Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of agency is PATH MN?
PATH MN is a private, non-profit child foster care licensing agency.
How do I become a foster parent?
In order to become a foster parent with PATH MN, a social worker will conduct a home study to ensure that you will be able to provide a safe, loving and stable home for a child. You must also receive thirty hours of training and education prior to placement and annually thereafter. To learn more about specific requirements and support services for becoming a foster parent in your community contact your local PATH MN office.
How long is this process
This process varies but usually takes approximately three to six months but can take as long as a year.
Who can be a foster parent?
In PATH Minnesota, we need foster parents of all ethnic backgrounds to open their hearts and homes to children with special needs, particularly older children, and sibling groups. Foster parents who reflect the diversity of children in foster care are needed in all neighborhoods and communities. Foster parents are required to pass background checks for the safety of both the parents and the children.
What type of children will I be helping?
Children ages 0-18 with special needs, particularly older children and sibling groups with emotional, physical and psychological difficulties.
How long will the children stay in my home?
The length of stay varies according to each individual’s circumstance. Placements may last anywhere from three months to emancipation at age eighteen. Primarily foster parents support reunification efforts and help develop a positive relationship between birth parents and their children. For 2008, 75 percent of children who left out-of-home care were reunited with their birth parents, primary caregivers or other relatives, or moved to a permanent home with a relative through a transfer of permanent, legal custody.
Will the children become my financial responsibility?
Foster parents are not compensated for providing care for abused and neglected children. However, they do receive monthly maintenance payments based on the level of care required for the express purpose of providing for the needs of the child. These include but are not limited to food, clothing, school supplies, etc.
Am I responsible for providing the children's health care costs?
All health care needs for children in foster care are covered through state and federally-funded insurance programs. It is the responsibility of the placing authority to ensure the children are elligible and enrolled prior to placement in a foster home.
Do I have to be a full-time foster parent to help children?
If you want to make a difference in the lives of children in your community and support foster parents, or if you are considering foster parenting and are not sure yet if you can make a long-term commitment, becoming a respite care provider might be the next step for you. Respite care providers receive support from social workers and are given a stipend to defray expenses of caring for the child while in respite care.
