We want to celebrate you at our annual picnic and resource fair!
May is National Foster Care Month, and a time to recognize your contributions as foster providers and raise awareness about the needs of children and youth in foster care.
Please join us for an afternoon filled with games, prizes, resources, and more. While you're there, don't forget to grab a foster care yard sign to help raise awareness about the needs of children and youth in foster care! Thank you for all that you do to help build a stronger community.
- Saturday, May 17, 2 - 4 p.m.
- Veterans Park, 6335 Portland Avenue, Richfield
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Many foster parents find themselves in the role of managing emergencies or crises at times. Being prepared and knowing who to call is critically important.
Make sure to include the following resources in the posted list of emergency phone numbers in your home. They are available to assist in the event of a mental health emergency.
Reporting emergencies
When there is an emergency or significant incident, foster parents are expected to report what happened to Hennepin County as soon as possible. Some emergencies should be reported immediately to the child’s worker and your licensing social worker. If it is after hours or you are unable to reach the workers right away, call 612-348-3552.
Emergencies that should be reported immediately include:
- An injury to a child that requires emergency medical treatment
- Hospitalization of a child in foster care
- A child whose behavior is injurious to self or others
- A child returned to you from a supervised or unsupervised visit with unexplained injuries
- A child telling you of alleged abuse or neglect
- A parent not returning a child at the end of a visit
- A lost or runaway child
- Any time you have called the crisis team
- Any law enforcement involvement at your home, whether a child in foster care is involved or not
- Assault, physical or sexual abuse of any child or adult in your home
- Any incidents involving weapons or firearms
- Emergency relocation of the family away from the foster home
- Physical health situations that require immediate attention, including serious communicable diseases
When in doubt, give us a call
The above is not a complete list. If you are not sure if you should call, it is better to do so.
There are other concerns that may come up that should be reported to your licensing worker and the child’s social worker as well, though they may not be emergencies. For more information about what incidents need to be reported within 24 hours, please review page 63 of the Hennepin County Foster Parent Guide.
If you have any questions about reporting emergencies or incidents, please contact your licensing worker.
Hennepin County's Education Support Services (ESS) program provides voluntary academic support for students and their families/caregivers including 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.
Keep up with summer reading
Children of any age receiving Educational Support Services can take the Ready, Set, Read summer break reading challenge. Complete ten or more activities in the month of July and win a $30 gift card.
Brush up on literacy skills with a Read Together routine. Read Together has literacy tips for children by age. You can also encourage middle and high school readers by talking to them about what they like to read, reading a favorite book of theirs, or choosing a book and movie combo to read and watch together!
Keep learning this summer with fun and free ideas from the Smithsonian. Whether your children love nature, music, arts and crafts, or gaming, they will find some fun and free projects at the Smithsonian magazine online.
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We recently updated the Hennepin County Foster Parent Guide - your source for important information about foster care requirements, expectations, and policies. While much of the information in the guide stayed the same, important updates include:
- The role of staff at the Placement Coordination Center (page 9)
- Policies about sharing bedrooms in foster care (page 21)
- Safe sleep requirements, including policies about infant helmets and the use of cradleboards (page 24)
- Car seat safety requirements (page 26)
- Current training requirements for foster parents (page 30)
- The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Weflare Disproportionality Act (42)
- Signing up for direct deposit (page 56)
- Emergencies and incidents that foster parents must report to Hennepin County (page 62)
- The Minnesota Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson (page 69)
The most current version of the guide will always be available to you at the top of the Hennepin County foster parent website by clicking the Foster Parent Guide link.
Within the guide, you can conveniently navigate to the information you need by clicking on the sections in the Table of Contents.
Please use this new Foster Parent Guide and discard any older versions you may have. This version contains the most current and accurate information. If you need a paper copy of the guide, please reach out to your foster care licensor to request one.
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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.
Joaquin (9) is creative, affectionate, and friendly. He enjoys spending one-on-one time with others and getting to know them. Joaquin likes to build racetracks, play outside, draw, and swim. He has a good memory and has been trying new foods. Joaquin’s favorite food is macaroni and cheese.
Isabella (5) is outgoing, friendly, and not afraid to express herself. She likes to snuggle and receive attention. Isabella enjoys playing with other children, going to the park, and drawing with chalk. Isabella loves singing and going to preschool. She has a love for stuffed animals and her special blanket.
The department is currently looking for a foster home that is open to permanency. A relative option is also being explored.
