DHS recently awarded the Co-Parent Court of Hennepin County a one-time grant of more than $260,000. Co-Parent Court provides free parenting help for unwed parents participating in the program and offers services including paternity establishment, education classes on wellness and health, and support from outside organizations that work in tandem with the Co-Parent Court community. The Minnesota Family Investment Program Innovations Fund grant is supporting co-parent staff and services work beginning June 1 through Dec. 31, 2013. More information can be found on the Co-Parent Court website.
A new email update aimed at county staff will include information about changes on the horizon due to the Affordable Care Act, the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange (HIX) and DHS Systems Modernization efforts. DHS County Update will share news of these changes via biweekly updates that include brief summaries of project information, events and links to key documents and information. Subscribe to County Update at http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/dhs16_174052. Send questions or suggestions for County Update to dhs.county.update@state.mn.us.
Action taken by DHS, providers, and local partners to address a dramatic increase in the deaths of infants in child care has helped to stall the alarming trend, according to the 2012 annual report on licensing activities by the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) (PDF). Infant deaths occurring in child care settings was one of four “emergent issues” identified in the report released April 3. More information is in a news release about the report.
The annual Minnesota County Human Service Cost Report for Calendar Year 2011 (PDF) is available on DHS’ public website. The report, compiled by the Financial Operations Division, contains statewide and county-specific costs and revenue shares for economic support, health and social service programs. The report combines county fiscal activity, DHS centralized activity for counties, federal and state payments; and computation of the county funded share — it is the big picture of Minnesota’s county-administered, state supervised human services system. Narrative descriptions and notes, a graphic overview, trend data and per-capita comparative data are included.
Many participants in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) may see slight increases in benefits beginning Oct.1, 2012, when new levels for calculating standard income and expense deductions go into effect. The Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is making five cost-of-living adjustments to reflect changes in economic conditions. More information about the changes is online.
In response to tragedies involving abandoned infants over the last several years, the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the state legislature recognized the need to strengthen Minnesota’s Safe Place for Newborns law. The amended law allows a mother, or someone acting with her permission, to safely surrender her unharmed infant born within the past seven days to a designated safe place. A safe place includes a hospital, an urgent care facility during its hours of operation, or an ambulance that is dispatched in response to a 911 call. Previously, the law allowed for the safe surrender of infants born within 72 hours, and designated safe places were hospitals only. More information about this change is available in DHS Bulletin #12-68-10 and on a program fact sheet. A printable flier also is available to publicize this important program in your area.
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