1997 Minnesota Statutes

     256F.11 Grant program for crisis nurseries. 

    Subdivision 1.    Crisis nurseries.  The commissioner of 
 human services shall establish a grant program to assist private 
 and public agencies and organizations to provide crisis 
 nurseries to offer temporary care for children who are abused, 
 neglected, and those children at high risk of abuse and neglect, 
 and children who are in families receiving child protective 
 services.  This service shall be provided without fee for a 
 maximum of 30 days in any year.  Crisis nurseries shall provide 
 referral to support services and provide family support services 
 as needed.  

    Subd. 2.    Fund distribution.  In distributing funds, 
 the commissioner shall give priority consideration to agencies 
 and organizations with experience in working with abused or 
 neglected children and their families, and with children at high 
 risk of abuse and neglect and their families, and serve 
 communities which demonstrate the greatest need for these 
 services.  Funds shall be distributed to crisis nurseries 
 according to a formula developed by the commissioner in 
 consultation with the Minnesota crisis nursery association.  
 This formula shall include funding for all existing crisis 
 nursery programs that meet program requirements as specified in 
 paragraph (a), and consideration of factors reflecting the need 
 for services in each service area, including, but not limited 
 to, the number of children 18 years of age and under living in 
 the service area, the percent of children 18 years of age and 
 under living in poverty in the service area, and factors 
 reflecting the cost of providing services, including, but not 
 limited to, the number of days of service provided in the 
 previous year.  At least 25 percent of available funds for state 
 fiscal year 1998 shall be set aside to accomplish any of the 
 following:  establish new crisis nursery programs; increase 
 statewide availability of crisis nursery services; and enhance 
 or expand services at existing crisis nursery programs. 

    (a) The crisis nurseries must:  

    (1) be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week; 

    (2) provide services for children up to three days at any 
 one time; 

    (3) make referrals for parents to counseling services and 
 other community resources to help alleviate the underlying cause 
 of the precipitating stress or crisis; 

    (4) provide services without a fee for a maximum of 30 days 
 in any year; 

    (5) provide services to children from birth to 12 years of 
 age; 

    (6) provide an initial assessment and intake interview 
 conducted by a skilled professional who will identify the 
 presenting problem and make an immediate referral to an 
 appropriate agency or program to prevent maltreatment and 
 out-of-home placement of children; 

    (7) maintain the clients' confidentiality to the extent 
 required by law, and also comply with statutory reporting 
 requirements which may mandate a report to child protective 
 services; 

    (8) contain a volunteer component; 

    (9) provide preservice training and ongoing training to 
 providers and volunteers; 

    (10) evaluate the services provided by documenting use of 
 services, the result of family referrals made to community 
 resources, and how the services reduced the risk of 
 maltreatment; 

    (11) provide age appropriate programming; 

    (12) provide developmental assessments; 

    (13) provide medical assessments as determined by using a 
 risk screening tool; 

    (14) meet United States Department of Agriculture 
 regulations concerning meals and provide three meals a day and 
 three snacks during a 24-hour period; and 

    (15) provide appropriate sleep and nap arrangements for 
 children.  

    (b) The crisis nurseries are encouraged to provide:  

    (1) on-site support groups for facility model programs, or 
 agency sponsored parent support groups for volunteer family 
 model programs; 

    (2) parent education classes or programs that include 
 parent-child interaction; and 

    (3) opportunities for parents to volunteer, if appropriate, 
 to assist with child care in a supervised setting in order to 
 enhance their parenting skills and self-esteem, in addition to 
 providing them the opportunity to give something back to the 
 program.  

    (c) Parents shall retain custody of their children during 
 placement in a crisis facility.  

    The crisis nurseries are encouraged to include one or more 
 parents who have used the crisis nursery services on the 
 program's multidisciplinary advisory board. 

    Subd. 3. Repealed, 1997 c 7 art 2 s 67 

    HIST: 1Sp1993 c 1 art 3 s 27; 1994 c 529 s 14; 1997 c 203 art 
 5 s 20