Pre-Adopt Trainings
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• Pre-Adopt (Orientations/Trainings) • Trainings Calendar •  Purchase Webinars |
Pre-Adopt Orientation and Training Schedules
Individuals who are interested in adopting Minnesota's Waiting Children must attend pre-adopt/foster parent training classes offered by one of the 87 Minnesota County Social/Human Service divisions or a private adoption agency that is part of the Public Private Adoption Initiative (PPAI). Families who train through their county of residence or the PPAI agencies pay no fees for their training. There may be fees for other trainings. Always call the training agency prior to attending to verify time, date, location and cost.
Your first step is to call your county family services department to ask about its foster care, concurrent planning and/or adoption programs. You also may call private child-placement agencies that are licensed by the State of Minnesota and are involved with permanency planning for children.
Your next step is to attend the orientation meetings and training sessions offered by your county or the private child-placement agencies. Many of your questions will be discussed at these meetings.
Once the training is completed, you are prepared for the next steps of the process that are required of foster, concurrent planning or adoptive parents. In any of these roles, you can brighten the future for a Minnesota’s Waiting Child.
The PPAI agencies are:
| Ampersand Families | Minneapolis | 612-605-1904 |
| Bethany Christian Services | Plymouth & Willmar | 763-553-0344 866-321-1964 |
| Children’s Home Society & Family Services | St. Paul & St. Cloud | 651-225-2221 800-952-9302 |
| Downey Side | St. Paul, St. Cloud, Owatonna | 651-228-0117 |
| Family Focus | Minneapolis, St. Paul, Owatonna, Austin, Rochester | 612-331-4429 |
| HOPE Adoption and Family Services International, Inc. | Oak Park Heights & Stillwater | 651-439-2446 |
| Lutheran Social Service | Minneapolis & Mankato | 612-879-5230 888-205-3769 |
| North Homes | Grand Rapids & Bemidji | 218-327-3055 888-430-3055 |
Pre-Adopt Orientation and Training Dates
Listed alphabetically by agency
(Please contact
webmaster if dates need to updated, changed or removed)
| AFRICAN AMERICAN ADOPTION AGENCY | |||||||||||||||||||||
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African American Adoption Agency 1700 Highway 36 West, Suite 450 Roseville, Minnesota 55113 651.659.0460 phone 888.840.4084 toll-free phone 651.644.5306 fax afadopt@afadopt.org Orientation Class Schedule AAAA orientation is the first step in the adoption process. This one-hour informational meeting provides basic information to individuals or couples considering adoption. The session explains AAAA's adoption process and explores the issues involved in adoption.
To register for an upcoming orientation, please contact us at 651.659.0460 or 888.840.4084. Please DO NOT attempt to register online
Training is comprised of two eight-hour sessions
(Session 1 and Session 2 below). AAAA prefers that you attend these
sessions back-to-back to maximize a positive learning experience.
Orientation must be completed before continuing on to training.
Training sessions run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the following
dates.
To register for training sessions, call us at 651.659.0460 or 888.840.4084. Please DO NOT attempt to register online.
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| ANOKA COUNTY | |||||||||||||||||
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Anoka County Human Services 2100 3rd Ave Anoka, MN 553037 763-422-7104 Contact: Nancy Le Nancy.Le@co.anoka.mn.us http://www.co.anoka.mn.us/departments/human_serv/index.htm Orientation Class Schedule
Registration is not required. Child care is not provided.
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| BETHANY CHRISTIAN SERVICES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Locations:
Plymouth Location:
Persons adopting through the PPAI do not have a charge to attend. Others wanting to attend may do so at a fee of $100 per person. *Registration
minimum of ten families must be met for this event
to be held.
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| CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY & FAMILY SERVICES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Our Mission: To help children thrive, and to build, strengthen and sustain individual, family and community life. Our Vision for Children: To create a place in every mind and heart where each child has dignity and respect. Our Definition of Family: A family consists of two or more people, whether living together or apart, related by blood, marriage, adoption or commitment to care for one another.
