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Now available every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
We encourage foster parents to access Hennepin County’s Family Response program, which offers immediate in-person support and stabilization for children and youth ages 5 to 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.
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Foster children may have immediate needs for clothing and essentials when coming into placement. To help, Hennepin County issues a one-time clothing allowance for foster youth. The items purchased with this clothing allowance should go with the foster youth when they move. Please refer to the Foster Parent Guide for more information.
Below are community resources for clothing and essentials.
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Safe Haven Foster Shoppe
Safe Haven provides foster children with bags that are age, gender, and size specific. These items may include new clothing, pajamas, hygiene products and a stuffed animal. If the family is caring for an infant, diaper bags with bottles and pacifiers are available. Other items include coats, shoes, toys, formula and school supplies. Submit a request by completing the request items form.
Wrapped in Love
Wrapped in Love is a non-profit clothing store that provides a boutique-style shopping experience in Buffalo, Minnesota. Wrapped in Love provides new and gently used clothing in all sizes free of charge to families with foster, kinship and adopted children. Email wrappedinloveappoint@gmail.com to set up an appointment to shop at the store.
A message from the Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) program:
Your child’s health and well-being are key to their success in and out of the classroom. When your child feels their best, they are better learners. Studies show that good health can lead to higher academic achievement, improved performance in activities and sports, and better behavior in kids.
Help your child take on the school year by bringing them in for their annual well-child checkup. Your provider will make sure the child’s growth and development are on track, their mental health is good, their immunizations are up to date, and they are fit to participate in sports and activities.
If you have questions about your child or youth health, talk to their clinic.
We can help!
The Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) staff are experienced in finding medical and dental clinics. We can help schedule appointments and set up transportation and interpreters, when needed.
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Questions? Call or email us today!
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Foster parent Holly has been working with us over the past year to provide items relative foster parents need for initial licensing. She has donated fire extinguishers, battery operated radios and other useful items, such as toothbrushes and batteries for smoke detectors, to help alleviate the financial burden for families during the licensing process.
Over the past year, Holly has helped over 23 families. “I thought about people who are rushed [to get licensed and suddenly provide care to children] and the fire extinguisher alone can cost $40," she says. "If you’re on a budget and have children in your home who have experienced trauma, you may not have time to get what is needed. This is one less thing they have to worry about.”
Thank you, Holly, for your dedication to and compassion for other foster parents and children.
Share your ideas and win a gift card!
As youth are placed in your home, how do you furnish their room and get age-appropriate items, like toys?
Complete this survey to share your ideas, and you'll have the opportunity to win a $10 gift card!
Preparing your home for placement survey
Entry forms must be submitted by Wednesday, September 27.
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As foster parents, you know that most children in foster care return home to their families. Some are adopted by relatives or by their foster parents.
When these options aren’t possible, kids still need loving and supportive adoptive families. Many waiting children in Hennepin County are school-age or teens, or they are part of a sibling group. Help us spread the word and find permanent families for these youth. We are in need of loving families, like yours, who are willing to be a mentor, respite provider, foster family, or adoptive resource for these youth.
Meet Ronald
Ronald is an inquisitive and joyful young man. He enjoys asking questions, engaging in fun activities, and making connections with others. Ronald likes listening to music and some of his favorite artists are Michael Jackson, Prince and Queen. He also enjoys listening to kids rap. If a song that he enjoys comes on you will likely see him dancing and singing along or possibly making a video of himself singing on his tablet. Ronald likes playing basketball, fishing, playing video games, assembling LEGO sets, recording videos, visiting the animal shelter, playing on the playground and building things. He loves going to camp every summer and all the activities he gets to do there, including ziplining!
Following permanency, Ronald will need to maintain contact with his brother and other birth family members.
Minnesota and Wisconsin families are being considered with preference for proximity to the Twin Cities metro area.
Check out Ronald's Kid Connection experience at Brickmania where he got a behind the scenes look.
Ask more about Ronald
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Please visit the child foster care license website to view foster care training requirements, training calendar and more information for foster parents.
We offer training from the following entities free of charge to our foster parents.
Hennepin County Child Foster Care Training
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. Learn about the requirements that apply to you on the foster parent website. If you have questions, consult your licensor.
Find information about foster parent training requirements, registration and schedules
Foster Adopt MN
Foster Adopt MN, also known as FAM, is a non-placing agency in the state of Minnesota that provides training to fully support adoptive, kinship and foster families and their children.
Foster Parent College
Foster Parent College's self-paced training courses are available 24/7. Most courses include informative handouts, interactive exercises, an interactive review questionnaire, and a printable summary.
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
NACAC provides a variety of trainings to help adoptive and foster parents, child welfare professionals and child advocates achieve the best possible outcomes for children and families.
Book reviews for training credit
Did you know that you can receive training credit for reading books that help increase your skills as a foster parent? Your licensing worker can give you a form to fill out. The maximum credit you can receive per year for reading books is three hours.
Here's one book you might find helpful: No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
This book teaches parents a method for disciplining children that works with a child’s neurological development in a straightforward and easy to understand way. It stresses the importance of connecting with a child before correcting the behavior so children are better able to retain what they are told and work with you to develop solutions. The goal of this method is not only to potentially avoid tantrums and tears before they start, but also to have fewer outbursts and problem behaviors in the future, as you work with them to create long-lasting behavior changes while building relationships.
Reading this book can help you gain more empathy for your children and better understand how their developing brains work to better help them. No-Drama Discipline discusses strategies and techniques for children of all ages and can be helpful for parents at all stages of life. We would recommend this book if you want to increase the connection to your child and limit the stressors around discipline.
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