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Self-Sufficiency Update - December 2018

Key Highlights This Month:  

Child Care Assistance Program/CCAP

 Child Support

Highlights/Hot Topics/Concerns

 Minnesota is one of four sites in the nation testing how extra income can make a difference in the first three years of life for babies born into poverty. Baby’s First Years is a randomized control trial aiming to better understand the link between poverty and children’s social, cognitive, and brain development.

Recent and Upcoming Events

  • The next Child Support Task Force meeting is on December 19 in St. Paul.

Upcoming Grants and RFPs

  • CSD closed the joint receipting RFP between the Child Support Payment Center and FOD. The division received one proposal and is considering next steps.
  •  The RFP for genetic testing, to provide testing services for the next five years, is entering the evaluation stage. The division will prepare contracts for selected vendors beginning in February.
  •  The RFP for the division’s access and visitation grant posted November 30. The division hopes to select vendors in January and begin contracting in February.
  •  The division continues its work drafting an RFP for its system modernization feasibility study.
  •  Work continues on the digital marketing grant the division received from the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement. This demonstration grant will test digital marketing approaches to reach parents who could benefit from child support services and create or improve two-way digital communication and engagement with parents.

Reports

  • The division is routing its Evaluation of Minnesota Child Support Division Mechanisms and Programs report. The Minnesota Legislature requires the Minnesota Department of Human Services to submit this report as an evaluation of the child support program every two years. The department will send the report to the Legislature by the end of January 2019.

Major Staff Changes

  • The division hired Michele Schreifels as its deputy director starting on December 17. Ms. Schreifels comes from Washington County where she was the Economic Support Supervisor.

Success Stories

  • CSD staff continue to build a close partnership with the FATHER project to assist parents through in person orientation to child support, identifying barriers, and providing resources.
  • Division staff established a partnership with Ujamma Place, a local nonprofit that empowers and teaches young African American men how to navigate inequality, poverty and the criminal justice system to collaborate on a driver’s license workgroup. Ujamma will join the FATHER project as community partners in identifying barriers and helping to address disparities. 
  • CSD staff will present an overview of the child support program to staff at Parents in Community Action (PICA) Headstart.  PICA is a private, non-profit agency designated by the federal government to operate Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

Requested Actions Needed From MACSSA:  

New Trends in This Area:  

Issues/Concerns Regarding This Topic:  

Legislative Impacts:  

Supporting Materials:  

CCAP:

See Bulletin #18-68-16 Child Care Assistance Program Asset limit for changes that took effect October 1, 2018.

See Bulletin #18-68-22 Child Care Assistance Program legal nonlicensed (LNL) provider requirements for changes that took effect October 1, 2018.

See Bulletin #18-69-02 New Spouse Income Policy for Cash and Child Care Assistance Programs for changes that took effect December 1, 208.

Contact(s):  Barb Dahl, Brad Thiel

© Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators

125 Charles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55103

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