HF 2136

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 02/25/2014 03:14pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; creating the MFIP child well-being pilot project;
appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin MFIP CHILD WELL-BEING PILOT PROJECT.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services, in
consultation with the commissioners of education and health, shall establish and
implement a pilot project in up to three counties to determine effective strategies to
increase MFIP child well-being, especially to improve the school readiness of young
children in families receiving MFIP by increasing parental knowledge of and access to
information and opportunities for early childhood care and education.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Pilot project goals. new text end

new text begin The goals of the pilot project are to:
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new text begin (1) provide early childhood development information and resources to MFIP
parents, including tools parents can use to track their child's development, resources used
by other families in their communities to support their child's growth, and where to go if
parents have questions about their child's development;
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new text begin (2) determine effective strategies to help parents:
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new text begin (i) identify when they or their child may benefit from mental health or early
childhood services;
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new text begin (ii) understand the importance of obtaining services for themselves and their child;
and
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new text begin (iii) know where to go for services;
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new text begin (3) determine the best strategies to ensure that MFIP parents can attend to their
child's development and potential need for additional services, if indicated;
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new text begin (4) consider county staff training issues related to early childhood development
and child well-being;
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new text begin (5) test various methods of providing information about child development,
including the impact of trauma and poverty in early childhood, to county staff, community
provider staff, and MFIP parents; and
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new text begin (6) maximize the use of existing resources.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin County application; participation. new text end

new text begin Counties may apply to the
commissioner of human services to participate in the pilot project on the forms and
according to the timelines established by the commissioner. The commissioner shall
determine the county or counties that will participate in the pilot project based on the
applications received by the commissioner. Of the counties selected, at least one county
must be a county that is not a metropolitan county, as defined in Minnesota Statutes,
section 473.121, subdivision 4. The commissioner shall provide technical assistance to
participating counties, including advice regarding medical assistance reimbursement for
certain screening and assessment activities under the child and teen checkup program.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Services. new text end

new text begin (a) Services provided under the pilot project shall include, but
are not limited to, providing parents access to:
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new text begin (1) information regarding healthy child development;
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new text begin (2) resources to support parenting; and
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new text begin (3) specialized resources to prevent or mitigate developmental delays, including
family home visiting, Part C Early Intervention, mental health services provided by a
professional with training in children's mental health, child care, and Early Head Start
or Head Start.
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new text begin (b) Families must begin receiving services under the pilot project no later than
July 1, 2015.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Parental participation. new text end

new text begin The project must allow parents to count
participation in approved early childhood programs as an approved MFIP work activity, if
included in the caregiver's employment plan.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report and recommendations. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services
shall report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human services
policy and finance by January 15, 2017, information on pilot project participants,
including information on child outcomes, children's school readiness, parent satisfaction,
and parental ability to receive services or other information through the referrals provided
by the county or other staff. The commissioner shall also provide recommendations to
the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human services policy and
finance to improve MFIP child well-being outcomes and to expand the project statewide
if the results of the project indicate project participants achieved better outcomes. Child
outcomes must be the primary factor for determining project effectiveness.
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires June 30, 2017.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $....... is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2015, from the general
fund to the commissioner of human services for the MFIP child well-being pilot project
under section 1.
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