If you would like to schedule an information meeting with a CHSFS worker in your area, please call one of the following numbers:
Mary Jo Michalik at 651-255-2218 or email her
mmichalik@chsfs.org
to register Children’s
Home Society & Family Services 2010 Adoption Information Meetings
(Clients may register on our website or by calling Mikki Harris at 651-255-2370 or Gloria Dennis at 651-255-2201) 2010
Adoption Education Classes
*Clients registering for the July/August series must attend an additional 3-hour workshop on Raising Sexually Healthy Children. (Clients must have attended an information
meeting before attending classes. Contact Mary Jo
Michalik at 651-255-2218 or email her
mmichalik@chsfs.org to register)
2010
Adoption Education Classes
November 2010 Classes
Sauk Rapids Adoption Education Classes
Location: Living Waters Lutheran Church, 1911 4th Avenue North, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379-2714 Contact Person: Mary Jo Michalik at 651-255-2218 (or toll free at 800.952.9302, ext. 2218).
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| DOWNEY SIDE...families for youth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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DOWNEY SIDE Bigelow Building 450 N. Syndicate, Suite 380 St. Paul, MN 55104 651-228-0117 www.downeyside.com/ Downey Side's philosophy is rooted in the conviction that every child deserves the right to a permanent and loving family. It is our purpose to work in partnership with the government as a licensed adoption agency to place America's waiting children who otherwise would remain homeless. We are dedicated to family life for all children and strongly believe that a healthy permanent relationship is the best prevention against homelessness. Locations: DOWNEY SIDE, Owatonna Suite 201 560 Dunnell Court Owatonna, MN 55060 http://www.downeyside.com/owatonna.htm Exploring Adoption Training
Lunch will be on own.
St. Cloud Pre-Adoptive Training for Families TBA soon
There is no charge to families
preparing to adopt children under state guardianship.
Pre-Registration is required. Please e-mail
stpaulmn@downeyside.org or call (651) 228-0117.
http://www.downeyside.com/saintpaul.htm St. Paul Orientation for Families
There is no charge for
this meeting - Pre-Registration is required.
There is no charge to families preparing to adopt
children under state guardianship. Pre-Registration is
required. Please e-mail
stpaulmn@downeyside.org or call (651) 228-0117.
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| FAMILY FOCUS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Family Focus 2800 University Ave SE Suite 204 Minneapolis, MN 55414 612-331-4429 http://www.mnfamilyfocus.org/ Our mission is to provide families and communities with an array of quality services that promote the development of healthy family relationships and supportive living environments. Agency Contact: Heidi Burton Telephone: 218-740-3146 Family Focus Pre-Adopt Orientation Training (Owatonna) FAMILY FOCUS is offering the 16 hour required adoption training in two parts on the following days Location: Owatonna Public Library 105 North Elm Owatonna MN 55060 (Lunch together) Participants must attend both parts, but it does not need to be consecutively, nor do participants have to start with part 1.
