Step 1: Sign Up Online
After reviewing the information provided on this page, the next step is to click the link below. You will be directed to our online application program called BINTI. You will be asked to enter your email address, create a password and to complete a short questionnaire. Once submitted, St. Louis County Child Foster Care Licensing is notified and a licensor will be assigned to you. The licensor will contact you and set up a time to meet.
Step 2
Complete the Application Your licensor will give you a password which allows you to move onto the first set of required documents. These documents include a Minnesota Adoption and Child Foster Care Application, Individual Fact sheet(s) completed by each member 18 and older, and Background Study Data Collection form(s).
Step 3: Initiate a Background Study
Background studies on all household members, ages 13 and older, will be initiated. Your licensor will assist you to get fingerprints for the individuals in your home who are age 18 and over for the background study. Background studies are conducted by the Minnesota Department of Human Service. These background checks include social services, juvenile and adult court records.
Step 4: Home Study
The licensor will do a home study. This will include several interviews with prospective foster parents and their children. The contents of the home study will include family relationships, family activities, discipline techniques, communication skills, expectations of foster care, and age and gender preferences.
Step 5: Participate in Training
Prospective applicants must attend Foster Parent Orientation, which is typically offered every other month for open home applicants and every month for relatives in Southern St. Louis County. Open Home Orientation is offered twice a year and every month for relatives in
Northern St. Louis County.
Step 6: Receive Foster Care License
The agency licensing process on average takes up to 3 months. When all the licensing
requirements have been met and the agency is recommending licensing, the agency shall
forward its licensing recommendations to the Department of Human Services within 20 working
days.
For More Information
For more information, please visit the resources tab or contact St. Louis County Foster Care
Licensing.
North St. Louis County
Michelle Brown
(218)471-7793
Email
South St. Louis County
Heidi Severson
(218)725-5188
Email
Current Training
Child passenger restraint systems training (CARS)
Due to limited availability of the in-person training, license holders, staff persons, and caregivers that transport a child under eight years old in a motor vehicle are not required to complete the training on child passenger restraint systems in motor vehicles during the peacetime emergency. Instead, before transporting a child under eight years old in a motor vehicle, license holders, staff persons, and caregivers who have not already had the in-person training must review online information on the Federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website and watch the “how to choose the right seat” video, as well as car seat installation instruction videos for each type of car seat they will be using based on the age and size of the child/children they are transporting.
Children's Mental Health
This video training is presented by Deena McMahon. This video defines mental health and specifically addresses how it impacts children's development. This training had been approved and will meet the children's mental health requirement for Foster Care initial and on-going training.
Introduction to Children's Mental Health for Resource Families
Introduction to Children’s Mental Health training discusses a number of common mental health diagnoses that foster and adoptive children often present within the child welfare system. Each diagnosis is discussed in terms of origins, symptoms, behaviors, treatment, interventions, and cultural considerations. It includes information and helpful tips about common co-occurring or dual diagnoses. This course has been approved for 2 hours of the initial Children's Mental Health requirement. You must complete all modules and submit your certificate to the licensor upon completion of the quiz.
Prudent Parenting
The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act amended Title IV-E requiring states to support normalcy for all children in foster care. Children and youth in foster care need to experience the same types of developmentally appropriate and social activities that their friends, families, and classmates who are not in care experience. This new law permits foster parents, designated corporate foster care staff, and residential staff to allow foster children to participate in normal childhood activities by applying the reasonable and prudent parent standard.
Sudden Unexpected Infant Death/Abusive Head Trauma (SUID/AHT)
The Department of Human Services has approved the following series of videos to meet the SUID component when individuals are not receiving face-to-face, classroom, or online SUID training. All videos must be viewed to meet the SUID training requirement.
SUID/AHT Training Videos
SUID/AHT Training Verification Form
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
The Minnesota Department of Human Services mandates that all foster parents complete at least one hour of training on FASD with in their first year of licensing. This training has been approved to meet this requirement.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Training Video
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Post-Test
Additional On-line Video Training
Overview of Mental Health Issues
This training is a three part series by the Minnesota Department of Education and it provides a better understanding of children's mental health disorders and its impact on learning and functioning. Included in this series are three videos which highlight anxiety, depression and attention and behavior disorders. When all three sections of this training are complete, this also will meet the mental health requirement for Foster Care on-going training.
Anxiety Video (WMV)
Depression Video (WMV)
Attention and Behavior Disorders Video (WMV)
Anxiety Information Packet PowerPoint (PDF)
Depression Information Packet PowerPoint (PDF)
Attention and Behavior Disorders Information Packet PowerPoint (PDF)
Safe Sleep For Caregivers
Safe Sleep Clip (You Tube)
Keeping Families Together Video
This video is a guide for families to understand intensive treatment options for children with mental illnesses. On completion of this video training, training hours can be given to fulfill the mental health requirement for on-going training.
Keeping Families Together Video
Keeping Families Together Information Packet PowerPoint (PDF)
Additional training resources or information:
MOFAS – Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – https://www.proofalliance.org/
NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness – www.nami.org
MACMH – Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health – www.macmh.org
MCCCA – Minnesota Council of Child Caring Agencies - www.mccca.org
MN Adopt – www.mnadopt.org
CEED – Center for Early Education and Development – www.cehd.umn.edu/ceed/
PACER Center – www.pacer.org
Minnesota Mental Health – www.mnmentalhealth.org
Foster Parent College – www.fosterparentcollege.com
Department of Human Services, Minnesota Child Welfare Training System – nadine.groven@state.mn.us
Department of Human Services, Children’s Mental Health Division – LaRone.greer@state.mn.us