Foster care providers care for children who have been abused, neglected, or whose parents are unable to take care of their children.  Children can be in care for as short as one day's time or up to a year or more depending on family circumstances.  Foster parents provide safety, stability, consistency, and nurturing for children in their care.  Foster care is temporary, it is not meant to be forever.  Children usually continue to visit their own parents until it is safe for them to return home.  Family foster homes sometimes specialize in caring for children of certain age ranges or children with specific needs. Learning About Child Foster Care Licensing Laws/Statutes/Rules Becoming a Provider and FAQs Provider Corner Schedules/Training Dates More Information

Learning About Child Foster Care

The child foster care licensing process typically takes 90 to 120 days to complete.  Once Wright County Human Services has received all necessary documents, reports, and has completed all evaluations associated with licensure, our agency has 20 days to submit our recommendation regarding approval or denial of the license to the Minnesota Commissioner of Human Services.

Foster Care: Caring for children in out-of-home placement                                                                       
This document provides a useful description of the purpose and need for foster care.  It provides detail regarding our State's foster care program.

Paths to Permanency
This guide explains the need for permanency for children in foster care. It describes the differences in      legal status, decision making, and the child's right between adoption and a transfer of permanent legal custody.  It also offers information about how foster parents can become a permanency option for children.

Family Matters:  Information for Relatives Considering Becoming Foster Parents

There are several foster care services available through the Wright County foster home program:

Emergency Shelter 
Temporary short term care of children, usually 72 hours. Often law enforcement is involved. Emergency shelter homes provider care to children ages 0-11 years, or girls ages 12-17 years, or boys ages 12-17 years. Previous foster care experience is recommended.

Respite Care
Designed to relieve the child's primary caregiver for short periods of time. Children involved in respite care usually have medical needs, mental health and/or behavior issues which require a great deal of time, assistance, and supervision.

Interim Care
Foster care for children who are expected to return to their family of origin within one year or for those children that will be placed for adoption within two years.

Permanent Care
Permanent foster care occurs under written agreement by the court system. The child will remain in care until reaching adult hood. These children are not adopted.

Restricted Care
A licensed foster home that cares for a specific child or group of children, usually relatives.

Concurrent Planning
A home that intends on fostering and possibly adopting a child.

Whole Family Foster Care
A licensed home that offers services to a parent and their child. The focus is to provide both assistance with independent living and parenting skills in order to keep the family intact and prepare them for living in the community.

Waivered Services Foster Care
Care for children with special medical and/or mental health needs. Additional requirements apply.

Corporate Foster Home
A foster home run by a corporation and uses shift staff to meet the needs of the children.  ** There is currently a State enacted moratorium which precludes Wright County from licensing additional corporate homes at this time.

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Licensing Laws/Statutes/Rules

Foster care homes are licensed according to Minnesota laws.

Child Foster Care
MN Rule 2960.3000-2960-3340

Human Services Licensing
MN Statute 245A

Human Services Background Studies
MN Statute 245C

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More Information

You can contact us in a variety of ways: 

E-Mail:  Contact our staff at cfclicensing@co.wright.mn.us.

Telephone:  For Child Foster Care questions, contact Jill Marzean, 763-682-7484.

Office:  Our office is located in Buffalo in the Human Services Center.  A map and address to the office are available online for your convenience.

Click here for information on Adoption.

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