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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates the cost for a single cycle of IVF to range from $15,000 to $20,000 and can exceed $30,000 if a donor egg is involved. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

As U.S. Senate votes down IVF bill, MN parent speaks out

A bill to bolster protections for in vitro fertilization treatments failed in the U.S. Senate Tuesday and as the political debate plays out, a …

In a 2024 poll from Rural Democracy Initiative, rural voters said they're deeply concerned about rising costs for everyone, especially housing, healthcare, and childcare. (Adobe Stock)

Connecting Minnesota policies to rural needs

Recent Minnesota policy moves are in the national spotlight, with Gov. Tim Walz on the Democratic presidential ticket. Rural areas within the state …

Violence Free Minnesota reported in 2018 through 2022, nearly 67% of bystanders or intervenors to domestic violence were killed by an abusive person using a firearm. (Adobe Stock)

SCOTUS ruling instills hope for domestic violence prevention groups

Domestic-violence prevention organizations in Minnesota continue to express relief over a U.S. Supreme Court ruling dealing with abusers having …

Organizations like Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota recommend bolstering tutoring programs and other out-of-school learning opportunities for kids to help address lagging test scores. (Adobe Stock)

Patience urged as MN policies evolve to improve outcomes for kids

Despite a handful of concerning results for child well-being in Minnesota, one policy expert says the state is well positioned to make structural …

The IRS says undocumented workers who don't have a valid Social Security number need to complete a W-7 form so they can get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), a key tool they need to file their federal and state tax returns. (Adobe Stock)

During tax time crunch, multilingual sites in MN pitch in

Minnesotans who haven't completed their tax returns yet might be fretting about meeting the April 15th deadline. For those facing language barriers …

El IRS dice que los trabajadores indocumentados que no tienen un n�mero de Seguro Social v�lido deben completar un formulario W-7 para poder obtener un N�mero de Identificaci�n Individual del Contribuyente (ITIN), una herramienta clave que necesitan para presentar sus declaraciones de impuestos federales y estatales. (Adobe Stock).

Los sitios multilingües en Minnesota colaboran durante la crisis fiscal

Los habitantes de Minnesota que aún no han completado sus declaraciones de impuestos podrían estar preocupados por cumplir con la fecha l…

Findings compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation show Minnesota has an overall high ranking for child well-being. But advocates warn that lack of access to early child education could derail outcomes. (Adobe Stock)

MN Shines in Child Well-Being Report, But Pandemic Shows its Impact

An annual report measuring child well-being in the U.S. said several benchmarks have worsened overall. States like Minnesota fared better in the …

Even prior to the racial reckoning, Minnesota was known for its disparities, including child development outcomes. (Adobe Stock)

MN Faces Key Decision on Program to Reduce Child-Development Disparities

A few years ago, Minnesota launched a pilot program to give communities of color more power to improve outcomes for child development as they …

Minnesota is poised to join nearly a dozen other states that have paid leave programs. Minnesota's plan would not be required for employers that have their own plans bigger than the one proposed. (Adobe Stock)

MN Paid-Leave Backers: Workers, Families Closer to Crucial Benefit

Minnesotans are learning more about a statewide paid leave plan, which cleared a major legislative hurdle this week. Groups tracking the …

Studies have shown that while Minnesota has an overall healthy population, there are glaring health disparities. That has prompted efforts to help racial and ethnic groups have equal access to necessities, in hopes of boosting health outcomes. (Adobe Stock)

MN Steps Outside Doctor's Office to Improve Health Outcomes

Research keeps emerging about social determinants of health, including a new study linking these factors to suicide risks. In Minnesota, nonprofits …

School social workers, who are trained mental health professionals, say working with younger students often allows more access to families as they try to help develop a more nurturing environment. (Adobe Stock)

MN Applies 'Trauma Layer' to Early-Childhood Intervention Work

This week is National School Social Work Week, and in Minnesota, there are efforts to enhance support for students and families in early-childhood …

While there are some uncertainties, including inflation, Minnesota officials say the state's financial outlook is bright with a large surplus taking shape. (Adobe Stock)

MN Budget Surplus: Calls for Investments in Child Care, Other Needs

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Following this week's announcement that Minnesota is looking at a historic budget surplus, lawmakers face pressure to prop up …

DFL leaders want Minnesota to become the tenth state in the U.S. to adopt a paid family-leave fund. Washington, D.C., also has such a plan. (Adobe Stock)

Paid Family-Leave Proposal for MN Gets Another Look

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A bill advancing in the Minnesota House would establish a statewide paid family-leave program. It's not the first time lawmakers …

With a little more than a month before the new academic year begins, parents across Minnesota have been waiting nervously to see how state leaders and educators plan to handle learning this fall with the pandemic still in effect. (Adobe Stock)

