Carver County recognizes and builds off existing safety so that children and youth can remain with their primary caregivers. All families have strengths and provide some safety and wellbeing for their children. When children can’t remain with their primary caregiver, our first priorities are to support relatives and others who have a significant relationship with the child or youth to be placement options, along with keeping siblings together.

When children & youth are not able to be placed with relatives or kin, we engage non-relative foster parents to find the best match. Finding the best match is critically important for the success and stability of the child or youth as well as the foster family. Carver County is always looking for additional foster families that represent the diversity of our community to support the uniqueness of the children and youth who need care.

When children are in foster care the goal is to reunify them with their primary caregiver. Relative and Non-Relative Foster Parents play an important role in reunification by meeting the physical, emotional, and mental health needs of children, supporting ongoing relationship between children and their families, and whenever possible building a positive working relationship with the children’s primary caregiver.

Research shows that having one or more caring adults in a child’s life increases the likelihood that they will flourish and become productive adults themselves. In many cases, these caring adults are the child’s parents, but other relatives, neighbors, friends of parents, teachers, coaches, religious leaders, and others can play this role. For children and youth in foster care, we strive to maintain and build relationships with caring adults and encourage foster parents to maintain relationships with children & youth after they have left the child welfare system.