safety and Permanency division has not issued any updated bulletins regarding the matter. However, it is important to note that the referenced waivers were never applicable to Chapter 259 requirements. For adoption-only home studies, agencies can use their own discretion on how home study services and post-placement assessment services will be conducted, while keeping in mind that per Minnesota Statutes, an in-home visit with a prospective adoptive parent must be included as part of the home study assessment process. If an agency chooses to utilize remote technologies to complete visits for adoption services, the agency should consult with their attorney, especially if the intent is to forego all in-home visits. Additionally, the agency must ensure all topic areas outlined in statute are addressed to the best of their ability. Please note for ICPC cases, the requirements may differ as well, so it is important to consult with the Minnesota ICPC office at DHS at mn.icpc@state.mn.us.
Permanency support services for adoptive, foster and kinship families
Permanency support services are available to assist children, youth and families throughout the foster care or adoption process. MN DHS contracts with agencies to provide services that help families support and care for children and youth who have been adopted or are in foster placements or kinship care. Find more information here.
Policy on Allow Natural Death/Do Not Resuscitate (AND/DNR) or other end-of-life care orders for children under guardianship of the commissioner
(Note: This policy review was also included in our December 2020 newsletter.) The commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services has the exclusive right to consent to the medical care plan for treatment of a child under the commissioner’s guardianship, if the child is at imminent risk of death, or if the child has a chronic disease that, in a physician’s judgment, will result in the child’s death in the near future, including a physician’s order not to resuscitate or intubate the child.
If a physician is recommending an end-of-life care order (including do not resuscitate, do not intubate, and allow natural death orders) for a child under guardianship of the commissioner, the child’s responsible social services agency is not authorized to give consent. Instead, agency staff must contact the commissioner’s designated agent to initiate the consent process. The commissioner’s designated agent is Heidi Ombisa Skallet, adoption and kinship policy specialist. She can be reached via email at heidi.ombisa.skallet@state.mn.us, or via phone at 651-895-4067. Due to the time-sensitive nature of these requests, be sure to include “AND/DNR request” in the email subject line (if contacting by email).
Review the full policy on the adoption and guardianship section of CountyLink. If you have questions about the policy and/or the process, email Heidi Ombisa Skallet at heidi.ombisa.skallet@state.mn.us.
MN ADOPT podcast now available
MN ADOPT is excited to announce the release of a new podcast episode every other Wednesday. MN ADOPT podcasts are filled with valuable resources for prospective and current adoptive and foster families, as well as professionals. At less than 30 minutes per episode, MN ADOPT podcasts are created to fit into busy schedules while being packed with information to help navigate the complexities and needs of foster care and adoption. Find the MN ADOPT podcasts on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play by searching for “MN ADOPT” on the selected podcast app, or subscribe or listen here.
RentHelpMN is still open for applications
COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance is available to Minnesotans struggling to pay their rent and utility bills because of the pandemic. Eligible Minnesota renters can receive up to 15 months of assistance with their rent and utility bills that are dated on or after March 13, 2020. Applications are still being accepted through RentHelpMN at renthelpmn.org. Landlords can also use this website to help their tenants access this resource. Questions? Contact a RentHelpMN representative by calling 211.
Application open for the Phoenix Learning Xchange (PLX) certificate program
PLX is a dynamic, interactive, multidisciplinary, non-credit certificate program that aims to broaden the knowledge of the development, challenges, positive engagement and wellbeing of youth and adolescents involved in the child welfare and other systems. The PLX certificate program incorporates face to face classroom instruction and discussion with online supplemental coursework and practice consultation to guide the learning experience. Completion of this certificate program will provide learners with knowledge, skills, practice opportunities and a supportive multidisciplinary community in which to learn and collaborate. Participants will earn 55.5 CEUs from the Board of Social Work. Learn more and apply on the PLX website. Application closes Sept. 10, 2021.
Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare project
Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) is organizing a project to uplift voices in child welfare and honor their work. Part of this project involves the nomination of workers throughout the Minnesota child welfare community. Supervisors can nominate a particular staff or colleague and if a nomination is sent in by July 30, you will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card. Find more information here.
Registration open for Permanency and Adoption Competency Certificate (PACC)
Applications are now being accepted for 2021-22 PACC cohorts that will begin in October (Metro area & Greater Minnesota).
The PACC program is designed to increase the number of qualified permanency and adoption mental health and child welfare professionals in Minnesota who are able to work in collaborative, cross-disciplinary and multicultural contexts. Applicants for the cohort-based training should have 5+ years of practice experience, and work in a current professional role impacted by permanency and adoption across an array of settings including public and tribal child welfare, mental health, education, or healthcare. The program’s training schedule, pace and assignments are designed for participants with full-time employment. Detailed logistical information and calendar can be found on the training page. If you need more information, questions about the program can be submitted here.
Ampersand Families employment opportunities
Ampersand Families provides permanency and adoption services to older youth and families who face barriers to equity in child welfare, and champions systemic changes that advance belonging, dignity and hope. Ampersand Families currently have the following openings:
- Relative/Kin Search and Engagement Specialist – 30 Days to Family ®
- Program Director – Youth Services
All of the position postings, including salary and benefits information, can be found here.
MN ADOPT’s 3rd annual Back-to-School Shopping Event
MN ADOPT gives a big THANK YOU to everyone who signed up their children and youth for the Back-to-School Shopping Event. Email communication will continue with updates and information through the end of August, so look for more information. The event is funded solely through the generosity of businesses, organizations, and individuals through the State of Minnesota.
MN ADOPT is thrilled to report a total of $43, 672 was raised for the Back-to-School Shopping Event. MN ADOPT is able to give 218 kids $200 each to go shopping.
Child Welfare Information Gateway resources
The Child Welfare Information Gateway has parenting resources to help parents talk to children and teenagers about adoption. Review these resources here.
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