Latest information about COVID-19 from Licensing

This page will be updated with the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic and information from the Licensing Division for our partners, providers and the people we serve. For information about temporary changes to background studies, visit the DHS Background Studies page.

For updates related to agency-wide DHS programs, visit the DHS homepage. To be notified when changes occur, you can sign up for COVID-19-specific DHS email notifications.

On June 30, the Minnesota Legislature voted to end the state peacetime emergency effective Thursday, July 1, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. This means that some temporary modifications put in place during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency will be ending immediately while other modifications will end on August 30, 2021. Information about the timelines for ending the other modifications to licensing and certification requirements can be found in the service specific sections below.

Executive Order on Face Coverings

Executive Order 20-81 required Minnesotans to wear face coverings in certain settings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This was amended on May 14, 2021 by Executive Order 21-23 which ends Minnesota's statewide face covering requirement for most settings. For more information on current guidance, visit the Minnesota Department of Health’s: Face Covering Requirements and Recommendations webpage.

Child Care

Licensed Child Care Centers
- Effective Jan. 1, 2021, centers are expected to resume most annual and other ongoing training requirements. Due to the peacetime emergency and previous extensions to training requirements, licensors will not review annual and ongoing training that was to be completed in calendar year 2020. Licensors will review orientation and/or initial trainings for new staff hired in calendar year 2020. Biennial trainings that were to be completed in calendar year 2020 must be completed in 2021. Providers must ensure all required trainings for calendar year 2021 have been completed by the end of calendar year 2021 or be subject to a correction order if training requirements are not met.
- Ending the Modifications to Child Care Center Licensing Requirements
- FAQs – Ending the Modifications to Child Care Center Licensing Requirements
Certified Child Care Centers
- Effective Jan. 1, 2021, certified centers are expected to resume most annual and other ongoing training requirements. Due to the peacetime emergency and previous extensions to training requirements, licensors will not review annual and ongoing training that was to be completed in calendar year 2020. Licensors will review orientation and/or initial trainings for new staff hired in calendar year 2020. Biennial trainings that were to be completed in calendar year 2020 must be completed in 2021. Providers must ensure all required trainings for calendar year 2021 have been completed by the end of calendar year 2021 or be subject to a correction order if training requirements are not met.
- Ending the Modifications to Certified Child Care Center Requirements
- FAQs – Ending the Modifications to Certified Child Care Center Requirements
Family Child Care
- Beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, all family child care providers must resume annual and other ongoing trainings.
  
  Because of the pandemic, some providers may not have been able to complete all required training. Licensors will provide technical assistance for annual and ongoing training requirements for all of the calendar year 2021. This means the licensor will go over what training still needs to be completed rather than issuing a correction order.
  
  In 2022, as part of the annual licensing visits, licensors will review training completed for the previous licensing year. Starting Jan. 1, 2022, licensors will resume issuing correction orders for incomplete training requirements.
- Family Child Care Licensing: End of COVID-19 peacetime emergency (PDF)

HCBS and Adult Day Centers

Home and Community Based Services
- Effective Jan. 1, 2021, programs are expected to resume most annual and other ongoing training requirements. Due to the peacetime emergency and previous extensions to training requirements, licensors will not review annual and ongoing training that was to be completed in calendar year 2020. Licensors will review orientation and/or initial trainings for new staff hired in calendar year 2020. Biennial trainings that were to be completed in calendar year 2020 must be completed in 2021. Providers must ensure all required trainings for calendar year 2021 have been completed by the end of calendar year 2021 or be subject to a correction order if training requirements are not met.
- Home and Community-Based Services Licensing: End of COVID-19 peacetime emergency (PDF)
Alternative Adult Day Services
- COVID-19 Notification of Operation (form)
- COVID-19 Participant Record (form)
- COVID-19 Attendance and Documentation Record (form)
Adult Day Centers - Resuming facility-based services
- Licensed Adult Day Centers: End of COVID-19 peacetime emergency (PDF)

Behavioral Health and Children's Residential Facilities

Foster Care

FAQs - Ending the modifications to foster care licensing requirements (PDF)

Child Foster Care
- Beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, all family child foster care and child foster residence settings providers must resume annual and other ongoing trainings.
  
  Because of the pandemic, some providers may not have been able to complete all required training. Licensors will provide technical assistance for annual and ongoing training requirements for all of calendar year 2021. This means the licensor will go over what training still needs to be completed rather than issuing a correction order.
  
  In 2022, as part of the annual licensing visits, licensors will review training completed for the previous licensing year. Starting Jan. 1, 2022, licensors will resume issuing correction orders for incomplete training requirements.
- Ending the modifications to child foster care licensing requirements
Adult Foster Care, community residential settings, and family adult day services
- Beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, all adult foster care and family adult day services providers must resume annual and other ongoing trainings.
  
  Because of the pandemic, some providers may not have been able to complete all required training. Licensors will provide technical assistance for annual and ongoing training requirements for all of the calendar year 2021. This means the licensor will go over what training still needs to be completed rather than issuing a correction order.
  
  In 2022, as part of the annual licensing visits, licensors will review training completed for the previous licensing year. Starting Jan. 1, 2022, licensors will resume issuing correction orders for incomplete training requirements.
- Ending the modifications to adult foster care, community residential settings, and family adult day services licensing requirements