The Newsleaders
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Sartell – St. Stephen
    • St. Joseph
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Column
    • Editorial
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Community
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Spotlight
    • Criers
    • People
  • Notices
    • Funerals/Visitations
    • Obituary
    • Police Blotter
    • Public Notices
    • Support Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Submissions
  • Archives
    • Sartell-St. Stephen Archive
    • St. Joseph Archive
  • Advertise With Us
    • Print Advertising
    • Digital Advertising
    • 2021 Promotions
    • Pay Invoice
The Newsleaders
No Result
View All Result

PineCone Pet Hospital MillerCarlin Serving all of central Minnesota locations!

Albany: 320-845-2035
Holdingford: 320-746-9994
St. Cloud: 320-252-7004
Upsala: 320-573-6234
Toll-free: 1-800-644-4058
Collegeville Stearns Bank
Home Featured News

Foster families needed in St. Joseph

May 18, 2018
in Featured News, News, St. Joseph
0
Foster families needed in St. Joseph

photo by Mike Knaak Jennifer Thelen, Stearns County Human Services social worker.

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

by Mike Knaak

editor@thenewsleaders.com

Jennifer Thelen is looking for a few good families.

Thelen of St. Joseph is a social worker with Stearns County Human Services.

Although recruiting and licensing foster-care families is a year-round job, Thelen is trying to get the word out during May, Foster Care Appreciation Month, about the need for families to care for children.

Currently, 68 families provide foster care for about 160 children ranging from infants to age 17.

Foster parents are as diverse as the children they care for. Some are married; some are single; some are grandparents; some are parents with young children, adolescents or grown children; some hope to eventually adopt children. The characteristics foster parents have in common are love for children, an ability to commit to challenges and a desire to make a difference in the lives of children, Thelen said..

Not only does Stearns County need more foster homes, the location of the homes is important too, Thelen said.

Removing a child from a home is disruptive enough, but if a child moves to a foster home away from the neighborhood, friends and school, the situation is even more stressful.

Right now there are no foster homes in the St. Joseph area, so a child needing foster care would be placed outside the area.

Because children in foster care are sometimes adopted by the foster family, there’s a constant need for new foster homes.

In addition to getting the word out about the need for foster families, Thelen also licenses the homes.

Foster families have to pass background checks, interviews, a home study and a safety inspection before being approved. More than half of foster families are relatives of the child being placed.

Foster families are paid a stipend for food, clothing and transportation.

“It isn’t a job. People are doing this from their heart,” Thelen said. “They genuinely want to provide love and care for somebody. You’re doing that because you want to help other people.”

Foster care is needed when a child’s well-being is threatened by a deteriorating home situation.

A child’s parents may struggle with social, financial, legal or chemical-dependency issues and are no longer able to care for the child.

While the child is in foster care, social workers and the court work with parents to address the issues and reunite the family.

The ultimate goal is to move the child from foster care to a more permanent, stable situation. That may be family reunification or adoption.

Families interested in foster care should contact human services at 320-656-6000 and ask for the coverage licensing social worker. The county conducts a no-commitment orientation about every two months. The session lasts about two-and-a-half hours.

“There is a continued need and there always will be,” Thelen said.

“If we could get 10 more foster homes we would love that,” Thelen said.

photo by Mike Knaak
Jennifer Thelen, Stearns County Human Services social worker.
Previous Post

Lions Park Bike-to-School event dodges raindrops

Next Post

Another season, another opener

Next Post
Another season, another opener

Another season, another opener

Please login to join discussion

CMCU Twitter Follow us on
Twitter
for the latest news!
Facebook Follow us on Facebook
for the latest news!
calendar Click here
to view our
calendar
of events!

Go Fund Me # 1 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!
Elizabeth Brunsvold
Cultural Connections
Jim Berg & Mary Kruger
Mary & John Davis
Sandy Denne
Bobbi & David Gouker
James & marry Graeve
Juliana Howard
Julia Joplin
Linda Kmitch
M. Molus
Sheila Nahan
Go Fund Me # 2 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!

Peggy & Michael Roske
Judy Scheuerell
Geraldine Schwab
James Stotko
James Towler
Anna Trobec
Kaye Wenker
Ellen Wahlstrom
Leona Wieland
Jeanie Wilkens
GAGEN & VASUGI RAMANATHAN
Go Fund Me # 3 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!
Nicole Borg
Erica Karger-Gatzow
Dane & Lori Listug-Lunde
Nadine Martin
Doris Minnerath
Merry Mund
Marilyn Peitso
Stephen Schwanke
Dianne Tuff
Dale Zacher
Private Donors

Search

No Result
View All Result

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Funeral for Marilyn ‘Lynn’ P. Borgert, 86 & Eugene ‘Gene’ J. Borgert, 89
  • 6 candidates selected for Sartell-St. Stephen superintendent
  • Kluesner appointed to St. Joseph City Council
  • Wood sentenced for killing two children
  • A list of school superintendent finalists expected March 1

City Links

Sartell
St. Joseph
St. Stephen

School District Links

Sartell-St. Stephen school district
St. Cloud school district

Chamber Links

Sartell Chamber
St. Joseph Chamber

Community

Calendar

Citizen Spotlight

Criers

People

Notices

Funerals/Visitions

Obituary

Police Blotter

Public Notices

Support Groups

About Us

Contact Us

News Tips

Submissions

Advertise With Us

Print Advertising

Digital Advertising

2021 Promotions

Local Advertising Rates

National Advertising Rates

© 2021 Newleaders

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Sartell – St. Stephen
    • St. Joseph
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Column
    • Editorial
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Community
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Spotlight
    • Criers
    • People
  • Notices
    • Funerals/Visitations
    • Obituary
    • Police Blotter
    • Public Notices
    • Support Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Submissions
  • Archives
    • Sartell-St. Stephen Archive
    • St. Joseph Archive
  • Advertise With Us
    • Print Advertising
    • Digital Advertising
    • 2021 Promotions
    • Pay Invoice

© 2021 Newleaders

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In