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Education Support Services (ESS) provides voluntary academic support for students and their families/caregivers. Education Support Services (ESS) provides academic support, mentorship, tutoring, and GED preparation to help students achieve their educational goals.
Services are currently provided virtually and in person, and are available in English, Hmong, Somali, and Spanish.
If you are fostering a school-aged youth who could benefit from mentoring, credit recovery services, special education navigation, and/or academic tutoring, please reach out to your licensor or the youth's worker for more information to receive a referral.
More back-to-school resources
Hennepin County libraries offer free tutoring both in-person and online. Get your library card and learn more about library resources in this K-12 Education Newsletter.
Mental health is just as important as physical health. Mental health screenings begin at age 12.
Since COVID, depression and anxiety in children has doubled, and it’s estimated that 80% of children and youth in foster care have a mental health issue. Treatment can be very successful. However, less than 25% of children in foster care receive mental health services by the end of their first year of out-of-home placement.
Mental health is a part of every Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) well-child checkup. If your foster care child or youth is suffering from anxiety, depression, substance use or other issues, the doctor can connect you to resources for help.
Youth will have alone time with their doctor to talk about their health. It’s important for them to feel comfortable talking to their doctor about all parts of their health and encourage them to take an active role in their well-being.
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Questions? Call or email us today!
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We can help! The Child and Teen Checkups staff are experienced in finding medical and dental clinics. We can help schedule appointments and set up transportation or interpreters when needed.
Hennepin County has over ten youth that will achieve permanency through adoption in November. This year we are doing things a little differently. Instead of celebrating several adoptions on one day, we are spreading it out over the entire month.
Each of the adoptive families will be receiving a handmade gift bag from their adoption worker which includes items such as stuffed animals, books, blankets, fidget toys, snacks, and a gift card! Professional photographer, Ceri McCaffrey, is also volunteering her time and skills to do a free family photo session for a number of adoptive families to celebrate National Adoption Month.
Please visit Foster Adopt MN to meet youth looking for an adoptive home.
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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 need loving and supportive adoptive families. Many waiting children in Hennepin County are school-age or teens, or 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 kid's 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!
Watch "Reel of Hope" on Ronald's Foster Adopt MN page
Please reach out to foster.adopt@hennepin.us if you are interested in learning more about Ronald.
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Car Seat Safety
As of January 1, 2025, the current 3-hour Child and Restraint System (C.A.R.S.) curriculum training will be replaced by the Basic Education for Safe Travel (B.E.S.T.)
If you completed the C.A.R.S training during the months of January - March 2020 and are still caring for children under the age of 8, it is recommended that you complete your recertification before the end of 2024.
Minnesota's updated Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Law
This law went into effect August 1, 2024. The updated law is based on best practice recommendations that encourage caregivers and parents to get the full use out of your car seat by maxing out either the height limit or the weight limit, whichever your child reaches first. It's the safest thing you can do!
Registration process
Visit the one-stop child foster care license website created for foster parents to learn about training requirements and view the training calendar.
Foster parents | Hennepin County
Send all your requests for training registration to fostercare@hennepin.us.
Once you have read the Essentials, take the Essentials quiz to earn one hour of training credit. We will forward the quiz to your worker once we have received it.
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