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A brother and sister adopted from foster care smile widely with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders.
Home / Adoption / Foster Care Adoption

Foster Care Adoption

Helping youth in foster care find safe, permanent homes with Minnesota families

A sibling group of four brothers are pictured with their parents who adopted them from foster care through CH/LSS.Our foster care adoption program serves children under Minnesota state guardianship or tribal jurisdiction. The goal of this program is permanency through adoption. There is a particular need for families open to sibling groups, school-age children and teens.

The vast majority of costs to families who adopt children under Minnesota state guardianship are paid for through a contract with Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). If you are not open to children covered under this contract, fees may apply.

Ready to take the first step? Sign up for a Foster Care & Adoption Orientation or Two-Day Foster Care & Adoption Class.

7 foster care adoption myths, debunked

Free 45-Minute Webinar

In this free webinar, we dispel common myths about foster care adoption, including: the costs of adopting, the services and support available to families and children after adoption, misconceptions about children’s desires to be adopted, behavioral concerns, and the amount of guidance children will need.

Watch Our Webinar Debunking Myths Now

Children Waiting for Adoption from Foster Care

Two sisters and a brother are pictured in front of pine trees smiling. They were part of our child-specific recruitment efforts, and have been adopted!

Children waiting for adoption from foster care have been removed from the homes of their biological families and have been placed under the care and supervision of the state. As a result of these experiences, children will likely have experienced trauma, abuse and neglect. The children may have emotional, behavioral and/or academic needs. Children may be part of a sibling group that needs to be placed together, or have siblings and other loved ones with whom they need to maintain connections.

Children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds are served in this program. There is a particular need for families open to parenting children ages 6-18 and sibling groups of all ages who need to remain together. Over half the children waiting for adoption are children of color. As of August 2019 there are 905 children in Minnesota in need of adoptive families immediately. Read the complete DHS Fact Sheet, Adoption: Finding Families for Minnesota’s Waiting Children.

Meet Children Waiting in Foster Care

There are a number of ways to learn more about children currently waiting for adoption from Minnesota foster care. You can visit our online listing and filter to the region “Minnesota.” Children’s Home is advocating for these children through our child-specific recruitment services.

Additionally, some of our partners post information about Minnesota’s waiting children. We encourage you to check out the MN Adopt State Adoption Exchange and Hennepin County Listing.

Note that you may inquire about a child or sibling group at any time, however, you may need to complete steps in the foster care adoption process prior to officially matching with a child. It is our hope that children will find permanency as quickly as possible and therefore the waiting children you see may not be available once you have come through the process and completed your adoption home study.

View Waiting Children’s Profiles on Our Site

 

Foster Care Adoption Process

Orientation

There are two steps you must complete to start your process of adopting from foster care: a two-hour orientation and two-day class. Many families find it helpful to attend the orientation first because it provides an overview of the process and addresses details such as children served, timelines, fees (spoiler: there are practically none), licensing requirements, etc. Orientations are held twice monthly, once in-person and once online via webinar.

Foster Care & Adoption Orientation

Education

Another early step to adopting from foster care is attending our two-day Foster Care & Adoption Education Classes. These classes will familiarize you with the children waiting to be adopted, the needs they commonly have, and the adoption process. You will also have the opportunity to listen to panels of adoptive parents and waiting or adopted teens. Topics covered include: overview of the child welfare system, impact of prenatal drug/alcohol exposure, grief, loss and separation, trauma, abuse and neglect, mental health needs, attachment, cross-cultural and transracial parenting, permanency needs of older youth, concurrent planning, experiences of foster parents, experiences of birth parents, visitation and maintaining connections.

Register for a Foster Care & Adoption Education Class

You will continue your education as you go through the foster care adoption process. We’ve compiled a number of education resources, both mandatory and optional, on our site for your reference.

Find Educational Resources to Prepare Yourself for Foster Care Adoption

Application

Once you’ve attended the Foster Care Adoption Orientation and Foster Care & Adoption Two-Day Class, you may complete your application (broken into two parts: Application Part 1 and Application Part 2). Our staff will assist you with the application process, letting you know what documents are required of which household members.

Background Checks

As you work on your application, anyone pursuing foster care or adoption will also need to complete the appropriate background checks. Possessing a criminal record does not automatically disqualify someone from adopting from foster care. Please contact us if you have questions about your particular circumstances.

