Ampersand Families

08/04/2026

National Night Out is about more than meeting your neighbors, it's about building a community where everyone belongs.

In Minnesota, more than half of young people with foster care experience face homelessness by age 24, and nearly 60% of homeless youth have a history in foster care.

When young people lack stable family connections and support, their interactions with law enforcement and other systems often increase.

Every young person deserves more than a place to live, they deserve belonging, support, and a community that shows up for them.

This National Night Out, we encourage our community to talk to your local law enforcement about the ways you can work together to show up for older youth in foster care.

Source: https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/29/a-mere-drop-in-foster-numbers-is-not-a-promise-kept/

07/21/2026

🚨 Now Hiring: Kin Link Specialist – 30 Days to Family® (Full -Time)

Ampersand Families is seeking a passionate, relationship-centered Kin Link Specialist to help children entering foster care stay connected to the people who matter most -their relatives and kin.

This role is part of our innovative 30 Days to Family® program, an evidence-based model focused on identifying, engaging, and supporting family connections so children can find safe, stable placements with relatives as quickly as possible.

In this role, you'll:

• Locate and engage relatives and kin for children entering foster care
• Build meaningful relationships with families and support systems
• Assess and support relatives interested in caring for or staying connected to children
• Collaborate with child welfare professionals and community partners
• Use creativity and urgency to identify placement options and overcome barriers
• Maintain case documentation, reports, and program requirements
• Travel throughout Minnesota to meet with relatives, families, and stakeholders
• Advocate for family connections and permanency for children and youth

✨ What we offer:

✔ Full-time position
✔ Starting salary of $50,000–$62,000
✔ Competitive benefits package, including Health, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance
✔ 20 days PTO, floating holidays, paid family & medical leave, and retirement benefits
✔ Equity-centered, values-driven workplace committed to belonging, dignity, and hope
✔ Meaningful work that strengthens families and transforms child welfare outcomes

🌟 We're looking for someone who:

• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and can work with urgency
• Has experience in child welfare, foster care, family support, mental health, or related fields
• Is a creative problem-solver and strong advocate
• Builds authentic relationships and works collaboratively with families and partners
• Is committed to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices

🔗 Apply here:
https://ampersandfamilies.applytojob.com/apply/mnPoD4EfeY/Kin-Link-Specialist-30-Days-To-Family

Join us in helping children remain connected to family, culture, community, and belonging.

07/14/2026

Better Together Always | MNPOC Pride Family Day 2026 🌈

Come visit Ampersand Families' booth on Sunday, August 16th at Powderhorn Park for an afternoon of community, celebration, resources, live entertainment, and family fun!

Together, we're creating a space where LGBTQ+ people of color, youth, and families are welcomed, supported, and celebrated. 💜✨ 🌈

07/10/2026

We’re still feeling the joy from our 2026 Gala and grateful for the moments captured so beautifully by our talented photographer, Maddie Rose 📸✨

Not only did Maddie Rose Photography document the evening, but they’re also part of the MN Heart Gallery. ❤

Through professional photos, the Minnesota Heart Gallery program pairs volunteer professional photographers with youth and families to take high-quality photos for adoption recruitment and personal use after placement.

We’re so thankful for storytellers who use their gifts to uplift our youth and families.

Learn how you can become a volunteer photographer today! https://www.minnesotaheartgallery.org/partners-forphotographers 📸

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07/08/2026

We had an incredible time at our Family Retreat at Valleyfair last month! 🎢

These retreats are one of the ways Ampersand continues to support families long after adoption or permanency is finalized. They give families a chance to get together, have fun, connect, and support one another.

We're especially grateful to the Edwards family featured here for spending the day with us! Seeing families connected and supporting one another is exactly what Ampersand Families is all about.

Learn more about our services here: https://ampersandfamilies.org/programs/for-families/

07/06/2026

Thank you to the Urban League Twin Cities for hosting the Community Care Collective!

Join them on Saturday, July 11 to find hope, education, and support for families who are caring for a child who is not their biological child—whether through child protection involvement, kinship care, family crisis, trauma, grief, or while supporting parents who are temporarily unable to care for their children. Come find valuable information about your rights, parental/family advocacy, connections to resources that promote emotional healing and stability, and help the children you're caring for thrive in safe, loving, and supportive homes!

Join us on July 11 at Urban League Twin Cities 10AM-11AM. Our hope is to equip parents, guardians, and relative caregivers with valuable information about their rights, parental/family advocacy, connect them to resources that promote emotional healing and stability, and strengthen the family relationships that help children thrive in safe, loving, and supportive homes.

07/06/2026

Join us at Rondo Days on July 18, 2026! 🎉

Stop by Ampersand Families’ booth to learn how we support children and families in the child welfare system -especially those disproportionately impacted.

Rondo Days is a vibrant celebration of community, culture, and local African American history - featuring live music, food, and local art. We’d love to connect with you, come say hello!

07/04/2026

“What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” - Frederick Douglass

As we reflect on celebrating 250 years of independence, Ampersand Families recognizes that for many children in our nation’s history, freedom was never guaranteed. They experienced forced labor, separation from loved ones, and systems that denied safety, stability, and a sense of community.

Today, these systems look different, yet their outcomes of separation, instability, and lost community remain common for youth in the Child Welfare System. Freedom means making sure every child grows up with dignity, hope, and a strong sense of belonging, free to become who they are supposed to be.

This year, Ampersand Families looks forward to creating a world where every child is supported and where youth connections to relatives, kin, culture, and community are celebrated, so each can truly thrive.

07/01/2026

Exactly one month ago, we gathered for an unforgettable evening at our Empowered: Hosted by Meg Ryan Gala.

Our community came together to celebrate the powerful stories of youth with lived experience in the child welfare system - creating a night full of inspiration, connection, and impact.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported - our donors, sponsors, Ampersand staff, and the incredible Cinema Grill team - for making it all possible.

A truly inspiring night among the stars!

We can’t wait to share more photo's from our Gala and exclusive sneak peeks of our upcoming docu-series, airing on public television later this year, stay tuned!

06/28/2026

We had a time tabling at Twin Cities Pride’s Family Fun Day- last Sunday! 💖

From colorful creativity to community connection, our button-making station was a huge hit - folks of all ages loved designing their own affirmations and Pride-themed keepsakes.

Thank you to the organizers at Twin Cities Pride for creating such a welcoming, family-centered space to celebrate together! 🌈