SF3981

Purpose

The bill changes how Minnesota handles plans for children in foster care. It adds a requirement to include information about early childhood education (ECE) and child care programs, and it requires agencies and guardians ad litem to provide that information to foster families. The goal is to improve planning for each child’s safety, education, health, and permanency (like reunification, adoption, or placement with relatives).

What the bill changes about the out-of-home placement plan

• A written out-of-home placement plan must be created within 30 days of a child entering foster care, and it must be prepared by the responsible social services agency with input from the child’s parents or guardians and others involved (such as the guardian ad litem, the child’s tribe if Indian, foster family, and when appropriate the child).
• For teens age 14 and older, the child may add two other people to help prepare the plan; the child can choose one advisor to focus on reasonable and prudent parenting standards. The agency can reject someone if there is a good reason to believe they wouldn’t act in the child’s best interests.
• If a child is in voluntary foster care for treatment under a different chapter, the plan must also involve the child’s mental health treatment provider. For a child 18 or older, the agency involves the child and parents as appropriate.
• The plan must be submitted to the court for review and may be approved as written or modified after a court hearing; it must be signed by the child’s parent(s) or guardian, the guardian ad litem, a tribal representative if applicable, the agency, and ideally the child.

What the plan must cover (key elements)

• A description of the foster home or facility and how the plan aims to place the child in a safe, least-restrictive, most family-like setting close to the child’s home, aligned with reunification goals and the child’s needs.
• The specific reasons the child is placed in foster care and what changes the parents must make for safe return home, if reunification is the plan.
• The services offered to prevent removal and to reunify, including actions parents must take, timeframes, and the agency’s efforts to help the family.
• Any services or resources the child or family requested since placement, and whether they were provided.
• A visitation plan for the child’s parents/guardians and other relatives and siblings, and how this aligns with the child’s best interests.
• If the child cannot return to the parents, steps to finalize adoption or to transfer permanent custody to a relative, including kinship placement considerations and how Northstar kinship assistance might apply.
• A plan for educational stability, including efforts to keep the child in the same school or enroll in a similar program if moving is necessary, and to keep records of schooling.
• A description of health care planning and who coordinates medical care, including health screens, immunizations, medications, and access to medical insurance or medical assistance.
• An independent living plan for youths age 14 and older, covering goals in education, health care, housing, money management, transportation, and staying connected with family and community. The youth may designate an advisor to help with planning, similar to the school-related advisor role.
• For a child in a qualified residential treatment program, the plan must follow related provisions in another part of law.
• The plan must explain the child’s rights and the right to legal counsel (and guardian ad litem) in plan preparation; the child (if 14+) may receive an annual credit report and other protections.
• A one- to two-page plain-language summary of the plan must be provided to the parents/guardians before they sign, and updated if the plan changes.
• After the plan is signed or ordered by the court, foster parents must be fully informed of the plan and receive a copy.
• When a child leaves foster care, the agency must give the child’s parent, adoptive parent, or permanent guardians a copy of the child’s health and education records; in some cases, social and medical history may also be provided.

New information requirements about early childhood education and child care

• For children not yet subject to compulsory school attendance, the agency (and applicable licensed child-placing agency) and the guardian ad litem must provide foster parents with:
  • Information on early childhood education and child care program options in the foster parent’s area.
  • The Northstar foster care benefits child care allowance.
  • Eligibility requirements for the child care assistance program and early learning scholarships, plus how to apply.

Other notable provisions and implications

• The bill emphasizes educational stability and health care continuity as core parts of the plan, with clear responsibilities for coordinating services and keeping records up to date.
• It strengthens participation by the child in planning decisions (age 14+ rights, advisor role) and clarifies the roles of the guardian ad litem and the case planning team.
• It reinforces permanency planning options (including adoption and relative placement) and the steps and documentation needed to pursue those options when reunification isn’t possible.
• It introduces a specific requirement to share information about early childhood education and child care early in the process to help families access supports sooner.

Summary of purpose and expected impact

• Purpose: Improve foster care planning by integrating education, child care options, health care coordination, and early permanency planning; ensure foster families get needed information and support.
• Expected impact: More comprehensive planning for each child, faster access to educational and child care resources, clearer paths to permanency (reunification, adoption, or relative placement), and better alignment of services with a child’s health and education needs.

Relevant Terms - out-of-home placement plan - foster care - guardian ad litem - case planning team - reasonable and prudent parenting standards - least restrictive setting - reunification - adoption - transfer of permanent legal and physical custody - relative placement - kinship placement - Northstar kinship assistance - Northstar foster care benefits - educational stability - early childhood education - child care - health care coordination - health records - independent living plan - age 14 and older rights - court approval of plan - plan summary for guardians