Child protection, foster care, adoption: Policies and procedures

Northstar Care for Children helps more children grow up in safe and permanent homes by consolidating and simplifying the administration of foster and adoption assistance programs to support families caring for children in out-of-home care. More information can be found can be found on the department's Northstar Adoption Assistance Program webpage and the Northstar Care for Children page in PartnerLink.

• Northstar Care Practice Guide DHS-7024 (PDF)
• Minnesota Assessment of Parenting for Children and Youth (MAPCY) Practice Guide DHS-7060 (PDF)

Minnesota Child and Family Service Reviews provide counties with a baseline performance measure across seven child safety, permanency and well-being outcomes, and 24 related performance items. This data, along with information from the individual county self-assessment and community stakeholder reviews, is available to support counties in their program improvement planning and overall child welfare quality improvement efforts. For more information, visit the Quality Improvement Practices and Tools page on PartnerLink.

The five protective factors at the foundation of Strengthening Families are characteristics that have been shown to make positive outcomes more likely for young children and their families, and to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. Learn more about the protective factors on the Center for the Study of Social Policy website.

This support system facilitates access to experienced peer consultants regarding difficult child safety and maltreatment decisions with child welfare colleagues within 24 hours of initiating contact with a family. Consultation is available to county and tribal child welfare agency social workers and their supervisors or managers when making decisions about child safety. More information can be found on the Child Protection and Child Welfare Supervision webpage, or by calling 888-234-1138.

Local social service agencies must be available 24 hours, seven days a week, including holidays, to respond to reports of child maltreatment containing imminent danger. When children are named in reports of imminent danger, local social service agencies must have immediate (within 24 hours) face-to-face contact with alleged victims and their primary caregiver. They must enter report and screening decisions into the Social Service Information System no later than the following business day.

The department endorses the use of the Structured Decision Making System (PDF) and SDM Safety Assessment Policy & Procedures Manual (PDF) for assessing child maltreatment in the home, which:

• Improves assessments of family situations to better determine the protection needs of children
• Increases consistency and accuracy in case assessment and case management among child abuse and/or neglect within a county and among tribes
• Increases the efficiency of child protection operations by making the best use of available resources
• Provides management with needed data for program administration, planning, evaluation and budgeting.

Child protection staff, supervisors and others involved in child protection intake and report screening must follow these guidelines, and immediately implement updated procedures and protocols.

• Minnesota Child Maltreatment Intake, Screening and Response Path Guidelines, DHS-5144 (PDF)
• Engaging Families in Voluntary Child Welfare Service Practice Guide, DHS-5881C (PDF)

Minnesota's Best Practices for Family Assessment and Family Investigation, DHS-7059 (PDF) provides direction regarding protocols mandated by state statute and recommended as best practice for local child welfare agencies, promoting statewide standards for child protection practices related to assessment and investigation.

Workers in a number of professions, including health care, social services, psychological treatment, child care, education, corrections, law enforcement and clergy, are required to report suspected child maltreatment. To help mandated reporters better understand the law and reporting requirements, the Informational Guide for Mandated Reporting training videos is available. This training is organized in six modules: An  overview of Minnesota’s child protection system; the intersection of poverty and neglect, and a discussion of racial disparities; the basics of mandated reporting; physical abuse; sexual abuse; and neglect. The training is flexible, allowing users to navigate to any module at any time. The Resource Guide for Mandated Reporters of Child Maltreatment Concerns, DHS-2917 (PDF) includes more information about reporting suspected child abuse or neglect. 

Medical Neglect: How and when to report

Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment. Medical neglect occur when a caregiver fails to provide necessary medical care by refusing or failing to seek, obtain or follow through with necessary medical care, posing serious risk to a child. Medical Neglect: How and when to report (PDF)

Minnesota's Best Practices for Facility Investigation, DHS-7593 (PDF) provides direction on protocols and best practice for child welfare agencies, promoting statewide standards for facility investigations. It contains protocols for the front-end of child protection responses. Except for where noted, these protocols occur after the intake, screening and response path assignment has occurred.  All protocols required by law include a statutory reference.

Schedule training by contacting  the Training Unit. 

Here you'll find links to documents to help you get things done. It's not a comprehensive list. More detail can be found in various manuals, bulletins and statutes, to which there are links below, plus PartnerLink, our site for county and tribal agency partners.

