Youth Policy

Mother of autistic child fights for equal care, says proposed laws could disadvantage Black and low-income people

By Michelle Lawrence, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Idil Abdull on her way to the legislature (Photo by Michelle Lawrence)

“State legislators want to create two different healthcare policies for kids with autism: one that generously covers the privately insured, and the other that gives minimal coverage to the poor and publicly insured, but both using state funds,” says Idil Abdull of Burnsville and mother of a 10-year-old son with autism.

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Efforts to collect child support in some cases could stop

By Lee Ann Schutz Wahi, Session Weekly/Session Daily

Continued attempts to collect child support that is proving to be uncollectible is not a productive use of state’s county attorneys time, say supporters of HF1470.

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Minnesota Senate passes financial aid for undocumented immigrant students

By Cynthia Boyd, MinnPost

Thalia Estrada is 17, a senior at Central High School in St. Paul with a 3.5 GPA and the dream of becoming a neurologist. (Photo by Roberto Palma)

You likely don’t know Thalia Estrada or Karen Salas Ramirez, but they’re the kind of young students who can strengthen Minnesota’s economic future.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Minnesota Senate passed the bill discussed in this article today, May 1.]

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Proposed bans on BPA, formaldehyde raise case for federal action

By Susan Hegarty, Session Weekly/Session Daily

Minnesota would add two more chemicals to a list of items kept out of children’s personal care products and food containers.

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Group rallies around grandmother fighting to get custody of her grandchildren

By Harry Colbert, Jr., Insight News

3524: Dorothy Dunning (center) is consoled by Willie Mae Demmings (left) as Hattie Bond addresses Dunning's supporters during a rally at the Hennepin County Courthouse. Dunning is fighting to get her grandchildren out of the state's foster care system.

Even though the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled against her, Dorothy Dunning is fighting on in her quest to gain custody of her granddaughters.

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Youth sleep outside on coldest night of April, advocate for help for homeless

By Lauretta Dawolo Towns, TC Daily Planet

Photos by Lauretta Dawolo Towns.

Thirteen-year-old Collin Robinson has a personal connection to homelessness.

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Advocates for needy say bipartisan support emerging for increased spending

By Cynthia Boyd, MinnPost

A possible amendment to the health and human services budget that has been bandied about by some members of the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee this week would raise grants to families with children for the first time in 27 years. (Courtesy of MN Senate Media Services)

Despite recent DFL leadership calls at the Legislature for $150 million in cuts in the proposed health and human services budget, there appears to be a bipartisan effort afoot to increase assistance for needy Minnesota families.

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Family foster care in danger in Minnesota

By Eric Pusey, Minnesota Progressive Project

Family foster care may be legislated out of existence in Minnesota. Thousands of mental ill and/or handicapped people would have to find other arrangements. This issue hits very close to home.

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Minnesota Progressive Project

Proposed scholarship funding would get more kids in preschool

By Sarah Lemagie, Session Weekly/Session Daily

Supporters of a bill that would fund preschool and child-care scholarships made their case on Thursday to members of the House Education Finance Committee.

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Childcare assistance makes work pay

By Colleen OConnor Toberman, Minnesota 2020

Childcare is a costly part of many families’ budgets at any income level, but particularly for Minnesotans. Our state ranks among worst in childcare affordability; annual care for one infant averages $13,580 here (more than in-state tuition at the U of M). That’s nearly 16 percent of the median income for a two-parent family—and 52 percent of the median income for a single parent. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that childcare consumes no more than ten percent of a family’s income.

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Minnesota 2020
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