Today at noon the Minnesota legislative session reconvened. Did you know that CASCW has an active public policy focus? CASCW's Child Welfare Policy Resources Since 2011 we have been blogging during each Minnesota legislative session, tracking child welfare-related legislation and decoding bill text in order to understand the impact bills may have on child welfare [...]
Minnesota has had an extended foster care policy since October 1, 2010, meaning that youth can elect to remain in foster care beyond age 18 until age 21. Youth can opt for a traditional foster home placement or a supervised independent living setting. Funding for extended foster care benefits primarily comes from county and federal [...]
Field Notes is a new blog that will feature IV-E MSW student experiences in their field placements. Watch for upcoming posts this spring!
Source: NY Times/Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press Earlier this week I read several articles (example) about Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's executive order to dismantle the state's Child Protective Services (CPS) agency under the Department of Economic Security and create a Cabinet-level division called the Division of Child Safety and Family Services that would take over CPS [...]
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 [...]
Although the Minnesota legislative session does not officially begin until February 25, quite a few bills were introduced in the interim on Monday. Because there are several that may impact children, youth, and families involved in child welfare (or at risk of involvement), I have decided to write two posts providing brief descriptions of these [...]
Yesterday I attended the 2014 Children and Youth Issues Briefing at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in St. Paul, MN. This briefing is held annually prior to the start of the Minnesota legislative session to discuss emerging legislative issues and initiatives that will impact children and youth in Minnesota. The event was well attended (as usual) [...]
Policymakers in Minnesota have increasingly been focusing on policies that positively impact young children and promote overall child well-being. Not only did the House of Representatives create a committee devoted to early childhood and youth development policy in 2013, but both the education and health and human services omnibus bills included several large provisions that [...]