With School Year Approaching, Some MN Parents Face Dual Dilemma

MINNEAPOLIS -- State leaders soon will announce their strategy for schools this fall with the pandemic still a public health crisis. Expected …

Groups such as AARP hope Minnesota seniors can access help if their normal support structure is affected by the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Groundswell of Community Support for MN Seniors During Pandemic

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Senior citizens across Minnesota might find it harder to get access to supplies or crucial information during the pandemic…

One symptom of an online gaming disorder is when a person continues to play despite negative consequences in their family, school or social life. (Adobe Stock)

MN Expert Echoes Concerns about Tech Addiction

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Technology addiction was the focus when a host of experts gathered this month at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, N.J.…

A new report says child-welfare systems nationwide have increased placement of white children in foster families at higher rates than African-American or Latino children. (cdfactioncouncil.org)

Report: Minnesota Needs Foster Families for Children of Color

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Advocates for children in Minnesota say more could be done to see that foster children receive an equal chance to grow and …

A bill in the Minnesota Legislature would create a paid-leave insurance policy to cover a portion of wages while workers care for sick family members or new additions to the family. Pictured: MAPE member Miguel Lindgren with his wife Monica and daughter Camila. (MAPE)

Paid Family-Leave Measure Also Would Help Adoptive Families

ST. PAUL, Minn. — As Minnesota lawmakers consider a proposal to provide all employees with paid family leave, workers who already have paid …

In 2017, 955 children were adopted from Minnesota's foster care system. (mnadopt.org)

Embracing MN Foster Youth for Better Adult Outcomes

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota’s foster children who lose their support systems at age 18 often struggle with long-term success as adults…

Minnesota has fewer young parents compared with the national average, but they still struggle to find family-sustaining jobs, quality child care, stable housing and opportunities to advance their education. (880cities.org)

Report: Juggling Jobs, Children Tougher for MN’s Young Parents

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Young adult or teenage parents face many of the same challenges as older parents, but significant hurdles stand in their way …

Hundreds of thousands turned out in Minnesota for 2016 precinct caucuses. The state moves to a presidential primary in 2020. (Jeremy Noble/FlickR)

MN Precinct Caucuses: Worth the Trouble?

ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Tuesday night, 30,000 Minnesotans went to precinct caucuses. That's just 1 percent of the roughly 3 million who voted in 20…

The annual Memorial March for the Homeless draws hundreds every December. (Simpson Housing Services)

MN's Homeless to Be Remembered in Winter's Cold

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Hundreds of marchers will take to the streets in Minneapolis Thursday evening to remember people who died from lack of housing…

There are about 10,000 licensed child-care providers in Minnesota. (Tyler Hoff/Flickr)

New Online Tool Gives MN Child-Care Providers, Parents More Insight

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota is first in the nation to use a new online tool that's designed to help both child-care providers and parents …

The 2016 Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College considered disparities in the global economy; this year, the focus is reproductive technology. (Gustavus Adolphus College)

MN's Nobel Conference Takes on Reproductive Technology

ST. PETER, Minn. – For 53 years, the Nobel Conference has brought leading thinkers to the Gustavus Adolphus College campus in St. Peter…

There are about 18,000 day-care centers and 9,000 in-home child-care providers in Minnesota. (Grant Barrett/Creative Commons)<br />

MN Ups the Game for Child-Care Providers

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Tens of thousands of Minnesota children and their families stand to benefit from new federal requirements for child-care providers…

Advocates hope GOP lawmakers think about who will be impacted before making another attempt to gut the Affordable Care Act. (Victoria Jordan)

Lawmakers Urged to Consider Children While Debating Health Care

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Many people who would be hit hardest by cuts to Medicaid worry that their children will suffer if the Affordable Care Act is …

Republicans still are crafting a plan to end President Barack Obama's landmark health care bill. (whitehouse.gov)

MN Mom: Health Care Costs Driving Families to Poverty

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Families, workers, nurses and people of faith are asking Minnesota legislators what they are doing to protect and expand …

Kids will do better in school if reading is interactive. (nih.gov)

Study: Quality Story Time a Brain Boost for Kids

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Experts have long recommended children be introduced to reading as early as possible - and now, new researchcan help parents …

More of Minnesota's children have access to fresh produce as a result of the Market Bucks program. (Jesse Davis)

Farmers' Program Helps Lower-Income Minnesotans Eat Better

ST. PAUL, Minn. - It's the time of year when local farmers are busy selling fresh fruits and vegetables they've worked hard to grow, and hunger-…

A new report says Minnesota has seen big improvements in children's well-being, but white children may be faring better than minority children. (cdc.gov)

MN Ranks 4th in Nation for Child Well-Being

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A new report has high praise for Minnesota, for decreasing its number of uninsured children by 60 percent - one of the …

More of Minnesota's rural children rely on Medicaid than in the larger urban areas. (V. Carter)