For registration or training questions
please call or email Sara or Melissa at 612 331-4429 or
family@mnfamilyfocus.org. PATH – Parents as Tender Healers, A Curriculum for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Care Parents Children from the System, Raising Children from the System, Understanding Hurt Children, Impact of Loss on Children, Using Family Strengths to Help Children Heal, Helping a Child to Become Part of Your Family, Surviving Crisis, and Tying it All Together. Cultural Diversity and Youth Panel Location: Tobies Restaurant Little Kettle Room I-35 & Hwy 48 Hinckley, MN
The training is free to those prospective parents
interested in adoption of Minnesota children who are under guardianship of the
Commissioner. For more information and registration please contact Heidi Burton
at Hburton@mnfamilyfocus.org (218 658-8005)
or Register with: Mary Hofmann at 218-372-4066 or
mhofmann@mnfamilyfocus.org
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| HENNEPIN COUNTY CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES | ||||||||||||
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Hennepin County Children & Family Services 525 Portland Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55415 612.543.0014 Contact:Cathy Bruer-Thompson cathy.bruer-thompson@co.hennepin.mn.us www.co.hennepin.mn.us
Orientation Class Schedule
Training Class Schedule
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| HOPE ADOPTION & FAMILY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL, INC. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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HOPE Adoption & Family Services International, Inc 5850 Omaha Avenue North Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 651.439.2446 Contact:Julie Kink http://www.hopeadoptionservices.org HOPE is a private, non-profit agency that was founded in 1978 by adoptive parents. We assist birth parents and prospective adoptive parents who live in Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Adoption Orientation
Meetings
All are free -
Registration is required for all meetings & workshops. (651-439-2446) or visit our web site, www.hopeadoptionservices.org General Informational Meeting
GENERAL ADOPTION INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS for anyone
considering international or infant adoption, or undecided |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICE | |||||||||
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Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) 2400 Park Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55404 612-879-5230 888-205-3769 Contact: Lynne Haggar Lynne.Haggar@lssmn.org www.minnesotaadoption.org/ Adoption Information Meetings Group meetings are held throughout the year to learn more about our programs at Lutheran Social Service Adoption. These meetings are free and non-obligatory. Individual meetings can also be arranged to meet your needs. Contact the location most convenient to you for additional information. Minneapolis Area -- call 612.879.5230 or 888.205.3769 2400 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN Rochester Area -- Call 612.879.5230 or 888.205.3769 St. Cloud Area -- Call 320.251.7700 Atonement Lutheran Church, 1144 29th Avenue North, St. Cloud, MN Training Class Schedule - 2010 (Families who sign up for our 2-day in person training, will receive a login for our online portion. They need to complete the online training prior to our in-person training.)
This two-day workshop is the
first step in the Adoption Study process once you have sent
in your registration form. At the completion of the workshop
you will receive either an application packet to continue
the adoption process with Lutheran Social Service of
Minnesota or a certificate of completion. All prospective
adoptive parents must attend the full 16 hours of training
as mandated by the State of Minnesota.
Location: LSS -- Minneapolis 2400 Park Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55404 Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota 2400 Park Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55404 612.879.5230 (Adoption) 612.871.0221 (Information Desk)
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| NORTH HOMES | |||||||||
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North Homes, Inc. 1880 River Road Grand Rapids, MN 55744 888.430.3055 ext.112 218.327.3000 Contact: Holly Guyer at 218-322-4112 http://www.northhomesinc.org/ North Homes, Inc. is a private, nonprofit, 501-C-3 agency aimed at providing comprehensive services to children and families in Minnesota. We were established in 1990 with Knollwood Boys Group Home and have steadily increased programs to best meet the needs of the communities we serve. Training Class Schedule Please call office for more information.
Location: TBA Grand Rapids MN |
| PERMANENT FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER | ||||
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Locations: Fergus Falls 1220 N. Tower Road Suite 101 Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Phone: 218-998-3400 Toll Free: 1-888-240-7469 Fax: 218-739-4989 Mankato 83 Navajo Avenue Suite 27 A Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: 507-469-5540 Fax: 507-345-8865 Fargo PO Box 1125 Fargo, ND 58107 Phone: 701-212-7221
Email:
adopt@permanentfamily.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION or
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PLEASE NOTE: All orientation and training dates, times and locations are subject to change. Please call phone numbers listed to confirm. Also, other county and private agencies that place Minnesota’s Waiting Children may have meetings not included in this listing. Please check your phone book’s blue pages for your county human service department phone number and the yellow pages under adoption or foster care for private child-placement agencies. The private agencies included on this listing work collaboratively with the State of Minnesota under the Public Private Adoption Initiative (PPAI) contract.