Child care assistance and services for seniors restored

Talk about it

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) will resume most child care payments as well as grants that fund a number of critical human services, following an order by Ramsey County District Court yesterday. Among services funded are child care assistance and some services for vulnerable seniors. These and other critical services approved today were requested by the Dayton administration.

State child care assistance provides financial subsidies to help low-income families pay for child care while parents pursue employment or education leading to employment. About 17,700 families receive child care assistance for 31,400 children. Child care providers will be paid for services provided on or after July 1.

Among the grants approved are the Elder Care Development Partnership (formerly known as SAIL) and living at home block nurse grants. These grants provide vulnerable seniors with nursing services, home health aide visits, transportation, caregiver respite and other services. In addition, grants that provide treatment services for people with chemical and mental health problems were approved.

An earlier court ruling approved continued health care, cash and food benefits, child support, adoption assistance, direct services for people with disabilities at State Operated Services facilities, payments to health care providers and the Minnesota Sex Offender Program. Critical licensing activities approved by the court last week resumed July 11. More information on DHS services during the shutdown are listed at www.dhs.state.mn.us/shutdown.

A list of grants approved by the court across a wide range of human services programs are listed below:

Aging and adult services (approved 7/13/11):

--Elder Care Development Partnership grants

--Living at home block nurse grants

Chemical dependency (approved 7/13/11)

--Native American program

--Treatment services for pregnant women and women with children

--Treatment grants for methamphetamine abuse for women with children

Child care (approved 7/13/11)

--MFIP, Transition Year and Basic Sliding Fee Child Care

Children’s Service (approved 7/13/11)

--Leech Lake and White Earth American Indian Child Welfare Services

--Child Welfare-Family Assessment

--Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act grants

--Relative Custody Assistance

--Independent Living Services

--Children and Community Services

--Title XX-Children and Community Services

Children and Economic Assistance (approved 7/13/11)

--Food Shelf grants

--Transitional Housing grants

--Emergency Services Program

--Long Term Homeless Supportive Services grants

--Runaway and Homeless Youth grants

--MFIP Consolidated Fund

Deaf and hard of hearing services (approved 7/13/11)

--Deaf and hard of hearing services grants

--Hearing loss mentor grants

Mental health, adult (approved 7/13/11)

--Community support services (Rule 78)

--Crisis housing and services for people who are homeless

--Federal Indian mental health services

Mental health, children (approved 7/13/11)

--Screening and targeted case management

Refugee Services (approved 7/13/11)

--Refugee CMA Admin grants

Tags: minnesota news, news, updates, shutdown, government