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Tips for boosting your child's immune system
Check out ideas for helping kids stay healthy:
- Provide them a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables (at least five servings recommended each day), whole grains, and lean protein. A healthy diet also has dairy or another source of calcium and healthy fats like avocados, nuts or olive oil. Avoid processed foods, foods with added sugar, and unhealthy saturated fats found in some animal products.\
- Make sure they get enough sleep. The amount of sleep a child needs varies by age (from 12-16 hours a day for infants, to 8-10 hours for teens), and also from child to child (some need more sleep than others). You can encourage healthy sleep by limiting screen time and keeping a regular schedule for sleep and wake time.
- Keep them active such as playing at the playground or going for a walk. It is recommended that children 3-5 years old need to be active throughout the day. Children and adolescents 6-17 years old need to be active for at least 60 minutes every day.
- Manage stress. Make sure kids have downtime to play and access activities and people that make them happy. Spend time together as a family and create opportunities for your child to talk about anything that might be worrying them.
- Make sure they are up to date on important vaccines. Immunizations protect us from all kinds of illnesses. Your child’s doctor can make recommendations for any needed vaccinations at their Child and Teen Checkup medical visit.
- Everyone in the family can do these simple things: Wash your hands. Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow. Stay away from sick people to the extent that you can.
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Questions? Call or email us today!
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Hennepin County Licensor Barb Londo recently interviewed provider Linda Wilson about her foster care experience. Read her heartwarming responses below:
What initially inspired you to become a foster parent?
My mother encouraged me to get involved with an area to help children and seeing and helping two kids that were in foster care back when I was in 5th grade.
What do you find most rewarding about fostering?
Providing a safe, structured and love-filled home that bridges children to either reunification or their next path in life.
How has fostering impacted your family dynamic?
It has enhanced the love that we all pour into the healing of children that have endured challenges prior to their sudden life upsets. It has also educated us in many ways about some of the trauma that people endure from day to day.
Do you feel like you are making a difference in the lives of the children you foster?
YES!
What about their families/parents?
Most all the parents/families express repeatedly how grateful they are for all that we do and many of the children continue to come back into our lives after leaving and want to stay connected with us even into their adulthood.
What support system do you rely on to manage the demands of fostering?
Our family, church family, family friends and the family of the children when allowed.
What are the most important things you try to provide for the children in your care?
Building up of self-esteem, self-pride, self-love, self-respect, desire to excel and succeed, hope and vision for their great future ahead.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming a foster parent or to newly licensed foster parents?
Pray for great patience, endurance to see the struggle through to a positive outcome. Be true to yourself. If it seems possible to do, do it, but if not, admit it to yourself first because you will be pushed to the limit. All the children will challenge you to prove that you're truly in it for their good and not accolades.
Visit the Hennepin County child foster care licensing website to learn about training requirements and view the training calendar. Send all your requests for training registration to fostercare@hennepin.us.
Car Seat Training
Foster parents transporting children under the age of eight must complete the Basic Education for Safe Travel (B.E.S.T) training. This training includes online Car Seat Basics, followed by the in-person car seat check (must be completed within 30 days after finishing the Car Seat Basics online training).
- Each foster parent in the home must complete the Car Seat Basic online training and receive a certificate.
- Once you receive your certificate, email fostercare@hennepin.us to register for your Car Seat Check. You must include a copy of your certificate in the email.
- Please contact the Child Passenger Safety Board at email training@cpsboard.org or call 844-573-6531 if you:
- Do not pass the post-test after three attempts. They will reset your account so you can retake the training.
- If you are locked out of your account or having any other issues.
The updated law is based on best practice recommendations that encourage caregivers and parents to get the full use out of their car seat by maxing out either the height limit or the weight limit, whichever your child reaches first, before moving to a larger car seat. Paying attention to these limits and when they have been reached is the safest thing you can do!
Send all Tickets for Kids ticket requests to hhs.cfs.recruitment@hennepin.us.
If you have any requests or questions about ticket opportunities, please reach out to this new email.
As a reminder, the following details are needed to successfully submit a request:
- Your name and email
- Name of event
- Event location (if applicable)
- Preferred date & time
- Total number of tickets requested
- Number of adults attending
- Number of youth attending
- Ages of youth
You can view current ticket requests at Agency Portal - Tickets For Kids Charities.
Once you have read Essentials, take the Essentials quiz to earn one hour of training credit. We will forward the quiz to your licensing worker once we have received it.
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