Foster care documents and forms page

Foster care and other child welfare programs are provided through county and tribal agencies. Helpful information for prospective  foster parents includes:

• Six steps to becoming a foster parent.
• Information on required background studies
• Minnesota's Adoption and Child Foster Care Application, (DHS-4258A) (PDF)
• Form used to initiate Home Study Assessment, DHS-4258E (PDF)

The Minnesota Assessment of Parenting for Children and Youth Practice Guide, DHS-7060 (PDF) is a comprehensive individual assessment that supports good practice. 

Children’s Intensive Behavioral Health Services (CIBHS) is a comprehensive mental health service covered by Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP). CIBHS establishes policies and practices for certification and coverage of mental health services for children and youth who require intensive levels of intervention.

County and tribal child welfare agencies are required to maintain and employ disaster preparedness plans that meet the needs of children in the care of the child welfare system. 

In case of a natural or man-made disaster, all Minnesota counties and tribes must maintain and implement a plan for how state programs funded through Title IV-B, part 2, and Title IV-E would respond to a disaster, including steps to: 

• Identify, locate, and continue availability of services for children under state care or supervision who are displaced or adversely affected by a disaster 
• Respond, as appropriate, to new child welfare cases in areas adversely affected by a disaster, and provide services in those cases 
• Remain in communication with caseworkers and other essential child welfare personnel who are displaced because of a disaster 
• Preserve essential program records, and coordinate services and share information with other states. [Section 422 (b)(16) of the Social Security Act] 

County and tribal staff should work with contracted providers to identify roles and responsibilities and include these provisions in their contract for services.

Background on this requirement

Across the country, natural disasters, man-made crises, or medical events can affect the routine ways child welfare agencies operate and serve children, youth and families. It is especially important for agencies caring for vulnerable populations, such as abused and neglected children, to prepare for these disasters. Federal statute, under the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006, now requires states, counties and tribes to develop and maintain plans in preparation for a disaster. 

Create a Disaster Plan 

• Assess the types of disasters the agency might face. 
• Develop a child welfare disaster preparedness plan (coordinate with department-level and statewide disaster plans, assign person responsible, consult with stakeholders, identify expectations for providers, write the plan—how to manage, build critical infrastructure, prioritize). 
• Conduct or participate in drills at all levels 
• Update the plan regularly. 

 Prepare to Manage 

• Designate managers in charge and their backups 
• Identify essential functions; designate staff and their backups to oversee these functions, provide training; plan for communication 
• Assign other critical roles (media, volunteers, liaisons to other states, liaisons to contract agencies, federal partners and courts) 
• Stress leadership 
• Consider post-disaster workload demands and resources 
• Identify locations for operations (prepare buildings, consider generators, determine possible alternative locations) 
• Prepare disaster supply kits 
• Consider cash flow. 

 Enhance Critical Infrastructure 

• Coordinate with key partners
• Work with emergency management agencies
• Establish liaisons with other states/counties to coordinate services and share information 
• Build collaborations with other relevant county agencies and programs Collaborate with service providers 
• Coordinate with courts 
• Establish liaisons with state partners 
• Identify potential volunteers and their tasks

Develop communication systems: 

• Establish toll free numbers 
• Establish and use internal communication systems 
• Designate Web sites for disaster information 
• Arrange for and use communication technology. 

Strengthen information systems: 

• •Build on existing plans 
• Store critical information in statewide automated systems 
• Provide access to automated systems 
• Protect vital records (e.g., off-site backup, protect computers) 
• Protect equipment 
• Assess paper records. 

 Prepare staff and contractors: 

• Encourage staff to develop personal disaster plans and keep them updated; store plan information so it is accessible during a disaster 
• Require staff to check in after disasters and provide information on how to do so 
• Keep emergency supplies in offices 
• Train all staff on agency disaster plan; participate in drills 
• Establish support services for staff 
• Develop expectations and support for contracted staff. 

 Prepare families, providers and youth: 

• Require foster families, families in the process of adopting state wards, and providers to develop disaster plans and keep them updated; store plan information so it is accessible during a disaster 
• Require families, providers and youth to check in after disasters 
• Provide families, providers and youth with information on emergency preparedness 
• Prepare birth families and families receiving in-home services 
• Collect critical identifying information for birth parents when possible; store contact information so it is accessible during a disaster 
• Offer training. 

