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June 11, 2025 Abigail Otis, Authorized Agent Fond du Lac Foster Care Licensing and Placement Agency 927 Trettel Lane Cloquet, MN 55720 License Number: 800834 Child Placing Agency CORRECTION ORDER Dear Ms. Otis: On March 27, 2025, a Department of Human Services (DHS) licensor conducted a licensing review at your facility located at 927 Trettel Lane, Cloquet, MN. As a result of this visit, DHS determined that you are in violation of six of the child placing agency rules and statutes. As a result, DHS is issuing this order, which requires you to take the corrective action as described below. Details of our findings are provided below. Our next steps and your options are also detailed. LICENSING VIOLATIONS DHS determined that your program failed to follow licensing rules and statutes, as described below. 1. Violation: When an agency applies for initial or continuing licensure, it must submit a funding plan that projects income and other financial resources needed to operate in compliance with parts 9545.0755 to 9545.0845 for a period of at least one year beyond the date of application. A. Your agency failed to provide a projected program budget for foster care services, outlining details of the agency’s income and expenses anticipated for the next 12-month period. B. Your agency failed to provide a balance sheet showing the agency’s current assets and current liabilities for January and February 2025. C. Your agency failed to provide the program operating budget for foster care services for the current fiscal year. The budget must show actual income and expenditures. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9545.0795, subpart 1. 2. Violation: An agency that charges fees must make available to applicants and license holders written material that describes the fees charged, conditions under which fees are charged or waived, a fee schedule, and a statement applicants or license holders sign acknowledging the fees have been read, explained, and understood. Your agency failed to provide documentation about fees or documentation indicating that your agency does not charge fees. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9545.0795, subpart 2. 3. Violation: Your agency’s employee orientation failed to articulate that the orientation would be completed within the five working days of the employee’s start date. Currently, the policy identifies that orientation will be completed within 15 days. In addition, the employee orientation fails to address training on protecting information on clients as required by Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9545.0805, subpart 2. 4. Violation: Your agency’s employee training requirement does not identify that training on cultural diversity and children with special needs is required annually. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9545.0805, subpart 3. 5. Violation: Your agency’s description of program and services failed to describe services provided to children, birth and foster parents before, during, and after termination of foster care, and failed to provide a description of annual training provided to foster parents. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9545.0815, subparts C and F. 6. Violation: The agency failed to submit a transfer of records agreement in a timely manner. None of the requirements were met: A. The plan must include both open and closed cases. B. The plan must specify arrangements for the transfer of clients and their case records. (This may include both physical and electronic transfers and the method and timing of communication with affected clients.) C. The receiving agency must agree to accept and maintain the agency’s closed case records and provide follow-up services to affected clients. D. The plan must address how private and confidential information will be handled, according to Minnesota Statutes, section 259.79. E. The plan must be signed by a current controlling individual of the agency and by a representative from the receiving agency. If the receiving agency is also a child placing agency, a current controlling individual from that agency must sign the plan. F. The receiving agency must be licensed in Minnesota. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9545.0845.* Repeat Violation: In a Correction Order that DHS issued on August 1, 2023, you were previously found in violation of this same Minnesota Rules, part 9545.0845. *The new citation for Minnesota Rules, part 9545.0845, can be found under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A/04 Subdivision 15a paragraphs (a)-(c). Corrective action required You must correct the violations cited above. Submit documentation to your licensor within 30 days from when you received this order explaining how you have corrected the violations. YOUR RIGHT TO REQUEST RECONSIDERATION You have the right to request reconsideration of this order in writing. Your request must: 1. Specify the parts of the correction order that are alleged to be in error; 2. Explain why they are in error; and 3. Include documentation to support the allegation of error. If you are mailing your request, it must be received by DHS within 20 calendar days from when you received this order. If you do not meet this deadline, you lose your right to request reconsideration. The timeline to appeal began when you received this order. Please send it to: Commissioner, Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General Legal Counsel’s Office Attn: Licensing Legal Unit PO Box 64953 St. Paul, MN 55164-0953 If your request is being personally delivered, it must be received by DHS within 20 calendar days from when you received this order. Please bring it to: Commissioner, Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General Legal Counsel’s Office Attn: Licensing Legal Unit 444 Lafayette Road North St. Paul, MN 55155 Legal authority for this licensing action · This action is taken under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 1. · This child placing agency must maintain compliance with the licensing statutes and rules, specifically Minnesota Rules, parts 9545.0755 to 9545.0845. · The timeline to request reconsideration of the order is provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 2. Questions If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may contact Karol Jensen-Schneider at 651-431-3469. Sincerely,
Tamara Moore, Unit Supervisor Licensing Division Office of Inspector General C: Wylma Minkkinen, Supervisor
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