Introduction to Minnesota's Waiting Children

For 30 years, Children’s Home Society & Family Services has used our strong community connections and adoption expertise to find and support Minnesota families dedicated to adopting Minnesota's Waiting Children. Our mission: To intensively recruit parents for specific children and youth where the county has been unable to identify a resource.

The children who wait are:

• Primarily school-age children, 6-18 years of age
• Often part of sibling groups who need to be placed together
• Representative of all ethnic backgrounds; however, there are more African-American and Native American children, compared to the general population
• Affected by emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse or neglect
• Legally available for adoption
• Commonly dealing with emotional, behavioral and educational issues due to past abuse or neglect 
• Greatly in need of adoptive families ready to commit, unconditionally

We prefer not to keep these children waiting any longer than necessary. The process for waiting children is equally as thorough as any adoption. However, depending on where your family is in the adoption journey, process steps may vary, in an attempt to expedite in each child’s best interest.

If you’ve read this far, please consider attending an informational meeting to learn more.

Adoption services are available free of charge for eligible families.

CHSFS works with counties to help place Minnesota’s Waiting Children. We primarily serve adoptive families in the following counties: Aitkin, Anoka, Benton, Blue Earth, Carlton, Carver, Cass (Southern Only), Chippewa, Chisago, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Le Sueur, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Pope, Ramsey, Renville, Rice, Sibley, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Winona, Wright