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Kandiyohi County proclaims Mental Health Month, children's mental health and foster care awareness; staff provide service updates
Summary
Kandiyohi County commissioners proclaimed Mental Health Month, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, National Foster Care Month and Child Care Provider Appreciation Day on May 6 and received service updates from county social services.
Kandiyohi County commissioners adopted multiple proclamations on May 6 recognizing mental health, children’s mental health, foster care and child-care providers and heard updates from county social services on current service volumes and program activity.
Megan Knott, social services supervisor, read a county proclamation declaring May 2025 as Mental Health Month and summarized the county’s statutory responsibilities under Minnesota Statute 245.466 to develop locally available and affordable mental-health services. Knott described local partnerships for prevention, emergency and outpatient services and noted Woodland Centers’ role as a contracted partner providing mobile crisis and community support programming.
Robin Stryker, children’s services supervisor, read the Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day proclamation and reported that Kandiyohi County’s children’s mental health team has five social workers, 57 open cases and 13 new intakes for the month. Stryker explained eligibility requires a diagnostic assessment and an SED (severe emotional disturbance) determination for children to receive these county services.
County Director Caroline Khan and Stryker also addressed foster care numbers. Khan said a draft proclamation in the packet had carried an outdated figure; the correct current number is 56 children in out-of-home placement (21 in relative foster care and five in non-relative foster homes). Khan and Stryker said county staff have worked to reduce out-of-home placements through earlier family interventions and safety planning.
The board also declared May 2025 National Foster Care Month and May 9, 2025, Child Care Provider Appreciation Day. Robin Stryker gave a child-care licensure update: the county has 78 providers renewing licenses this year and seven new applicants; one Atwater project is beginning construction for a combined child care and independent living building.
All proclamations were approved by voice vote. Commissioners and staff emphasized the county’s continuing effort to support families, recruit and recognize foster and childcare providers and work with community partners to maintain service access.
