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Child Foster Care Licensing
Foster families provide homes for children whose families are unable to care for them. They are asked to take someone else's child into their home, care for the child and treat the child as a member of their family.
Foster Care is more than having a child or children in your home on a temporary basis. It is an opportunity to work with the child’s biological parents to help build a child’s future. Often children continue to visit their families until they can be reunited. In addition to food, housing, and clothing, they need emotional support, guidance, and, above all, hope.
What is Foster Care? Check out this Video.
- Basics of Foster Care
- How do I become licensed?
- Mandatory Trainings
- Re-licensing
- Training Resources & MN Adopt Resources
Types of Foster Care
Foster care services in Grant County come in several forms to address the specific needs of children and the foster parents who care for them.
Family Foster Care
Treated as family members, these children and teens receive full-time, short- or long-term care.
Kinship Foster Care
Relatives, family friends, and those with a significant relationship may be licensed to provide care.
Respite Care
Respite care provides a break for birth parents or foster parents from caring for children on a scheduled basis.
Concurrent Foster Care / Pre-Adoption Foster Care
Foster parents assist and support reunification with the child’s birth family while committing to provide a permanent home for the child if the child cannot return to the parents or other appropriate family.
Below are the Rules and Statutes that are pertinent to each of the Licensing categories. We suggest that you visit the State of Minnesota Revisor's website using the link below to review and/or print each section applicable to your program license.
Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 245A (Human Services Licensing Act)
Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 245C (Human Services Background Studies Act)
Minnesota Rules, parts 2960.0010 to 2960.3340 (Rule 203)
How do I become licensed?
1. MN Adoption and Child Foster Care (Application must be NOTORIZED)
2. Background Study
*Required for all persons in the household over the age 13 and all substitute care providers, Finger prints are required ($9.10 fee for fingerprinting)
3. Individual Fact Sheet (Individual Fact Sheet must be opened using internet explorer)
5. Policy Forms
5a- Grievance Policy
5b- Discipline Policy
5c- Alcohol & Drug Use Policy
10. Mandatory Trainings (see next tab)
11. Water test
12. 6 Hours of orientation meetings with licensor
13. Turn in a copy of animal vaccinations
14.Fire Marshal Request form
*($50/Money order or certified to Fire Marshal)
15. Child Foster Care Training Log
Training Required Before You Can Be Licensed
Children's Mental Health (CMH) Training
Children's Mental Health Training must be completed before you can be licensed. Please Complete the following:
- Watch the Children’s Mental Health video
- Complete the CMH Self Study Questionnaire and Certificate of Completion and submit both to the Grant County Licensor.
Minnesota Statute § 245A.175. requires this training.
Also, one hour of the annual 12 hour training requirement must be on children’s mental health issues and treatment
Normalcy and Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard Training
You must complete this training before you can be licensed. Please Complete the following:
- Watch the Normalcy and Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard Training video.
- Complete the Normalcy and Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard Post-Test and Certificate of Completion and submit both to Grant County Licensor.
Minnesota Statues, section 260C.212, subd.14 requires this training.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Training
You must complete this training within a year of receiving your license. Please Complete the following:
- Watch the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Training Video.
- Complete the FASD Post-Test and Certificate of Completion and submit both to the Grant County Licensor.
The training requirements for child foster care licensing in Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.175 were amended to add an annual requirement of one hour of training on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders within the first 12 months of licensure. After the first 12 months of licensure, training on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders may be part of the 12 hours of the required in-service training per year.
Smoke Free Foster Care
If there is an identified smoker residing in the home, you are required to view the following 20 minute video produced by the MN Department of Human Services
- Watch the Smoke Free Foster Care Video.
- Complete the Self Study Questionnaire for Smoke Free Foster Care and submit it to the Grant County Licensor.
In MN all child foster homes must be smoke free and prevent second hand exposure to children per MN 260C.215, Subd. 4, 6 & 9. this includes inside the home as well as any space connected to the home, including a garage, porch, deck or similar space; all outdoor areas on the premises of the home when a foster child is present; and in a motor vehicle in which a foster child is transported.
If a foster parent fails to provide a smoke-free environment for a foster child, the child-placing agency must ask the foster parent to comply with a plan that includes training on the health risks of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Training Required if Providing Care for Children 8 or Under
Car Seat Training
Car Seat Training must be completed before you can be licensed to care for a child age 8 or under.
- If you are providing interim family foster care or concurrent/permanency foster care, please visit Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Training for more information about registering for a class.
- After training is completed, please submit the certificate of completion to the Grant County Licensor.
Car Seat Training is required by Minnesota Statute § 245A.18.
**Training must be completed once every five years when caring for children under 9 years of age.
Training Required if Providing Care to Children 5 or Under
Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome (SUID) & Abusive Head Trauma (AHT)
You must complete this training before you can be licensed. Please Complete the following:
The Department of Human Services has approved the following series of videos to meet the SUID component when individuals are not receiving face-to-face, classroom, or online SUID training. All videos must be viewed to meet the SUID training requirement.
- Watch these approved SUID online videos.
- Safe Sleep (Produced by Hennepin County (4:17))
- Safe Sleep Practices (Produced by Eastern Virginia Medical School (5:50))
- Sleep On It- Preventing unsafe sleep practices (Produced by Dakota County (6:28))
- Complete the SUID Post Test and submit the post test to to the Grant County Licensor.
The Department of Human Services has approved the following series of videos to meet the AHT component when license holders are not receiving face-to-face, classroom, or online AHT training. All videos must be viewed to meet the AHT training requirement.
- Watch these approved AHT online videos
- Never Shake (7:48)
- Shaken Baby Syndrome- The Doctors (1:48)
- Forever Shaken (33.17)
- Complete the AHT Post Test and submit it to the Grant County Licensor..
Under Minnesota Statute § 245A.1444, child foster care providers caring for infants or children through 5 years of age must be instructed and receive training on SUID/AHT at least once every 5 years.
Under Minnesota Statute § 245A.1445, there is an option to watch a video training to meet the requirements for SUID/AHT training.
Re-licensing
1. Application
2. Pet Records (if applicable)
6. Well Water Testing (if applicable)
8. Caregiver Training Records
9. FADS Video (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder)
Resources
- A Child’s Journey Through the Child Welfare System
- Advancing Healthy Adolescent Development & Well-Being
- Child Capacity Chart
- Children’s Mental Health Training- CCF
- DHS 245D - HCBS License
- Emergency Preparedness & Response Plan & Phone List
- Helping Abused Kids in Care Heal
- Helping Children & Adolescents Cope with Violence & Disasters
- Independent Training Form
- Learning Disabilities
- Licensing Rule
- Parenting the Sexually Abused Child
- Respite & Substitute Care