We believe one recent Minnesota law will do more to reduce the effects of child maltreatment than any other recent reform. This statute gives top priority for early childhood scholarships to children who are homeless, in child protection, or in foster care, and opens eligibility at birth rather than age three. Our most vulnerable children can now get critical child development opportunities during the exact period needed to promote healthy brain development.
This accomplishment caps years of effort by legislative leaders and the MinneMinds Coalition, with an extra push in 2017 from Close Gaps by 5, Hennepin County, People Serving People, Safe Passage, and Hylden Advocacy Law.
Continued oversight is needed to ensure that counties and tribes develop the necessary connections with local child care providers to implement this successfully.