Help, Financial Support, and Training

Caring for foster children in Anoka County requires a license (for more detail, see Licensing Requirements).

Anoka County staff works with foster parents before and after placement. Our staff helps foster parents determine the age, appropriate sex, and needs of the children who could be placed in their home.  However, foster parents make the final decision about children for whom they care.

Staff continues to support foster parents throughout their foster parenting.

Anoka County also provides information meetings and ongoing training.

 

Help

The first step toward becoming a licensed foster parent is to register for and attend an Orientation meeting.

At the Orientation meeting, staff provides potential foster parents with the details they need to know in order to determine whether foster parenting is for them. Staff is also available to answer questions.

• See a schedule of meeting dates
• Fill out a form to register for a meeting

 

Financial Support

Although foster parents are not paid employees, they are reimbursed at an established rate for food, clothing and supplies. There is supplemental reimbursement for children with special needs.

Social workers, foster parent trainers and health care professionals are also available as resources to help both foster parents and children adapt and flourish.

In addition, Anoka County has a number of support groups who have meetings where foster providers can  talk with others who are also caring for foster children..

 

Training

Training for New Foster Parents:

Free information meetings are held at regular intervals for potential foster care providers. An information meeting is the initial step in the qualifying process for foster parents. This meeting helps potential foster parents determine whether they want to apply to become foster parents. The meeting lasts about two hours and is for both parents if the household has two parents. The meeting is not suitable for young children.

• See a schedule of meeting dates
• Fill out a form to register for a meeting

 

Training for Licensed Foster Parents:

To help foster parents who are already licensed meet the challenges of raising children and to meet annual training requirements, Anoka County provides scheduled training. Most training is offered free of charge.

• See a training schedule
• Fill out a form to register for training