SF4879

Purpose

• The bill makes several changes to programs for children, youth, and families in Minnesota. Its core aims are to ensure foster children get higher priority in certain educational and care programs, adjust how child care benefits are calculated to reflect a caregiver’s needs, streamline licensing for relative foster caregivers, expand eligibility and priority rules for school readiness and scholarships, and refine funding priorities for child care assistance.

Main Provisions

• School-age and community education program enrollment

  • Children in foster care must receive the highest enrollment priority for district-operated school-age care, youth afterschool enrichment, and other before/after-school community education programs.

• Community education reporting

  • Districts offering community education programs must annually report on program information, priority enrollment policies, and compliance with the foster-care enrollment priority.

• Child care allowance adjustments (Northstar and related supports)

  • The child care allowance assessment must consider the caregiver’s need for child care, with extra weight for younger children.
  • Eligibility criteria for the caregiver’s need include the child being under 13, the caregiver being employed or in training, and not already receiving child care assistance under a separate program.
  • Benefit levels must be adjusted based on weekly hours of needed care, with specific step-ups for different hour ranges and age groups (under 7 and 7–12). As the child ages (becoming 7 or 13), the allowance level is reduced accordingly, and for foster care recipients, benefits align with foster care rules to avoid exceeding those benefits.
  • If a caregiver later receives other child care assistance, the child care allowance under this subdivision must be reduced to the level before considering caregiver need.
  • The assessment tool must be designed so its levels reflect these age-based and need-based adjustments.

• Licensing for relative foster care or kinship placements

  • Relatives who take in a child on emergency placement must complete the foster care license application within 10 days, with county agencies assisting them.
  • Licensing decisions for relatives must consider maintaining the child’s relationship with relatives as a key factor.
  • Agencies must explain the licensing process (including background studies and reconsideration procedures) and provide information about Northstar foster care benefits, child care costs, early childhood education programs, and legal representation options.
  • If a relative is initially disqualified, the agency must provide reasons and the right to request reconsideration, and licensing data must be maintained separately to distinguish these cases.

• License holder qualifications and processes

  • License holders must promptly notify the licensing agency of changes that could affect their ability to care for a foster child, including health changes or changes in caregiving arrangements.
  • The agency may require evaluations by specialists and must explain the licensing process to prospective licensees, including background studies and reconsideration procedures, plus provide information on Northstar benefits and related supports.

• School readiness eligibility

  • A child is eligible for a school readiness program if they are at least three years old by September 1, have completed health and developmental screenings within 90 days of enrollment, and meet at least one risk factor (e.g., free/reduced-price meals, being an English learner, homelessness, having an IEP/IFSP, a health-screening-identified risk, being in foster care, or being deemed at risk by the school district).

• Scholarships and priority for early learning

  • The commissioner will set timelines and award scholarship priorities to meet program needs.
  • Highest priority goes to children not yet four years old, children in foster care, children with a parent under 21 pursuing a high school diploma or GED, and children referred as in need of child protection services (with additional listed risk factors such as incarcerated parents, substance use or mental health treatment, domestic violence, IEP/IFSP, homelessness, etc.).
  • Beginning July 1, 2025, priority expands to include families with income at or below the specified rate, with further prioritization within that group for the listed criteria.
  • The commissioner may also consider other factors (e.g., funding availability, location, waiting lists for other early education or child care).

• Funding priorities for basic sliding fee and child care assistance

  • When funds are limited, priority for basic sliding fee assistance goes to eligible non-MFIP families who lack a high school diploma or need remedial/basic education to pursue employment, and who need child care to participate in education or employment programs (including student parents).
  • Subpriorities include: child care needs of minor parents, parents under 21, and other parents in the priority group.
  • Second priority goes to families with at least one veteran.
  • Third priority goes to eligible foster parents.
  • Additional priorities address other eligible families, portability, and transition-year status, with guidance on when waiting lists apply.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Elevates foster children to the top enrollment priority for district community education programs (including afterschool and enrichment programs).
• Requires districts to report on priority policies and compliance, increasing transparency.
• Expands the child care allowance assessment to explicitly factor caregiver needs and age-based adjustments, potentially increasing or reducing benefits based on care hours and the child’s age, while aligning with foster care restrictions.
• Streamlines and clarifies the licensing process for relative foster care providers, including timelines, required information, support resources, and separate licensing data tracking.
• Strengthens school readiness eligibility criteria by tying eligibility to screenings and specific risk factors, including foster care status.
• Introduces a detailed, prioritized framework for scholarships and early learning funding, including new income-based priority groups and a broad set of risk factors.
• Enhances funding priority rules for basic sliding fee subsidies, emphasizing education and employment needs, veteran status, foster care, portability, and MFIP transition considerations.

Practical Implications

• Foster children may access education and care programs more quickly and reliably.
• Caregivers of foster children may see their child care needs more explicitly considered in benefit determinations.
• Relatives stepping in as foster caregivers receive clearer guidance and supportive information about licensing and services.
• Schools and districts will integrate new eligibility and reporting requirements into their program planning.
• Families with low income and various risk factors may receive higher-priority access to scholarships and child care subsidies, subject to funding availability.

Relevant Terms - foster care - community education programs - school readiness programs - early learning scholarships - basic sliding fee child care assistance - Northstar foster care allowance - Northstar kinship assistance - adoption assistance - child care costs - early childhood education programs - licensing agency - background study - relative foster care license - emergency placement - IEP (individualized education program) - IFSP (individualized family service plan) - English learner - homeless - MFIP (Minnesota Family Investment Program) - health and developmental screening - primary caregiver - eligibility priority - transition year - eligible families - veteran status - priority enrollment - funding priorities

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