Home Study

The home study includes several meetings with your social worker and a visit to your home. A comprehensive document is created by your social worker, which includes information about your motivation to adopt, your health, home, personal history, familial lifestyle, interests, parenting style, income and the type of child you are open to parenting. Once you are assigned to a social worker, the home study process takes about 3-4 months to complete.

Foster Care Licensing

You will need to become a licensed foster home as part of your adoption process. This allows the child(ren) to live in your home prior to the adoption being finalized in court. You will be licensed for the purpose of adoption and you may choose to cancel your license once your adoption is finalized. If you are planning to adopt a child under the age of 9, additional state-mandated training is required.

The Matching Process

This part of the process allows you to learn about the needs and characteristics of a child or sibling group in the foster care system. Your social worker will work with you on exploring the strengths of your family and discuss how you might best meet the needs of that particular child or children. You will have the opportunity to meet with the child’s social worker and other significant people in his or her life (such as foster parents, therapists, et al). Meeting these people will help you in your decision-making process.

The child’s county social worker represents him or her in the matching process. All placement decisions are made in the best interest of the child.

Once everyone involved has made a commitment to proceed with the adoption process, pre-placement visits begin. The length and frequency of these visits depends on the age and needs of the child or children being placed.

Placement & Finalization

Placement occurs when the child moves into your home. Your social worker will remain in regular contact with you to support you during this adjustment period. We also encourage you to participate in our ongoing support services.

When you are ready to finalize, your social worker will give you the information you need to complete the legal adoption process where you live.

Post Adoption Support

Because adoption is a lifelong journey, you are encouraged to participate in ongoing education, support and referral services through our Post Adoption Services.

Relative & Kinship Adoption

We strongly believe that whenever possible children should remain within their family or community of origin. It can be overwhelming to unexpectedly care for children who you care about. The system can be difficult to navigate. We are here to help provide kinship and relative services based on your unique situation.

Contact Us to Learn About Our Relative/Kinship Support Services
Foster Care

Foster Care differs from Foster Care Adoption. We are able to license you for either, or both, tracks. Within foster care, there is a great need for adults to provide children and youth with care and stability. The goal of foster care is reunification, families open to providing foster care must be open to supporting reunification efforts.

Visit Our Foster Care Page to Learn More

Family Support Coach for Placed Families

Our Family Support Coach program is an intensive, 12-session service for your entire family. Our coach will meet with you once a week over a 12-session time frame to get to know your family, identify what resources you may need, and help you access those resources.

As part of the program, your coach will help you:

  • Increase positive interactions with your family
  • Initiate and strengthen relationships with schools, therapists, community and other professionals
  • Advocate for the needs of your family and your child(ren)
  • Develop strategies that you can use after the service is complete

The Family Support Coach program focuses on supporting every member of your family—this is not about what got you to your current situation, but rather what you all need to build a positive, loving future together. All members of your family must be in agreement that this service will be prioritized and upheld for the time specified. Each week you will meet with your coach in-person, she may also call or video chat you to check-in or follow up on your meeting.

This is not a crisis service for emergency situations. In the case of an emergency, please contact 911 or utilize the crisis mental health lines within your county. In an event that you experience an emergency situation, please inform Family Support Coach as soon as you are able.

If you have any questions, please email familysupport@chlss.org

Learn More About Our Family Support Coach Program

Two fathers pose for photo with their son who was adopted from foster care.

support groups for foster care & adoptive families

We welcome you to join other families to learn from and support one another.

Childcare is available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Staff-Led Groups: For families who have children from the foster care system placed in their home for foster care or adoption AND families who have home study approved | Second Tuesday of every month | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | 1605 Eustis Street, Saint Paul, MN 55108 | RSVP to emily.white@chlss.org

Serving All Families

We are dedicated to serving diverse families. Our foster care adoption program is open to individuals and families regardless of marital status, sexuality, gender identity, gender expression, religion or race.

Adoption by Single ParentsAdoption by LGBTQ Parents

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1605 Eustis Street
Saint Paul, MN 55108
651.646.7771
800.952.9302
welcome@chlss.org

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15800 Crabbs Branch Way Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20855
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Springfield, VA 22151
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