Professional Audience Disclaimer: The DCYF Permanency Trainings on this page are designed specifically for professionals working in child welfare, or permanency support roles. They are not intended for general public education or for use as guidance for foster, adoptive, or kinship caregivers.
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families’ Permanency Unit partners with county, tribal, and private agencies, county attorneys, guardians ad litem, courts and others to provide services to children and youth whose permanency plans are adoption or transfer of permanent legal and physical custody (TPLPC) as well as to prospective and current adoption and kinship families.
- Upcoming Regional Permanency Trainings
Please see below for the dates and links to register for the DCYF Permanency Regional Trainings. Topics covered can include: Northstar Adoption Assistance, Northstar Kinship Assistance, ICPC, MAPCY, Permanency Support, Post Adoption Support, Relative Search and Social & Medical Histories. Select the specific training opportunities below to see which topics will be covered. Please note, the regional trainings are in person. If you have topics you would like to learn more about or would like to host future regional trainings, contact us at: northstar.benefits@state.mn.us. - Topics in 10
These trainings will go over each part of the permanency process with the Department of Children, Youth and Families for adoption and the transfer of permanent, legal and physical custody processes for children in foster care. - Permanency Coffee Talks
A place for you to connect with us, discuss practice issues, and keep up-to-date with news and training.
TRAININGS
June 9, 2026
DCYF Regional Permanency Training
Itasca Resource Center, Grand Rapids
https://education.fosteradoptmn.org/v2/?c=event&id=2456
July 14, 2026
DCYF Regional Permanency Training
Kandiyohi County Law Enforcement Center, Willmar
https://education.fosteradoptmn.org/v2/?c=event&id=2492
August 11, 2026
DCYF Regional Permanency Training
Virginia Government Services Center, Virginia
https://education.fosteradoptmn.org/v2/?c=event&id=2493
August 18, 2026
DCYF Regional Permanency Training
Mower County Government Center/Law Enforcement Center, Austin
https://education.fosteradoptmn.org/v2/?c=event&id=2490
September 30, 2026
DCYF Regional Permanency Training
Crookston Eagles Club, Crookston
https://education.fosteradoptmn.org/v2/?c=event&id=2491
Topics in 10 Resources – The resources included include acronyms, statute, contact information and important documents related to permanency.
Introduction
APA Pre-Work in SSIS and Child Ward Folder
We will review work to be completed in SSIS for the adoptive placement agreement, and creating the child ward folder for children under guardianship of the commissioner of Children, Youth and Families. We will look at information that should be entered prior to creating the child ward folder in SSIS in order to avoid data fixes in the future.
The Adoption Placement Decision Summary
We will review the decision summary and what the records and eligibility consultant is looking for throughout. We will discuss the out of home placement plan if your agency submits the document in addition to the decision summary.
Northstar Kinship Assistance: The Eligibility Determination Documents
We will review required documents to submit to the Department of Children, Youth and Families that the Records & Eligibility consultants review in order to confirm an eligibility for Northstar Kinship Assistance.
Adoption Legal Process
In this mini training, we will discuss the legal process for an adoption to finalize. We will discuss the necessary documents to submit to court as well as documents required to send to DCYF after finalization
Kinship: About the Eligibility Determination Process
This mini training will focus on the eligibility determination process for a TPLPC. We will discuss common issues completing the ED in SSIS and documents to submit for review.
Other Documents & Processes for Adoption and Kinship
This training overviews additional documents needed for adoption and kinship as well as the process to complete the ICPC process and Tribal Ward cases with DCYF.
Post Finalization
This training will review the steps for agencies and families after an adoption or TPLPC finalize.
Submitting the APA
We will review timelines and required documents to submit an APA to the Department of Children, Youth and Family for review. We will discuss common issues when submitting the APA and how to avoid them.
Social & Medical History
We will review important considerations to the social and medical history, as well as tips and common issues with completing the social and medical history. We will also briefly address full disclosure.
Northstar Adoption Assistance: The Eligibility Determination Documents
We will review required documents to submit to the Department of Children, Youth and Families that Records & Eligibility Consultants review to confirm eligibility for Northstar Adoption Assistance
Adoption: The Eligibility Determination Process
In this mini training we will discuss steps to complete the eligibility determination process for adoption cases after the APA has been approved.
Kinship: The Eligibility Determination Process
We will review the necessary steps to complete the eligibility determination in SSIS including creating the kinship placement agreement, opening the kinship folder and completing the eligibility determination.
The Northstar Benefit Agreement
We will review the benefit agreement for adoption and kinship including how to create them in SSIS and what your consultant is looking at when reviewing the agreement before it becomes fully executed.
TPLPC – The Legal Process and Post Finalization
We will review the legal process for completing a TPLPC from filing the petition to the final order. We will also review post finalization steps for families and your agency.
Consent to Adopt and Northstar Adoption Assistance Process
Learn more about the intricacies of a Consent to Adopt and what that means for the Northstar Adoption Assistance process. This training includes an explanation of what a Consent to Adopt is, the relative search requirements, and more in-depth on the Northstar Adoption Assistance Process including the Eligibility Determination application.
Relative Engagement and Consideration in Permanency
This coffee talk is designed for county and tribal social workers, supervisors, and other child welfare professionals working with children and families in permanency awaiting a Transfer of Permanent Legal and Physical Custody (TPLPC) or adoption. This Coffee Talk will focus on what it means to engage and consider relatives as part of permanency planning and decision making. There will be a brief overview of relative search requirements.
Strategies for Addressing a Caregiver’s Wish to Decline of Northstar Kinship Assistance
While Northstar Kinship Assistance was intended to unify benefits and remove barriers to permanent placement, some kinship caregivers are still choosing to decline assistance. This coffee talk will equip you with policy guidance and best practices to ensure families are making their best and most informed decisions.
