SOCIAL SERVICES

The Renville County Social Service Board is a public agency serving the residents of Renville County and is a division of the North Dakota Department of Human Services. The goals of the agency are to help individuals and their families achieve, maintain, or support the highest attainable level of personal independence and economic self-sufficiency; to prevent, remedy or alleviate neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children and adults unable to protect their own interests; to assist and enable individuals to remain in their own homes and communities and delay or prevent institutional care; and, to preserve, rehabilitate and reunite families.

County social workers in the Minot region, which includes Renville County, have formed a Region II Foster Care Recruitment and Retention project.  The goal of the project is to recruit new families interested in providing foster care to children and licensing those family homes.  The goal also is to keep those homes which are currently licensed.  The group applied for and has been awarded grants from the Kid's Council and the North Dakota Department of Human Services with local match coming from each of the seven County Social Service Boards and PATH.  These grants will be used over the next year to fund activities to meet the groups’ goals of increasing the number of licensed foster homes in the region.  Perhaps you have heard one of the Public Service Announcements on television or radio!  Contact the county social service office for more information.

Applicants for all programs administered by the agency are available at the county office or by calling 701-756-6374.  It is the policy of Renville County Social Service Board to assure that all applicants for, or recipients of, services or assistance from programs administered by the Board shall not be subject to discrimination or denied benefits on the basis of an applicant’s or recipient’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, political beliefs, age, disability, or marital status.

FOOD STAMPS

Assets are not considered in determining Food Stamp benefits. All monthly income received by the household must be reported and verified and is used to determine benefit levels.  Benefits for eligible households are access with a debit card issued in the local office.  Contact the County Social Service office for an application.

CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE

This is a program which provides families reimbursement of child care costs incurred for the parents’ employment or education/training.  The family's monthly income is used to determine the amount of reimbursement.  A family of four with a monthly net income of $2,933.00 could be eligible for a payment. Contact Jan at the Renville County Social Service office for more information and an application.

 CHILD CARE PROVIDER REGULATIONS

According to North Dakota law, anyone providing child care for more than five children, including the providers own children under the age of 12, must be licensed.  The licensing process is completed by a county social worker who is available to assist the provider in meeting the regulatory requirements.  There are several classifications of licenses.  The Family Child Care home is licensed for up to seven children, with two additional children allowed for before and after school.  The Group Child Care home or facility is licensed for six to eighteen children, depending on available space and staff.  A Child Care Center is a facility with a director and staff, providing care for larger numbers of children.  The agency also licenses Preschools or educational programs which are not operated by a school district.  In Renville County, we currently have one licensed Preschool and four licensed Group Child Care homes.  There is a need for more providers and anyone interested is encouraged to contact the office for more information.  Please call 756-6374.

FOSTER DREAMS by FOSTER PARENTING!

There is an urgent need for Family Foster Homes for Children in the Minot Region. Anyone interested in learning more about the Family Foster Care Program should contact the Renville County Social Service office at 701/756-6374
 

ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:

With fuel prices continuing to increase, the LIHEAP Program is a resource for eligible families and individuals to help with payment of the fuel bills. The program usually begins October 1, and ends on May 31 each year.  Applications must be completed during the program period..

CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM:

Healthy Steps, North Dakota’s children’s health insurance plan, provided premium-free health coverage to uninsured children in qualifying families.  It is intended to help meet the health care needs of children from working families that earn too much to qualify for full Medicaid coverage, but not enough to afford private insurance.   Applications are available at most medical clinics, Public Health offices, or County Social Service offices.

HEALTH CARE COVERAGE – MEDICAID:

Medicaid pay for health services for qualifying families with children and people who are pregnant, elderly or disabled.  Eligibility is based on income and, in some cases, assets.  There is also a Medicare Savings Program which provides for payment of the Medicare premium to those eligible individuals.  Contact any County Social Service office for an application.

HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES:

This service is part of a continuum of care that provides a choice of service to help individuals remain in their own homes or communities and to delay or prevent institutional care.  Some of the services include Homemaker, Personal Care, Respite Care, Emergency Response Systems, Family Home Care, Adult Family Foster Care and Basic Care Services.  Contact the Social Worker at the local County Social Services office for more information.

RECYCLING PROJECT:

For at least ten years, the Social Service office has carried out a Recycling Project at the Courthouse.  We thank everyone who has participated in this program.  The newspapers, magazines, office paper and aluminum cans collected are taken to the Minot Vocational Workshop in Minot.  The tokens received are then distributed to the three Food Pantries in Renville County.  Over $800 in tokens has been given out since the program began.