DHS is sponsoring a limited number of events in April to celebrate and promote family well-being and Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Community-based organizations and Tribal Nations are eligible to apply for sponsorships that can be used for a variety of activities and materials to increase access to resources, build connections and promote family and community well-being. Events must be in person and may include, but are not limited to, family fun nights, resource fairs, community conversations, film screenings and event recruitment efforts. Sponsored events must take place in April.
Sponsorships between $1,000 and $5,000 per agency are available for at least 20 agencies. Organizations that engage Black, Indigenous and communities of color and other underserved communities are encouraged to apply and will be prioritized for sponsorships.
Sponsorship requests are due by Feb. 23, 2024. Information on how to apply is on the DHS website.
Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan announced a new opportunity for grant funding to create more child care slots in communities across the state, and the creation of a new Office of Child Care Community Partnerships in the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
The grant program will provide funding to communities to invest in new or expanding child care businesses, including facility improvements, worker training, attraction, retention and licensing, among other strategies to reduce the child care shortage.
The new Office of Child Care Community Partnerships will serve as a front door for communities, businesses and other organizations that provide or are interested in providing child care in their area. The office will coordinate with other state agencies and offices that oversee or fund child care and early education, including DHS and the Minnesota Department of Education.
Learn more in a Governor's Office news release.
Child care assistance: Facts and figures (PDF)
Assisted Living Report Card launched in Minnesota: In an effort to help Minnesotans pick the best assisted living residence for them, DHS launched a new Assisted Living Report Card.
FOX 9 spoke with Assistant Commissioner Natasha Merz about how the tool delivers useful information to help families find assisted living facilities for their loved ones. See more in a FOX 9 story.
First-of-its-kind statewide plan to combat homelessness in Minnesota rolls out this spring: The ambitious “Crossroads to Justice” strategic plan seeks a 15% reduction in homelessness across Minnesota by 2026. The plan also aims to lessen the significant racial disparities in people experiencing homelessness, as well as reduce disparities in mortality and improve health outcomes for Minnesotans experiencing housing insecurity. Read more in a Sahan Journal story.
Researchers measure fewer suicide attempts after school-based mental health implemented in Hennepin County: Hennepin County’s school-based mental health program has contributed to a significant drop in self-reported suicide attempts among students in grades 6-12 over the past 20 years, according to University of Minnesota researchers. The program is funded by health insurance, county funds and DHS grants. Read more in a MinnPost story.
"I think I will stay here": Minnesota’s Afghan community establishes deep roots a year after resettlement: When Zahra Wahidy arrived in Minnesota in 2022, her younger brother was the only other Afghan she knew. Now, she works at the Afghan Cultural Society running mental health programming for women in the Afghan community, one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the state. Minnesota welcomed 1,363 Afghan evacuees between September 2021 and September 2022. Read more in a Sahan Journal story.
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