My name is Danielle Brown and I have worked with Ampersand Families as a Youth Permanency Specialist for more than five years. Last year, I humbly accepted an additional role with a new program offered at our agency. This program is called Innovative Targeted Recruitment for African American Youth. Innovative Targeted Recruitment for African American Youth works to establish community partnerships that engage in targeted recruitment to meet the needs of African American Continue Reading
Blog posts
Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ+ Youth: New training for families
Amidst the increase in anti-trans bills that are being introduced and passed in states around the county, Ampersand Families is reaffirming our commitment – and Minnesota’s commitment – to centering the emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing of youth in foster care. Researchers have found that a disproportionate number of youth in care identify as LGBTQ+ compared to youth in the general population1,2,3. This makes enforcing Minnesota’s existing laws4 that foster Continue Reading
Relative Search: What is it and why is it important?
Relative search is a service at Ampersand Families for youth in foster care who need placement and support. The goal of relative search is to identify relatives and attempt contact with them. Relative search involves identifying grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. as well as other individuals described as “kin.” Kin is any person in a youth’s life who has a significant relationship with them. This might include a coach, teacher, neighbor, or other caring Continue Reading
Ampersand Families joins the Quality Parenting Initiative
Ampersand Families has joined the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) as a fully trained Minnesota site! What this means for Ampersand Families is that we’ve dedicated our efforts to ensuring that quality parenting and lasting relationships are practiced within every part of our agency. This will help us ensure that the voices of our families, relatives, and youth we serve are at the center of our practice, advocacy, and drive for policy change. What is QPI? QPI is Continue Reading
Our Past is Our Right!
MYVoice wins state grant
This month the MYVoice program of Ampersand Families is excited to announce a new grant to support "protective factors" for young people with experience in foster care. This grant, funded by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS), invests in the relationships, positive peer community, and leadership opportunities that all young people deserve as they grow into healthy and connected adults. What is MYVoice? MYVoice (also known as Minnesota Youth Voice) is Continue Reading
What is Permanency?
Permanency is not a word most people think about often; the general public does not always understand the significance of the supportive connections they have access to. In our work, permanency is a topic we talk about every day and engage youth in conversation about. We typically look at permanency in three ways: legal, physical, and relational/emotional. Legal Permanency When we think of legal permanency, we are thinking about the relationship Continue Reading
