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Kandiyohi County signs on to regional Family First Prevention grant partnership to reduce foster care placements
Summary
Health & Human Services director Caroline Khan won board approval to join a regional MOU and application with Safe Generations to pursue Family First Prevention funding and regional training aimed at reducing foster-care entries and strengthening family‑driven safety planning.
Kandiyohi County approved Jan. 6 participating in a regional memorandum of understanding to pursue Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) grant funding and regional training coordinated by Safe Generations.
Caroline Khan, director of Health & Human Services, told the board that several counties have partnered to submit a competitive RFP that will award up to 10 grants statewide; the regional application seeks $800,000 over two years (roughly $400,000 per year) to support training, regional coordination and consistent family‑driven safety planning. Khan said Safe Generations would serve as the applicant and fiscal host unless a county is required to carry the award; Kandiyohi County did not volunteer to be fiscal host.
Khan described the grant’s goal as reducing entries to foster care by building a consistent, regionally coordinated approach to safety planning and staff training. “The goal of this RFP is fewer children entering foster care, stronger family networks, and better permanency outcomes while building a consistent approach for cross‑participating counties,” Khan said. She said participation would also allow Kandiyohi County to preserve locally received FFPSA dollars for direct family supports instead of spending those dollars on staff training.
Commissioners asked about grant size, allowable administrative costs for a fiscal host and whether Safe Generations had an established national track record; Khan said Safe Generations is a long‑standing national partner in family‑driven safety planning and offered to provide additional organizational background. The board moved, seconded and approved staff’s recommendation to sign the MOU and participate in the regional application; staff said the RFP is due at the end of January and notification to grantees is expected by March.
If selected, the region would implement shared training and coordination to support family‑driven safety planning across participating counties.
