Children and Families

Family Services

Child Welfare
Polk County Social Services is a public child welfare agency with the responsibility of responding to community concerns about child safety, child well-being & family stability. We are interested in engaging families in a partnership to ensure the safety & well-being of their children. Polk County Social Services works with child protection matters such as intervention, prevention and resolution of child abuse and neglect.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Child Protection Services (CPS)
Child Protection matters such as intervention, prevention and resolution of child abuse and neglect. Child protection social workers assess reports of maltreatment of children in cooperation with law enforcement personnel. Along with the help of other service providers, Social Services may provide protective services to children and families such as:

  • Assessment
  • Individual and family counseling
  • Case management
  • Out-of-home placement

Providing children's health and safety needs are met, reunification with parents is the preferred goal of services.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Support for Emancipation and Living Functionally (SELF)
The SELF (Support for Emancipation and Living Functionally) program offers services to youth ages 14 through 21, who are currently or were previously in foster care for at least 30 consecutive days after age 14 but are still working with the county or tribal social worker. The program helps these youths prepare for a successful transition to adulthood.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Become a Licensed Child Care Provider
If you are interested in becoming a licensed child care provider in Polk County, MN please contact Polk County Social Services to receive an Initial Child Care Licensing packet today.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Child Care Aware
Our statewide system of agencies has served over 60,000 parents looking for child care and more than 100,000 child care professionals seeking education and professional development for their child care business.
Agency: Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc.
Contact: 1.800.543.7382

Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) helps families with children meet their basic needs, while helping parents move to financial stability through work. Parents are expected to work, and are supported in working with both cash and food assistance. Most families have a lifetime limit of 60 months on MFIP.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM)
The FAIM program helps people change spending and savings behavior, including debt reduction. Participants are required to attend 12 hours of financial education classes and an additional 10 hours of asset specific (for example, those wanting to purchase a home have to receive 12 hours of financial education as well as 10 hours of homebuyer education).
Agency: Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc.
Contact: 1.800.543.7263

Health Care Programs
Preventive care and disease management keeps people healthy and saves the state precious resources. DHS offers programs that provide care for the well-being of eligible Minnesotans. People who live in Minnesota may qualify for Minnesota Health Care Programs. You must meet program eligibility rules including income limits to qualify.
o Learn basic eligibility rules for:

o Find out how to apply for coverage

Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Diversionary Work Program (DWP)
The Diversionary Work Program (DWP) is a four-month program that helps Minnesota parents find jobs. The goal is to help parents quickly find work so that they do not need to go on the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP). When families first apply for cash assistance, most will be enrolled in this program. Parents get help paying for housing and other bills, along with employment services to help them find full-time work.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
Quality care and early education helps prepare your child to enter school ready to learn. The Minnesota Family Investment (MFIP) and Diversionary Work Program (DWP) Child Care Assistance Program can help make quality child care affordable while families work, go to school or complete other activities in their employment plan. More detailed information is in the booklet Do you need help paying for child care? (PDF). Transition year child care assistance can help families pay for child care while they work or look for work for up to one year after their Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or Diversionary Work Program (DWP) case closes. To qualify, your family must meet both of these criteria: Have participated in MFIP or DWP for three out of the past six months Be working or be looking for work. Talk to your worker about getting transition year child care assistance. The Basic Sliding Fee program can help families pay for child care while they look for work, go to work, or attend training or school to prepare for work. Some counties may have a waiting list for this program. Counties get a set amount of money to use each year. It is provided on a first come-first served basis until funds are allocated fully. Additional applicants are put on a waiting list. If more funds become available, the county will contact you.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Four Cornerstones of Financial Literacy
The Four Cornerstones curriculum strives to build financial empowerment through 4 core areas of financial education: Budgeting to Create Savings - Budgeting that works, finding ways to save, organizing bills; Debt Reduction & Asset Building - How to deal with each type of debt, dealing with collections, building assets; Building a Good Credit Rating - How to get one and read it, how to build good credit and improve bad credit; Consumer Protection & Financial Institutions - Resources and rights, scams to avoid, dealing with financial institutions. The curriculum employs the learning circle method, a technique that builds upon the life experiences of participants.
Agency: Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc.
Contact: 1.800.543.7263

