public assistance

May 2014

New MN laws related to harm reduction, financial stability, & juvenile justice

By |2016-12-01T19:33:01-06:00May 30th, 2014|Categories: Child Welfare Policy|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Now that the Minnesota legislative session has officially ended, here is a summary of some of the child-welfare related bills that have been signed by Governor Dayton since mid-April that we have not yet covered. The policies are separated into three categories: harm reduction, financial stability, and juvenile justice. Bills Related to Harm Reduction Along [...]

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April 2014

MFIP Drug Testing and Child Welfare

By |2016-12-01T19:33:03-06:00April 9th, 2014|Categories: Child Welfare Policy|Tags: , , , , |

Rep. Rena Moran. Source: David Joles/Star Tribune Across the country state lawmakers are debating passing or strengthening existing legislation that would require random drug testing of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families—"welfare") recipients. Minnesota is one of the few states where legislators are trying to modify an existing drug testing policy for recipients with prior felony [...]

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January 2014

Introduced bills pertaining to early learning, mental health, and the minimum wage (among others)

By |2016-12-01T19:33:04-06:00January 16th, 2014|Categories: Child Welfare Policy|Tags: , , , , , , |

As promised from yesterday, I am continuing my "brief bill descriptions" post regarding child welfare-related bills introduced during the interim of Minnesota's 88th legislative session. Early Learning H.F. 1880: Introduced by Rep. Ryan Winkler and others, this bill would ensure that each eligible child receives an early learning scholarship. Beginning in FY2015, funding for this [...]

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May 2013

Omnibus Health & Human Services Finance bill signed by Governor Dayton, includes Northstar Care for Children

By |2016-12-01T19:33:06-06:00May 22nd, 2013|Categories: Child Welfare Policy|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday Governor Dayton signed the omnibus Health & Human Services (HHS) Finance bill, making it Chapter 108 in the 2013 Session Laws. The main point of this bill was to establish the HHS budget, but there are also policy changes that will impact child welfare. One big change from earlier versions of the bill is [...]

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December 2011

The Emotional Behavioral Policy Gap

By |2016-12-01T19:33:19-06:00December 20th, 2011|Categories: Child Welfare Policy|Tags: , , , , , |

On November 15th, Sen. Robert Casey proposed S1872: Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2011. This bill (also, H.R. 3423) would allow families to create savings accounts that can be used for the health and education of a family member with a disability. Sen. Casey introduced the bill specifically to give parents of [...]

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November 2011

Guest Blog: Rep. Nora Slawik on Early Childhood

By |2016-12-01T19:33:21-06:00November 29th, 2011|Categories: Child Welfare Policy|Tags: , , , , , , , |

The Minnesota Family Investment Program is often viewed as a program for parents. But how does it impact the children in families receiving this assistance? Like the juvenile court reforms discussed at the CEED Round Table last month, the Minnesota Family Investment Program may benefit from a change in perspective. That is, what does the [...]

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August 2011

General child welfare-related legislation in the U.S. Congress

By |2016-12-01T19:33:22-06:00August 4th, 2011|Categories: Child Welfare Policy|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Last update: 8-17-2011 (updates highlighted in yellow) This is a list of current child welfare-related bills in the U.S. Congress. Although I attempted to ensure that it is an exhaustive list, I may have missed one or more. If you know of a child welfare-related bill that is not in this list, please let me [...]

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March 2011

Week in Review: March 18, 2011

By |2016-12-01T19:33:25-06:00March 16th, 2011|Categories: Child Welfare Policy|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This week was interesting, but next week is sure to be busier! Why? There is a March 25th deadline for budget decisions, which will bring a flurry of activity next week. Child Welfare matters will arise in the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee, where the GOP budget bill will be unveiled on Tuesday, [...]

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