The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. Minnesota Permanency Demonstration (MnPD) has been reviewed by the CEBC in the area of: Post-Permanency Services, but lacks the necessary research evidence to be given a Scientific Rating.

MnPD, the Minnesota Title IV-E welfare waiver project, is a single-benefit, assisted-guardianship program. A single-benefit (or continuous- benefit), assisted-guardianship program does not decrease financial support for foster caregivers who adopt or assume permanent legal and physical custody of the foster children in their care. MnPD’s purpose is to determine whether a single-benefit program increases permanency rates and shortens foster care stays among children in long-term foster care. Any child who meets the following requirements is eligible for the MnPD project:

• Title IV-E eligible
• Reunification has been ruled out
• Living in a safe and stable foster home at least six months.

Certain children who have historically been more difficult to move into permanent living situations are targeted by the project:

• Children with special needs who have serious psychological, physical, and behavioral problems
• Older children
  
• Children with siblings in foster care
• Children who are American Indian and African American.

The MnPD project began on November 17, 2005, and was authorized for five years. A final report was completed in 2011 and can be found at https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-4630A-ENG.

Target Population: Children in long-term foster care. Special emphasis is being given to American Indian children, African American children, and children with special needs.

• Title IV-E funds are allowed to be used in a flexible manner to support families’ post-permanency efforts.
• The Minnesota Permanency Demonstration (MnPD) benefit is equal to what the permanent caregiver received as a foster parent.
• The MnPD benefit supports permanent caregivers who chose to either adopt or accept a transfer of permanent legal and physical custody of a child in their care.
• Eligible caregivers must be fully licensed as foster parents and have the child in their care a minimum of 6 months.
• Both relative and non-relative caregivers are eligible for the program.
• Children of any age are eligible for the program.
• County social workers meet with eligible foster parents to discuss permanency options for children in their care and explain the benefit sets available including the MnPD option.
• In February 2006, an amendment to the terms and conditions was made that allowed counties participating in the project to apply in limited circumstances for an exception to the requirement of six months in placement for children who are otherwise eligible.

Minnesota Permanency Demonstration (MnPD) was not designed with a child component.

Minnesota Permanency Demonstration (MnPD) was not designed with a parent/caregiver component.

Minnesota Permanency Demonstration (MnPD) was not designed to be conducted in a group setting, and has not been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended Intensity:

There is not a set number of contacts per week for this program since it is integrated into the state's adoption system. A description of how the Minnesota adoption system works is included here. When courts terminate parents' rights, children are placed in foster care and committed to the guardianship of the state of Minnesota. The department's goal is to find permanent homes, preferably through adoption, for all children under state guardianship. The county social service agency caring for the child is responsible for identifying child's needs, finding an adoptive family and supporting the adoption placement. The process of adopting a child under state guardianship has four steps: 1) A court terminates parental rights and places a child under state guardianship. 2) County agencies select a family who can best meet a child's needs. 3) Counties or private adoption agencies assist and support the creation of a new family. 4) The court finalizes the adoption. Most county adoption resource workers in Minnesota are specialists. They meet with pre-adoptive families and are responsible for following the legal and DHS policy requirements directed towards adoption finalization including home studies, background checks, financial subsidies (including this program), and other steps. Psychological assessments of children are often completed to document their special needs prior to adoption finalization. Adoptive parents are not required to have psychological assessments, but may at times be asked to complete one based on individual circumstances.

Recommended Duration:

Consistent with Title IV-E foster care regulations, children are no longer eligible to receive the program's benefit when they reach the age of 18, unless they are enrolled full-time in high school or an equivalent course of study and can be reasonably expected to graduate before their 19th birthday. If children meet this exception, the program's benefit may continue until they graduate or reach age 19, whichever comes first.

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Foster Home

This program does not include a homework component.

Minnesota Permanency Demonstration (MnPD) does not have materials available in a language other than English.

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

County social service agency is responsible for implementing and supporting the program. The county agency needs to sign a memorandum of understanding with the state and have federal approval to implement and begin to operate the program. Ongoing administrative functions include: permanency planning for children in foster care, determination of the program's eligibility, offering the benefit set to the foster parents, issuing of monthly payments to permanent caregivers and responding to requests for modifications to the MnPD county-parent agreement.

County social workers have BA or higher levels of degrees with varying levels of experience.

There is not a manual that describes how to implement this program; but there is training available for this program.

Training Contact:

• John Hanna, BA, LSW, Child Welfare Program Consultant
  Minnesota Department of Human Services
  dept.: Child Safety and Permanency Division
  john.hanna@state.mn.us
  phone: (651) 431-4678
  PO Box 64943
  St. Paul, MN 55164-0943

Training is obtained:

Informal Consultation is provided though background information on how the program was implemented can be found at http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=dhs16_137480.

Number of days/hours:

This program has been reviewed and it was determined that this program lacks the type of published, peer-reviewed research that meets the CEBC criteria for a scientific rating of 1 – 5. Therefore, the program has been given the classification of "NR - Not able to be Rated." It was reviewed because it was identified by the topic expert as a program being used in the field, or it is being marketed and/or used in California with children receiving services from child welfare or related systems and their parents/caregivers. Some programs that are not rated may have published, peer-reviewed research that does not meet the above stated criteria or may have eligible studies that have not yet been published in the peer-reviewed literature. For more information on the "NR - Not able to be Rated" classification, please see the Scientific Rating Scale.

Child Welfare Outcomes: Not Specified

Currently, there are no published, peer-reviewed research studies for Minnesota Permanency Demonstration (MnPD).