Foster Care

The Hennepin County Foster Care program is responsible for the recruitment, licensing, training and retention of family foster homes for children in need of out of home care.

Foster children have been removed from their home because of abuse and neglect. Hennepin County looks for foster providers to provide care for children while their families work on their problems. Foster care is most often temporary. The children usually continue to visit their own families until they can be reunited.

Relatives are first sought to care for the children. However, placing children with a relative is not always possible. If the children cannot be reunited with their family members, foster providers usually have an adoption option.

Foster children may have challenging behaviors and need patient foster parents who can provide them with attention, affection and supervision.

Become a Foster Care Provider

Interesting in becoming a foster care provider?  Attending a foster care information meeting is the first step in the licensing process.  Prospective foster care providers must meet licensing requirements.  Annual foster care training is required.

Foster Care Options

In addition to traditional foster care, foster care providers may be interested in respite care or the foster care adoption option.