Child Welfare Disaster Preparation Plan: Minimum Criteria

Foster parents, relative caregivers, adoptive families, group homes, residential treatment centers, other facilities serving children in the care of child welfare agencies (e.g., psychiatric hospitals), and all children in the child welfare system, must be included in disaster preparedness planning. They need to know what to do during a disaster, and that the agency needs to locate them. In case of a natural or man-made disaster: 

• How will the child welfare agency identify, locate, and continue service availability for children in out-of-home placement who are displaced or adversely affected by a disaster? 
• How will the child welfare agency respond to new child welfare cases in areas adversely affected by a disaster, and provide services in those cases? 
• How will the agency remain in communication with caseworkers and other essential child welfare personnel who are displaced because of a disaster? 
• How will the agency preserve essential program records? 
• How will the agency coordinate services and share information with providers and  states/counties? (e.g., children placed out of state, counties who may need to use resources across state/county borders)

Resources

• Disaster Preparedness Resource Guide for Child Welfare Agencies (Annie E. Casey Foundation) (PDF)

Enacted by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children ensures protection and services for children who are placed across state lines in foster care, adoption, parental, relative or residential placements. It establishes orderly procedures for the interstate placement of children and fixes responsibility for those involved in placing children. For more information, review Minnesota Statutes 260.851, Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children or the American Public Human Services Association website. These documents and PartnerLink webpages also contain helpful information.  

• Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children  
• Guide to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children
• Regulation Number 7 – Expedited Placement Decision
• Recommended Time Lines for Placements
• Placement Type Checklist
• Finding Permanency for Children in Foster Care: Transfer of Permanent Legal and Physical Custody to a Relative DHS-7591 (PDF)

For more information, contact mn.icpc@state.mn.us  or call 651-431-4727.

For children under guardianship of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the department's commissioner has the exclusive right to consent to the medical care plan for the treatment of children who are at imminent risk of death or who have a chronic disease that, in a physician’s judgment, will result in death in the near future, For details, including a  physician's order not to resuscitate or intubate. For more information, see Policy on Allowing Natural Death/Do Not Resuscitate (DND/DNR)

The Minnesota Department of Human Services contracts with agencies to provide services that help families support and care for children and youth who have been adopted or are in foster placements or kinship care. Permanency support services for adoptive, foster and kinship families DHS-4925 (PDF) provides an overview and contact information about these efforts.

Although strides have been made to lessen discrimination against minority sexual orientations, there remains both a lack of knowledge about, and some active negative bias towards those who identify on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Ally spectrum. The  Working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer youth DHS-6500 (PDF) practice guide is intended to increase the awareness, knowledge and skills of social workers and administrators in the child welfare system so they may effectively and competently meet the needs of LGBTQA youth and their families.

The database collects information about the independent living services Minnesota provides to all youth, and the outcome information from youth transitioning out of foster care. The state database is part of a federal effort to compare and evaluate these services. 

The STAY (Successful Transition to Adulthood for Youth) Program offers services to youth, ages 14 up to 23, who are currently or were previously in foster care for at least 30 consecutive days after age 14, but are still working with county or tribal social workers. More information about the program is on this STAY Program page.

Helping Youth Transition from Out-of-home Care into Adulthood, DHS-6530 (PDF) is a  best practice guide providing social workers with useful information and resources about independent living plans for youth age 14 and older who are currently or were formerly in out-of-home care.

Youth, ages 18 to 21, who meet eligibility requirements can resume foster care benefits after age 18. Use the Voluntary Foster Care Agreement for Youth Ages 18-21, DHS-6248 (PDF) to formalize  terms and conditions of extended care.

Current and former foster youth can get up to $5,000 per school year for post-secondary education at colleges, universities, vocational, technical or trade schools. The Minnesota Education and Training Voucher (ETV) provides the funds. 

• Money for college for foster youth DHS-5339L, (PDF) 
• Online application DHS-5339, (PDF) accepted July 1 to June 30 annually
• Education and Training Program guidelines DHS-5339M, (PDF) 
• Education and Training Program Expense Guidelines DHS-5339B, (PDF) to help applicants with budgeting
• if youth have experienced a foster care placement in another state, verify placement information using the Education and Training Voucher Verification of Eligibility, DHS-5339A (PDF)

For more information about the program is one the Education and Training Voucher Program ETV page, or contact dhs.etvcoordinator@state.mn.us; or 651-431-4663.

