Minnesota foster care and adoption guidelines

Foster care and adoption licensing requirements

Foster care and adoption licensing requirements are outlined in Rule 2960 of the Minnesota Administrative Rules. All kinds of families are needed. To foster or adopt, you can:

Be single, married, cohabiting or divorced
Have experience in parenting or be a first-time parent
Own or rent where you live

Follow the link to learn more about what types of families are needed: Foster Adopt Minnesota Frequently Asked Questions.

Specific requirements for home studies vary by agency, so be sure to ask for a list of the items and information your agency needs. The following items are commonly required during the home study process to foster or adopt (if applicable):

An autobiographical statement, a statement you create about your life history
Certified copies of legal records including (but not limited to): birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, death certificates, and adoption decrees
Background checks and fingerprints
Income verification (may include tax returns, W-2 forms, and paycheck stubs) to show that your current income is meeting your current needs
A statement of health provided by a physician, which might include lab test results
Written references from friends, employers, neighbors, etc.

Read more about foster care from the State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Foster Adopt Minnesota's licensing page, or call the National Foster Parent Association at 800-557-5238.

Costs to foster and adopt

State-contracted agencies or county/tribal social service agencies only place children who are in foster care. These programs provide no-fee foster care and adoption services. If you choose to work with a public agency you must do so within your county of residence.

When adopting a child through foster care, an adoptive family may qualify for reimbursement of some expenses. These “non-recurring expenses” include agency placement fees, agency fees for supervision of the adoptive placement, court and attorney fees, and transportation and lodging costs for the child and the adoptive family.

Agency contact and orientation information

The State Department of Children, Youth, and Families has contracted with Foster Adopt Minnesota to oversee the state adoption exchange and provide pre- and post-placement information to support foster care providers, adoptive families, and kinship caregivers, and the professionals who work with them.

Foster Adopt Minnesota programs include:

Education: Offering online and statewide in-person workshops and and pre-recorded webinars on a wide range of topics relevant to adoptive, foster, and kinship families.
Zero Kids Waiting program: Provides statewide information about adoption, foster care, and kinship care based on the individual needs of Minnesota families and children.
HELP and Permanency Services program: A warmline for kinship caregivers, foster care providers and adoptive parents, and professionals providing post-permanency support and guidance, and referral to therapeutic and supportive services.
Post-adoption navigator: Sharing information and providing post-permanency support and resources to Minnesota families.
Post-adoption search: Offering valuable information and other resources related to post-adoption assistance.

Post-adoption support services

See a comprehensive list of post-adoption and guardianship support services and support groups available to families who live in Minnesota.

Additional information

Sources for this information include the Child Welfare League of America's report Minnesota's Children 2022 (90 KB PDF) and the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families adoption fact sheet (56 KB PDF). To learn more, please visit the Minnesota DCYF website, the Reel Hope Project and Foster Adopt Minnesota.