Self-Sufficiency Update - October 2018

KEY HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS TOPIC/WORKGROUP FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH:
Child Support: Highlights/Hot Topics/Concerns
• The Child Support Division received a two-year grant from the federal Office of Child support Enforcement entitled Using Digital Marketing to Increase Participation in the Child Support for $170,000.
• Division staff are gathering donated items like hats, coats, gloves, socks, and blankets for people at the Little Earth Encampment that runs along Highway 55 and the Little Earth community in south Minneapolis.
• CSD staff will attend the Theory to Practice Leading from the Roots session with Dr. Kathy Allen regarding leadership lessons and organizational change. Recent and Upcoming Events
• The next Child Support Task Force meeting is on October 31 in St. Paul. Upcoming Grants and RFPs
• The division printed over 1,500 “My 2018-2019 Coloring Calendar with Stickers – A kid’s guide to shared family time” for its Access and Visitation partners, including FamilyWise, that provide safe visitation spaces and parenting education. The calendars help children keep track of the time they spend with their parents if they aren’t together.
• CSD will start RFP processes for our New Hire contract, genetic testing contract, and access and visitation grant. Success Stories
• CSD staff will attend the FamilyWise “Lunch and Learn” session on November 7th to provide information about the child support program to parents and staff.
• Division staff continue weekly visits to the FATHER’s Project to give information about the child support program to parents and staff. Child Care Assistance Program/CCAP
• A system enhancement requested by CCAP agencies to have Case Note Templates populate in MEC2 for consistent case note practices between agencies has been finalized. System install will not occur until sometime in 2019.
• DHS CCAP will host three presentations at the MN Financial Worker Conference. Sessions topics include: Child Care Assistance Program changes follow-Up, upcoming Policy changes, & serving homeless families.
• DHS is in the process of implementing Certification requirements for license exempt centers. The first stage of the roll out requires newly registering license exempt centers to apply for certification before they can register for CCAP. The second stage, beginning October 1, 2018, requires providers to be certified before they can register for CCAP. For more information, see Bulletin 18-68-13 Certification requirements for license exempt child care centers paid by the Child Care Assistance Program.
• DHS submitted Minnesota’s 2019-2021 Federal CCDF plan. Minnesota will publish the plan publicly once conditional approval is obtained from the federal office.
• DHS CCAP is working with MFIP staff to implement a change in counting the income for new spouses that passed in the 2017 legislative session. This change will be effective December 1, 2018. A joint bulletin will be published later this year.
• DHS announced intentions to move forward with first quarter reallocation in 2019. There is a new CCAP Policy Manual Chapter with information about the process. See CCAP Manual 16.33 BSF First Quarter Reallocation.
• DHS is recruiting stakeholders for the CCAP Rule Revision Advisory Meeting. If you are interested in serving on the CCAP Rule Revision Advisory Committee, please send your contact information, including name, email, and phone number to Andrea Lentini at andrea.lentini@state.mn.us or 651-431-4045 by October 15, 2018. The department will contact stakeholders with meeting information by October 19, 2018. This announcement was also posted in the State Register on September 24, 2018 (see pages 389-390).
• DHS published two bulletins in September to implement new policies: o Bulletin 18-68-16 Child Care Assistance Program Asset limit - Establishing a $1 million asset limit for CCAP families, and; o Bulletin 18-68-22 Child Care Assistance Program legal nonlicensed (LNL) provider requirements - Establishing additional health and safety requirements for legal nonlicensed providers. Economic Assistance
• DHS will be posting an RFP the week of October 22nd inviting county human services agencies and local public health agencies to submit proposals to integrate their home visiting and MIFP services to teen parents. There will be two options: small one year grants for sites with only a few teen parents who need some one time funding to get the integration off the ground and funding for up to three years for sites serving at least 50 teen parents at any point in time.

REQUESTED ACTIONS NEEDED FROM MACSSA IN THE NEXT MONTH: N/A

APPARENT TRENDS IN THIS TOPIC AREA:

ISSUES/CONCERNS REGARDING THIS TOPIC THIS MONTH:

LEGISLATIVE IMPACTS: N/A

BULLETINS, PUBLICATIONS, OR SUPPORTING MATERIALS TO BE INCLUDED WITH THIS UPDATE: 

Child Care Assistance: See Bulletin #18-68-13: Certification requirements for license exempt child care centers paid by the Child Care Assistance Program for changes that took effect August 1, 2018.

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.

CONTACTS: Barb Dahl and Brad Thiel