NEWS & UPDATES:
2008 Minnesota KIDS COUNT Data Book Chronicles Costly Rise in State's Child Poverty
"KIDS COUNT Coffees" Being Set Across the State for May, June and beyond
Children's Defense Fund Minnesota has released the 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book and is currently setting a schedule of Meetings, known as "KIDS COUNT Coffees," in communities across the state to let people know how children in each of Minnesota's 87 counties are faring.
This year's Data Book finds that there are 152,000 Minnesota children living in poverty - the highest level of the decade - costing the state an estimated $5.7 billion each year. The costly problem diminishes the state's long-term productivity and economic output, and increases the public cost of health care and crime across the state, according to the report.
"Poverty for children is not merely unfortunate, it is damaging, not only to our children, but also to our state's future," said Jim Koppel, CDF Minnesota Director. "Those living in poor households often go hungry, are less healthy, less safe, and more likely to fall behind in school and be unprepared for the work force. We don't need more research to know that growing poverty harms Minnesota; what we need is for our policy makers to understand that it is in our long-term interest to reverse this trend."
Read the Press Release
Download the 2008 KIDS COUNT book
Find out how Kids are Doing in Your County
(Interactive Maps, Graphs, and Profiles through National KIDS COUNT CLIKs web site)
Making Kids Count - CDF Minnesota Research Director Andi Egbert discusses the findings of the 2008 Minnesota KIDS COUNT Data Book at the first KIDS COUNT Coffee of the year recently in Duluth.
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2008 Minnesota KIDS COUNT Data Book Being Presented at "KIDS COUNT Coffees" Across the State
Children's Defense Fund Minnesota has released the 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book and is currently presenting its findings at a series of Meetings, known as "KIDS COUNT Coffees," in communities across the state to let people know how children in each of Minnesota's 87 counties are faring.
This year's Data Book finds that there are 152,000 Minnesota children living in poverty - the highest level of the decade - costing the state an estimated $5.7 billion each year. The costly problem diminishes the state's long-term productivity and economic output, and increases the public cost of health care and crime across the state, according to the report.
More KIDS COUNT Coffees Scheduled
CDF Minnesota has already completed KIDS COUNT Coffees in Duluth, Rochester, St. Paul, Willmar, Breckenridge, and White Earth, with additional events planned throughout the summer.. At the events, CDF staff members have been sharing the data book's findings with community members, as well as celebrating positive initiatives and urging action to reverse negative trends for Minnesota's children. All Coffee events are free and open to the public. Upcoming Coffees include:
St. Cloud
Tuesday, June 24th
Joint KIDS COUNT Coffee and Bridge To Benefits training event
12:45 p.m. Doors open; lunch provided
1-2:30 Program
2:30-3 p.m. Interactive session using www.bridgetobenefits.org
Great River Regional Library
405 W. St. Germain Street
320-650-2500
Hosted by St. Cloud Legal Services
Minneapolis
Monday, June 30th, 2:30-4 p.m.
Minneapolis Urban League
Laura Scott Williams Training Center
2100 Plymouth Ave. N.
612-302-3100
Honoring Way To Grow as a 2008 KIDS COUNT "Star of the State"
St. James
Wednesday, August 6 2-3:30 pm
Watonwan County Human Services, Community Room
715 2nd Ave. S., St. James
Hosted by Child Abuse Prevention Council
Mankato
Wednesday, August 13 10-11:30 am
South Central College
North Mankato Campus, Multipurpose Room
1920 Lee Boulevard, North Mankato
(Parking in lower parking lot by the Itasca Community College fields)
Hosted by Educational Talent Search, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Grand Rapids
September 12 10:30 am-Noon
Extension Regional Office, Multipurpose Room
1861 E US Hwy 169, Grand Rapids
Hosted by Extension Regional Office-Grand Rapids
Brooklyn Center
Thursday, September 18 10-11:30 am
Willow Lane ECSE School Cafeteria
7020 Perry Ave. N., Brooklyn Center
Hosted by Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council
For more information on the KIDS COUNT Coffees, go to www.cdf-mn.org or call 651-227-6121.
"Working Family Initiative" Seeks to Reverse Adverse Trends for MN Families
CDF Partnership with Other Statewide Groups Advances Efforts to Stabilize Families
With many working families across Minnesota facing stagnating wages and going without either health coverage or quality child care, CDF Minnesota has completed a successful round of "Working Families Initiative" meetings in partnership with two other statewide organizations. The groups joining CDF in the effort - Child Care WORKS, and the JOBS NOW Coalition - combined forces to promote policies to increase access to health care, child care, and family-supporting wages.
The groups held meetings in communities across the state. The first forum was held in Worthington. Read the story about the forum.
In the past few months, the groups traveled to communities across the state, including:
Rochester Tuesday, February 12
Read the Story About the Forum
Brainerd Tuesday, March 4
Read the Story About the Forum
Woodbury Tuesday, March 18
Winona Tuesday, April 15
Read the Story About the Forum
Lino Lakes Tuesday, April 23
The effort has allowed officials of the three groups to go to communities across the state to discuss efforts to reverse the trends that have led to 152,000 children living in poverty, and 85,000 going without health coverage and to examine the reasons why more than 1 million jobs in Minnesota don't pay a family-supporting wage.
For information on these issues or the Working Family Initiative, contact CDF Minnesota at 651-227-6121.
Bridge to Benefits
CDF Minnesota Outreach Specialist Ryan Johnson (left) helps demonstrate the new Bridge to Benefits website at an event to mark the launch of the new project. More than 60 people were on hand for the launch and got to hear how the project will help make Minnesota families more economically stable and to get hands-on demonstrations. The tool is available to anyone at www.bridgetobenefits.org.
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CDF Minnesota's "Bridge to Benefits" Project Helping Minnesota's Families
Children's Defense Fund Minnesota's "Bridge to Benefits" project has been improving the economic stability of thousands of Minnesota children and their families since it was launched in late 2007.
The initiative helps connect eligible working families across Minnesota with work support benefits, such as energy assistance, health care, child care assistance, food support, school meals and tax credits. Currently thousands of Minnesota children and their families with low or modest incomes are skipping meals, or going without needed medical care because they are unaware they are eligible for benefits that could bring them economic stability.
"Too often struggling families are forced to choose between medical care and keeping their homes warm in the winter because they don't make enough at their jobs to afford basic necessities," said CDF Minnesota Director Jim Koppel. "Bridge to Benefits is a project to improve their economic security by quickly helping them determine if they are eligible for work support benefits, and then giving them the tools necessary to apply. Many times these benefits make all the difference for a working family and that stability makes them more productive members of the work force."
Learn More
Look for Latest Issue of CDF Newsletter, "The Child Defender"
The latest edition of the Child Defender Newsletter is now available. It chronicles all of CDF Minnesota's latest activities, including the results of the most recent Legislative Session, the work to pass children's health care policy and legislation in Congress, and CDF's progress in getting children and families enrolled in health coverage.
Read a PDF version of the latest Child Defender
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