For policy and practice guidance, see Policy on Foster Care and Adoption Placement Decisions for Children Under Guardianship of the Commissioner and the Policy on Sibling Placement, Separation, Visitation and Contact, webpages. 

Enacted by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children ensures protection and services for children who are placed across state lines in foster care, adoption, parental, relative or residential placements. It establishes orderly procedures for the interstate placement of children and fixes responsibility for those involved in placing children. For more information, review Minnesota Statutes 260.851, Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children or the American Public Human Services Association website. These documents and PartnerLink webpages also contain helpful information.  

• Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children  
• Guide to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children
• Regulation Number 7 – Expedited Placement Decision
• Recommended Time Lines for Placements
• Placement Type Checklist
• Finding Permanency for Children in Foster Care: Transfer of Permanent Legal and Physical Custody to a Relative DHS-7591 (PDF)

For more information, contact mn.icpc@state.mn.us  or call 651-431-4727.

Transfer of Permanent Legal and Physical Custody is a permanency option available to children for whom reunification and adoption are not appropriate permanency options. This action permanently transfers both legal and physical custody of a child, which includes decision-making authority, to a relative. Northstar Kinship Assistance is a benefit available to support eligible children leaving foster care to live permanently with relatives via this placement. For more information see:

• The department's Northstar Kinship Assistance Program webpage
• Transfer of Permanent Legal and Physical Custody (TPLPC) Process Checklist for Children in County Foster Care, DHS-6978 (PDF) 
• Finding Permanency for Children in Foster Care: Transfer of Permanent Legal and Physical Custody to a Relative, DHS-7591 (PDF).

The Adoption Process Checklist for Children Under Guardianship of the Commissioner, DHS-6542 (PDF) is intended to help social workers and others with the adoption process for children under guardianship. More information is on PartnerLink's Adoption and Guardianship webpage

The department administers a statewide adoption email listserv for county and private agency social workers who facilitate adoptions of children under guardianship of the commissioner. Membership in the adoption group email list is limited to those granted access by the department. A social worker may recruit for an appropriate adoptive parent for a child by sending a description of a child, and photo if available, on the listserv. Employees at private child-placing agencies are asked to complete the Application for Private Adoption Agency Staff to Request Membership on the Minnesota Adoption Email Listserv DHS-6569 (PDF). For more information contact. contracts.adoption.dhs@state.mn.us.

The department, county and tribal social services agencies, and private child-placing agencies must provide reasonable assistance to adopted youth age 19 and older, birth parents, and adoptive parents of minor children who are asking about information related to social and medical histories, genetic siblings, birth parent and relative searches, health information, and original birth records. For more information, refer to the Practice Guide for Post Adoption Search Services, DHS-4701 (PDF).

The department contracts with Foster Adopt Minnesota to administer the State Adoption Exchange, assisting prospective adoptive families and caseworkers in finding children in foster care who need permanent, loving homes through adoption. For more information, visit www.mnadopt.org, or email info@mnadopt.org.

The Benefits Information Portal is an online tool for adoptive and kinship families to access information about their benefits and submit reimbursement requests.

The department contracts with private child-placing agencies to provide adoption and adoption-related services to children under state guardianship or tribal jurisdiction. Five private agencies work closely with county and tribal social service agencies to place children with adoptive families or concurrent foster families. These partnerships maximize the strengths and resources of private agencies, and county and tribal social service agencies to ensure that children are placed in permanent homes, and that they and their families receive the support they need. For more information, contact contracts.adoption.dhs@state.mn.us. 

Purchase of Service Agreements are child-specific placement services agreements between counties, agencies and the department.  A child must be under state guardianship and have an Adoption Placement Agreement. Purchase of Service Agreements cannot exceed $16,000 per child per placement. For more information, contact crystal.graves@state,mn.us or call at 651-431-5723.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services contracts with agencies to provide services that help families support and care for children and youth who have been adopted or are in foster placements or kinship care. Permanency support services for adoptive, foster and kinship families DHS-4925 (PDF) provides an overview and contact information about these efforts.