Hennepin County and Ramsey County Foster Care: What to Know

Hennepin and Ramsey are the two largest counties in Minnesota and together cover the bulk of the Twin Cities metro. Both counties run their own foster care licensing programs under state oversight, and both have significantly higher application volumes than smaller rural counties. That creates specific challenges — and a few advantages — worth knowing before you start.

Hennepin County Foster Care

Hennepin County Human Services covers Minneapolis and a large swath of the western and southwestern suburbs, including Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Plymouth, and Brooklyn Park. It's the most populous county in the state and operates one of the busiest foster care licensing programs.

Orientation: Hennepin runs regularly scheduled foster care orientations, but demand consistently outpaces availability. Prospective parents in Hennepin County regularly report wait times of two to four months just to attend an orientation before any licensing steps begin. If you're serious about fostering, contact the Hennepin County foster care team as early as possible and get on the list immediately.

Training access: Once you're past orientation, PATH training through the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy (CWTA) and the blended online/Zoom format is generally accessible for metro residents. B.E.S.T. car seat certification is available through multiple providers in the area.

Placement needs: Hennepin County has significant placement need across all age groups. The county serves a large and diverse population, with notable placement needs within the Somali, East African, and Indigenous communities. Native American children are disproportionately represented in Hennepin County's foster care system — as they are statewide, comprising roughly 26% of children in foster care despite being only 1.7% of Minnesota's child population.

Hennepin's resources: The county has historically published a detailed "A to Z" foster parent guide, which gives a sense of county-specific policies. However, since the DHS-to-DCYF transition, some materials are being updated. Check directly with the county for current forms and contacts.

Payment rates: Hennepin County publishes its own annual rate sheet for the Northstar Care for Children program. Rates are state-standardized but Hennepin's documentation is among the most up-to-date and publicly accessible. For SFY 2026: children ages 0–5 receive $827/month basic rate; ages 6–12 receive $979/month; ages 13–20 receive $1,157/month.

Ramsey County Foster Care

Ramsey County Human Services covers St. Paul and its immediate suburbs, including Maplewood, Roseville, and Little Canada. It's the second-largest county by population and has similarly high licensing volume.

Cultural communities: Ramsey County, particularly the St. Paul side, has a large Somali and East African population centered in neighborhoods like the East Side and Frogtown. The county also has significant Hmong community presence. If you're a culturally competent caregiver with connection to either community, Ramsey County social workers are actively interested in hearing from you.

Orientation and training: Similar to Hennepin, Ramsey orientation slots fill quickly. PATH training is delivered through the CWTA blended model; sessions are typically offered virtually, which helps with scheduling flexibility. Ramsey County partners with organizations like Lutheran Social Service and Catholic Charities in terms of support resources.

Placement needs: Ramsey County has consistent demand for placements, particularly for sibling groups, teenagers, and children with higher behavioral or medical needs. If you're open to older children or youth approaching 18, Ramsey has ongoing need.

What Both Counties Have in Common

Both Hennepin and Ramsey use the same state-level process:

• Licensing under Minnesota Rules Chapter 2960
• Background checks through NETStudy 2.0 (fingerprinting at IdentoGo)
• PATH pre-service training (now blended online/Zoom format)
• Home study covering psychosocial interviews and physical inspection
• Northstar Care for Children reimbursement rates

Both counties also deal with high social worker caseloads and turnover that can slow communication during the licensing process. If you don't hear back within two weeks of submitting documents, follow up directly — things do get lost in the volume.

Practical Tips for Metro Applicants

Don't wait to register for training. In both counties, PATH training cohorts and orientation sessions fill months in advance. Contact the county, attend orientation as soon as possible, and register for your training cohort immediately. Even if your home study isn't done yet, being in the training queue matters.

Know your county. Licensing is based on where you live, not where the child lives. If you live in Minneapolis proper, you're Hennepin County. If you live in St. Paul, you're Ramsey County. The suburb you live in determines your county — use the DCYF county directory if you're unsure.

Private agencies are an option. If county wait times feel prohibitive, agencies like Ampersand Families (St. Paul), Evolve Family Services (Stillwater and West St. Paul), and Lutheran Social Service operate in both counties and may have faster timelines and more hands-on support.

Egress windows matter more in older homes. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have significant stock of older housing — bungalows, Victorians, and post-war builds with small basement windows. The egress window requirement under Rule 2960 (minimum clear opening of 20" x 24", sill no higher than 44" from the floor for post-2020 standards) trips up many applicants in older metro neighborhoods. Inspect your own windows before your licensing worker does.

The Minnesota Foster Care Licensing Guide walks through the county-specific licensing process, the NETStudy 2.0 background check, and the home inspection standards that apply in both Hennepin and Ramsey County placements.

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