Parents Forever
Children tend to experience challenges that can have long‐lasting effects based on the choices that are made in the initial legal phase of divorce. The Parents Forever program addresses multiple topics that can be beneficial when beginning the divorce process.
Agency: Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc.
Contact: 1.800.543.7263

Youth Employment Program (Collaboration with Inter-County Community Council)
Three separate programs encompass the Employment and Training Programs. The programs are the Youth Program, Older Youth Program, and Out of School Youth Program. The Youth Program is for students’ ages 14 to 18 years old who need assistance with employment. The Older Youth Program is for ages 19 to 21 years old who need assistance with job placement and further education. The Out of School Youth Program is for those who are 16 years old or older and no longer in school but needs assistance with job training.
Agency: Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc.
Contact: 1.800.543.7263

Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP)
Across the state, public health and communities are working together through the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) to expand opportunities for active living, health eating, and tobacco-free living. Healthy communities create opportunities for all Minnesotans to live longer, healthier lives. When we make healthy choices easier and available for everyone, we support better health for all.
Agency: Polk County Public Health
Contact: 218.281.3385

Red River Valley Juvenile Center – Behavioral Evaluation
The RRVJC 45 day Behavioral Evaluations program is designed for males and females 10-18 years of age. The program provides 24-hour behavioral observation and documentation by our staff to assist the treatment team in identifying a child’s and family strengths and areas of possible intervention. These evaluations are designed to provide the Court and the referring agency an overview of the client’s current emotional, mental and physical needs.
Agency: Tri-County Community Corrections
Contact: 218.470.8321

Red River Valley Juvenile Center – Residential Treatment
Eight beds are available for residential programming for male and /or female adolescents between the ages of 10 to 18. An Individualized Treatment Program (ITP) is completed with the assistance of the referring agency representative, the adolescent and their family to provide therapeutic treatment for each adolescent in the residential setting.
Agency: Tri-County Community Corrections
Contact: 218.470.8321

Red River Valley Juvenile Center – Shelter Care
The RRVJC offers short-term, residential care for Children in Need of Protective Services (CHIPS) and non-violent juvenile offenders. The facility provides a small group setting in a stable and protective environment with twenty-four hour supervision to adolescents ages 10-18 pending: •Court Hearings •Transition to Home from Placement •Transition from Home to Placement The Red River Valley Juvenile Center provides temporary short-term placements based on issues of: •Neglect •Abuse •Status Offense/CHIPS •Awaiting Placement •Non-violent Delinquent Offense(s) •Respite Care •Minor Consumption
Agency: Tri-County Community Corrections
Contact: 218.470.8321

Tri-County Community Corrections - Transitions Program
The Transition Program assists in the monitoring of adolescents who have recently completed an out-of-home placement or serves as an alternative to out-of-home placement for adolescents ranging in age from 12 – 17.
Agency: Tri-County Community Corrections
Contact: 218.470.8321

Adoption Services
To adopt a child in the state of Minnesota, a home study is required. Home studies can be performed by private adoption agencies and in some circumstances by Polk County Social Services. In an adoption home study, prospective families begin the process of being considered for adoption. It includes being fingerprinted, having a background check and participating in an extensive interview process as well as ongoing training or parenting children who have experienced trauma. Polk County Social Service only completes adoption home studies for Minnesota waiting children/state wards. This means the parents’ right of these children have been terminated and these children are now available for adoption.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Parent Support Outreach Program (PSOP)
The Parent Support Outreach Program provides voluntary support for at-risk families:

  • Identified through screened out child maltreatment reports
  • Community referrals
  • Parent self-referrals

PSOP provides early intervention supports and services for children and their families who are at risk of child abuse and neglect. The program proactively addresses family needs, particularly for those who may have a screened out report of concern, but may benefit from supports and services.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Children’s Mental Health Case Management Services
Polk County Social Services provides Children’s Mental Health Case Management services. These services are intended to assist children and youth 0-17 years old, with a severe emotional disorder. Under some circumstances, through age 20, via approved transition planning.
Agency: Polk County Social Services
Contact: 218.281.3127

Rehab Services
Occupational, Physical, and Speech therapy for all ages, including free pediatric development screenings.
Agency: RiverView Health
Contact: 218.281.9200