Getting Help On Your Own
If you were in foster care, juvenile detention or have a case with Child Protection Services, you may be able to access many county services.
You can call Hennepin County Front Door for Social Services at 612-348-4111, or Ramsey County Front Door at 651-266-4444 to get more information.
Tell them: “I was in foster care when I was younger (or your situation). I am [age] and need services because [explain your needs]. I would like help figuring out what services are available.”
- Education: If you were in foster care before age 18, you may be eligible for an Educational and Training Voucher that can help pay for school.
- Social worker: If you have a social worker and you are under 18, you have the right to keep your social worker and your benefits until age 21. Be sure to you ask for it before your 18th birthday.
- A safe place to live: You also have the right to a safe home. If your foster family is abusive, call Child Protection Services at 612-348-3552 in Hennepin County or 651-266-4500 in Ramsey County.
- Legal help: For legal help, contact the Children’s Law Center at 651-644-4438. They provide attorneys for foster care kids who are abused, neglected, or wards of the state, as well as youth who are aging out of foster care and transitioning into independent living. Their services are free.
Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help
Outreach workers and county social workers are safe adults who can help you locate a place to live, enroll in school, or look for work. Your case manager can help too, so be sure to tell them you were in foster care .
If possible, talk to others who have aged out of foster care and ask for their advice. Katrina W., who left foster care years ago, spoke to NPR about her experience. “Stay in school, stay focused, stay away from babies,” she says in the video below.