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Minnesota is marking Adoption from Foster Care Awareness Month this November with a focus on keeping families together whenever possible and, when necessary, seeking adoptive families.
When children enter Minnesota’s child protection system, the goal is to reunify them safely with their birth families. When that’s not possible, the Minnesota Department of Human Services works with partners and communities to prioritize finding relatives to provide permanent homes. When relatives aren’t available, DHS seeks other families to permanently best meet the needs of children in foster care.
While Minnesota families adopted 991 children from foster care last year, 569 are still waiting for permanent families. Of those waiting children, 51% are between the ages of 12 and 18 years old, while 59% are siblings who need to be adopted together.
“To best thrive, children need safe, nurturing, permanent homes,” said Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “We celebrate families formed through adoption, while also recognizing the great need for more adoptive families who represent the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of children waiting for adoption, and for families to adopt older children and sibling groups.”
Many of the children waiting for adoption have experienced trauma during critical developmental years. DHS seeks diverse families to provide support to these children in need.
Help is available along the way. Before, during and after adoption, DHS, counties, tribes and contracted adoption agencies provide information, support, training, services and referrals to children and parents.
More details are in a department news release.
For more information about adoption, contact a county or Tribal social service agency, visit MN ADOPT at www.mnadopt.org, or visit the adoption and kinship page on the DHS website.
 New state grants will help older Minnesotans continue living in their own homes by funding services such as caregiver support, help with housekeeping, modifications to prevent falls, and more accessible gardens.
Fifty-seven organizations will receive more than $7 million in Live Well At Home grants from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to support aging Minnesotans. The goal is to help older adults stay healthy, independent and involved in their communities.
The latest projects include:
- Expanding caregiver support for older people and their families to the Red Lake Nation, White Earth Nation, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, and Lake of the Woods County.
- Funding a raised-bed vegetable and flower garden in McGregor to allow access for people using wheelchairs and walkers.
- Providing new services for American Indian elders in their homes in Minneapolis, including homemaker and chore services, home safety assessments and modifications to prevent falls.
“Most people want to live at home as long as possible,” said Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “Supporting older Minnesotans to stay in their homes can lead to better health and quality of life. It can also ease pressure on residential care facilities that are struggling to find enough staff.”
A list of grant recipients is in a department news release.
 Shared on the DHS Careers Facebook page:
Join us on Wed. November 30th from 1-5 pm and Thurs. December 1st at our Career Fair located in Anoka, MN!
Recruiters and hiring managers will be available to walk you through the hiring process. Interviews will be available that day if you are interested in your next career with us!
Call 651-431-5075 to set up an interview (not required), walk-ins are welcome.
Follow our DHS Careers Facebook page for announcements of hiring events, job postings, internships and more.
Follow DHS on Twitter and Facebook for timely updates on DHS news and events.
For accessible formats of this publication, write to dhs.communications@state.mn.us, or call 651-431-2000 or use your preferred relay service.
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