Referral Process for Professionals
What makes an appropriate referral?
Many children are referred to Kids ‘n Kinship by their social worker, counselor or another professional in their life. Kids ‘n Kinship follows up on all referrals; however it is the decision of the parent and child if they wish to participate in the Kids ‘n Kinship program.
The child must live in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Rosemount or Lakeville, and plan to stay in the area for at least one year.
The child must be between the ages of 5 and 16.
The child must want additional adult support in the form of a friend. Kids ‘n Kinship volunteers go through a screening and training process but are not professional social workers/counselors.
The family is willing to support a mentor for their child by submitting an application, having a home visit by Kids ‘n Kinship staff, signing a Release of Information, and having the child ready and available on a weekly basis for a mentor visit. Families must connect with the Kids ‘n Kinship outreach staff monthly to support and sustain the match.
The family has addressed or in the process of addressing needs that may be barriers to a long-term mentor relationship, including having housing, a phone and counseling for family crisis such as recent deaths, physical and mental health challenges or an abuse situations.
The child is able to connect with a mentor. Some characteristics such as attachment disorders, autism spectrum, challenging behaviors or other issues are better served by organizations that specialize in these areas. Kids ‘n Kinship mentors are individuals, couples or families who befriend a child, offer guidance, support and activity opportunities. Mentors do not usually have the background to address specific behavior and health-related issues.
How do I refer?
If your child is in Eagan, Burnsville or Lakeville
Contact Jerod Petersen 612-521-4374 or programs@kidsnkinship.org.
If your child is in Apple Valley, Farmington or Lakeville
Contact Moriah Peterson 651-301-8364 or coordinator@kidsnkinship.org.
After you make a referral to Kids ‘n Kinship staff, we will send information and an application to the family directly. We can also send the materials to you if you prefer to present them.
You can also download applications and information sheets from our website at www.kidsnkinship.org
Unfortunately we do not serve families/youth outside of our service area. Here is a page on MENTOR MN’s website where you can enter their zip code or address and find a mentoring program(s) who serve that area. https://www.mentormn.org/mentoring-connector
Important Notes
- Kids ‘n Kinship staff is here to serve children in need and will work with you regarding referrals or questions about a referral. We can assess the referral with you.
- Once an application is submitted, Kids ‘n Kinship will do an intake with the child’s parent/guardian to ensure they are appropriate for a mentoring relationship before following up with a home visit. We also do a Release of Information with other professionals interacting with the child to determine if their needs can be addressed by our mentoring program.
- Kids ‘n Kinship supervises the child/family’s involvement within the mentoring relationship and addresses issues that directly affect the mentoring. The program does not have the ability to provide case management and relies on our community partners and referral sources to assist the family with basic needs, crisis situations etc.
- You can call us anytime for updated information on the Child Wait List or potential volunteers available.