Cuts to Medicaid Would Hurt Rural MN Kids

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Children in rural areas of Minnesota rely more on Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program than kids in larger urban …

Accidents involving bikes, skateboards and scooters make up a majority of preventable injuries in children. (nih.gov)

Safety First for National Bike to School Day

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Today is National Bike to School Day, and before millions of kids across the country rush out the door, safety advocates are …

Lawmakers in Minnesota are debating funding for early-childhood education programs. (Sierra Neely)

More Access to Early-Childhood Education Needed in Minnesota

ROSEVILLE, Minn. -- A new in-depth look at children’s access to programs - part of Minnesota's new Early-Childhood Longitudinal Data System - …

Grocery stores and supermarkets are disappearing from some neighborhoods in Minnesota. (Virginia Carter)

Minnesotans Struggle to Find Healthy Food

ST. PAUL, Minn. – About 340,000 Minnesotans don't have access to healthy food on a regular basis because of either distance or income barriers…

Minnesota would be the sixth state in the U.S. with permanent paid parental leave if state lawmakers decide to approve it. (mn.gov)

MN Lawmakers Consider Paid Parental Leave for Both Parents

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota lawmakers are being urged to hear two bills that resulted from an agreement between state employees and Gov…

One in four children in Minnesota lacks access to healthy food, simply because he or she lives in areas where grocery shopping choices are limited. (Virginia Carter)

MN Lawmakers Asked to End Food Deserts

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition last year pushed legislation to address so-called food deserts in rural and urban …

As Minnesota lawmakers meet in 2017, they're being asked to keep the state's women in mind. (mn.gov)

Women's Voices Being Heard in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Advocates in Minnesota say more work will be done in 2017 to make sure women's voices are being heard. Last fall, Barbara …

Minnesota has a new round of grants to help mothers struggling with drug addiction. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Help for MN Moms Struggling with Drug Addiction

MINNEAPOLIS – New grant money is being used by a dozen organizations in Minnesota to help pregnant and parenting women face and conquer their su…

Gov. Mark Dayton will unveil his state budget next month, and detail is views one what to do with a $1.4 billion surplus. (mn.gov)

Union: Budget Surplus Should Help Working Families

MINNEAPOLIS — A group that represents working Minnesotans is asking the state Legislature not to blow the budget surplus on tax breaks for billi…

A new report says Minnesota's child care costs are high, at the same time the number of privately-owned child care centers is dropping. (V. Carter)

Child Care Increasingly Unaffordable for Working Parents

MINNEAPOLIS – A new report highlights the cost of child care in each state, and confirms that it's one of the most significant expenses in a …

Country singer Jimmy Wayne was a foster child and is trying to encourage more people to become foster parents. (Jimmy Wayne)

Country Star Asks for More Help for Foster Children

MINNEAPOLIS – Country singer Jimmy Wayne has a message he's sharing across the country – thousands of children need help, and he was one …

Minnesota has seen a jump in the number of children coming into the foster care system. (V. Carter)

Report: Foster Parents Need a Voice

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota has seen a sharp increase in the number of children coming into foster care, with nearly 7,000 children entering the …

State employees can take up to six weeks of paid time to be with their newborn or newly adopted child. (OakleyOriginals/flickr.com)

State Employees Get Paid Parental Leave

ST PAUL, Minn. -- On Wednesday, Minnesota became the fourth state in the nation to offer state employees paid parental leave. Gov. Mark Dayton …

Studies say early-childhood education has a long-lasting effect on children. (USDA)

Kids Count Data Book: Tipping Scales in Early Childhood

MINNEAPOLIS – Six thousand families in Minnesota are on the waiting list to get child-care assistance, and 84 percent of the kids in the state …

Infants should only sleep on their backs, and in cribs without blankets, toys or bed rails, experts say. (V.Black)

It's Back to Sleep for Minnesota Babies

MINNEAPOLIS – There's an effort under way in Minnesota to make sure parents and child care providers know how to safely put infants to sleep…

More than 69 million children are cared for outside the home every weekday in the United States. (Mike Baca)

Child-Care Providers Being Trained for Emergencies

MINNEAPOLIS – Each weekday in the United States, 69 million children are cared for outside of the home, including 11 million children younger …

Minnesota has the highest number of children living in areas where there aren't enough child care centers, a new study shows. (Mike Baca)

More Than 8 in 10 Minnesotans Live in Child-Care Deserts

MINNEAPOLIS – A new study shows Minnesota has the highest rate of so-called child care deserts in the country. The Center for American …

Minnesota is doing very well when it comes to how many children have health insurance, according to a new report. (Sierra Neely)

Most of Minnesota's Kids Have Health Insurance

MINNEAPOLIS – It's a historic milestone, according to a report released today by Georgetown University Center for Children and Families…

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MN: Family/Father Issues