Lutheran Social Service

• Agency-specific education
• Home studies and home study updates
• Relative/kinship outreach
• Relative/kinship home studies and home study updates
• Placement
• Post-adoption services

Connect2Connect: Lutheran Social Service hosts 10 community events each year for foster, adoptive, and kinship families to gather and build connection while participating in fun activities. Events will take place across the state, with three events focused on families with a connection to the LGBTQ+ community. Past events have included snow tubing, hands-on zoo experience, sensory friendly movie showing, and group painting. To learn more visit Connect2Connect – CHLSS.

Foster/Adoptee Annual Youth Retreat: Lutheran Social Service will host a weekend retreat at Camp Knutson for youth ages 13-17 who are currently in foster care or who have been adopted from foster care. Participants will have the opportunity to build peer connections with those that share similar life experiences, allow for siblings not residing in the same placement to spend quality time together, and to gain tangible life skills that can be used after the retreat concludes. Youth will participate in a wide range of traditional camp activities led by Camp Knutson staff, as well as receive foster care specific content from LSS education facilitators. The first retreat will be held in April 2024.

Greater MN Support Group: Lutheran Social Service hosts a virtual monthly support group focused on serving families in Greater Minnesota providing foster, adoptive, and relative/kinship care. Create meaningful connections and discuss positive parenting strategies, led by a licensed parent educator and adoption social works based in Duluth, St. Cloud, Alexandria, and Red Wing. To learn more visit Greater Minnesota Parent Support Group – CHLSS.

Local Support Training: Monthly training / support groups for foster, kinship, and adoptive families throughout the state with an immediate focus on Greater Training provided to parents will be relevant to their experience, youth experience, and for their ongoing license training requirements. In-Person training events in Duluth, Fergus Falls, and Mankato. Virtual training events open to outstate residents across Minnesota. To learn more about Local Support & Training listed below, please email fostercare@lssmn.org, call 218-600-6996, or visit www.fostercaremn.org.

Material Support Funds: Funds to provide non-recurring material supports to struggling kinship families. For more information, contact Janet.Salo@lssmn.org.