One of the questions I hear most often is some version of,
“Do you think I could actually do this?”
It usually comes after a long pause. Maybe someone has been thinking about foster care for months. Maybe they know a family who fosters, or they have seen a need in their community and felt something pull at them. Whatever brought them to that question, I always tell them the same thing: you do not need to have it all figured out before you reach out. Most foster parents start exactly where you are right now, with questions, a little uncertainty, and a real desire to do something that matters.
The short version: foster care in Minnesota is temporary care for children who cannot safely stay at home while their parents work toward reunification. You do not need to own a home, be married, stop working, or have parenting experience. You do need to pass a background study, complete training, and open your home to a licensing review. Most families complete the process in three to four months.
At North Homes Children and Family Services, we work with individuals and families across Minnesota who are exploring foster care for the first time. Our job is to walk alongside you, answer your questions honestly, and help you figure out whether this is the right fit for your family.
What Foster Care Actually Is
Foster care is a temporary service. When children cannot safely remain in their home, they are placed with a licensed foster family while their parents work toward reunification. In Minnesota, getting children back to their family is always the primary goal, unless the court determines that is no longer possible or appropriate.
That means foster parents are not working alone. You become part of a team that includes social workers, therapists, school staff, and in many cases, the child’s own family. Your role is to provide a safe, stable, and caring home during one of the hardest stretches of a child’s life, and to support the relationships that matter most to that child along the way.
Children will sometimes still be in need of adoption, but that only happens after reunification and other options have been fully explored and legally ruled out. If adoption is something you are hoping for, that is worth an honest conversation with a licensor early on.
Who Are the Kids?
Children in foster care come from all ages and all kinds of backgrounds. Some are very young. Some are teenagers. Many are part of sibling groups who need to stay together. Some have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, or have medical or mental health needs that require consistency and patience.
Right now in Minnesota, there is a particular need for families willing to care for older youth and sibling groups. These are kids who often wait the longest for a placement, and who can thrive when a family opens their home and commits to showing up for them.
What Kind of Person Makes a Good Foster Parent?
There is no single mold. Foster parents at North Homes are single people, couples, empty nesters, families who already have children at home, and LGBTQ+ families. What matters is you.
You also do not need parenting experience to get started. Every parent starts out with virtually none. What we look for is responsibility, a real commitment to children, and a willingness to learn. The training and support are there to help fill in the rest.
The qualities that tend to show up in foster parents who do this well are pretty consistent: patience, flexibility, the ability to stay steady when things get hard, and a willingness to work as part of a team. You will also learn a lot about trauma-informed care through training. The core idea is understanding that a child’s behavior is often a response to what they have been through, and that meeting that behavior with consistency rather than frustration makes a real difference.
Sometimes having a fresh perspective helps. Foster parents who come in without preconceived ideas about how a child “should” behave can find new approaches that benefit the child.
Some Things Worth Knowing Going In
Foster care can be emotionally hard. Children may arrive carrying more than you fully anticipated. Reunification, while it is the goal, can be difficult to witness. Not every placement unfolds the way you hoped. Grief is real in this work, and so is joy.
The foster parents who do this well tend to go in with clear eyes. They know it will be challenging. They know they will not be able to fix everything. And they show up anyway, because they understand that even a season of safety and real care can make a lasting difference in a child’s life.
You also will not be doing this alone. North Homes staffs licensing and case management as two separate roles, so the person guiding you through paperwork is not the same person supporting a child in your home. You get someone whose full attention is on your situation rather than one overloaded contact for everything. Our on-call line runs 24 hours, because children do not schedule their hardest moments around business hours.
A Few Common Questions
Do I have to own my home?
No. Renters are welcome as long as your landlord gives permission.
Do I have to be married?
No. Single individuals and unmarried couples can both become licensed foster parents.
Do I have to stay home from work?
No. Many foster parents work outside the home. Childcare is something to think through depending on the ages you are open to, but working does not disqualify you.
Will something in my past disqualify me?
Everyone has a history. If you have been free from substance use issues for at least two years, are able to pass a background study, and meet other licensing standards, you may still be eligible. Being upfront during the process always works in your favor. We covered this in more detail in our post on what disqualifies you from being a foster parent in Minnesota.
How long does licensing take?
Most families complete the process in about three to four months from the date we receive a completed application. The step-by-step licensing process walks through each stage.
Is This Right for You?
That is not something I can decide for you. But if you have read this far and you are still asking questions, that curiosity is worth following. Reach out. Have a conversation. See what you learn.
Give us a call at (218) 751-0282 or send us an email at info@northhomes.org. We are happy to talk with you.
