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Minnesota

Minnesota, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.

State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.

2024 State Early Childhood Policy Environment and Progress

Early Childhood Landscape:

Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.

Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining

Approximately 29% (174,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (2022). This number represents a decrease from 31% (206,000) in 2017.¹

Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High

Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.²

Advocacy Landscape:

State General Fund Appropriations: Growing

In 2023, Minnesota’s governor signed the budget bills that comprise the state’s biennium budget for fiscal 2024-2025. The budget calls for $59.1 billion in total expenditures in fiscal 2025 (a 4.5 percent decrease compared to fiscal 2024).³

Key Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):⁴

- - Individual Income Taxes ($2,656 per capita)
  - Property Taxes ($1,870 per capita)

State Budget Rules:⁴

Minnesota uses a biennial budget. The legislature is not required to pass a balanced budget and the governor is not required to sign one. However, the governor must submit a balanced budget, and the state’s own-source revenue and debt allowance must meet or exceed its expenditures. Additionally, deficits cannot be carried over into the following year and there are limits on total authorized debt incurred by the state.

Political Alignment: Aligned Democrat

During the 2024 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Democrat controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Democrat.⁵

Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:⁶One

- Legislature-Initiated Constitutional Amendments – A constitutional amendment that appears on a state’s ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.

Key state policy advocacy organizations include:

Early childhood policy advocacy multi-state initiatives present in the state include⁴:

2024 Policy Progress:

Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:⁸

Minnesota passed a new state Child Tax Credit in 2023. Families began receiving the MN Child Tax Credit in 2024 by filing their state income taxes. Families can qualify for $1,750 for each of their eligible children aged 17 or under, as along as their family incomes are up to $35,000 for married couples and $29,500 for other kinds of families. Families with incomes above these amounts may qualify for a CTC less than $1,750 per child, as long as their incomes are below certain limits. There is no limit on the number of eligible children per family. During the 2024 Legislative Session Minnesota established advance periodic payments for the child tax credit.

Advocates had several policy wins in a bill covering children’s mental health services. The legislation increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for mental health services to 83% of the rate study recommendation and also makes a $3-million one-time investment in respite grants that directly support patient families. Also included is a Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) parental fee elimination. Building on TEFRA reforms of last year, families of kids with mental health conditions will no longer have to pay the TEFRA parental fee. In yet another win for families, DHS will now be required to work with stakeholders to develop a children’s residential crisis services and first episode psychosis benefit under Medicaid.

In 2024 advocates worked with policymakers on a technical clean-up bill for 2023’s Paid Family and Medical Leave legislation, which strengthened the program, helped ensure a smooth implementation and clarified access to wage replacement during the first week of medical leaves and nonbonding family leaves. The language of HF 5363 was included in the mega omnibus HF 5247 which passed in the final hour of the legislative session.

Minnesota passed two birth justice planning grants. One will cover seeding and planning for an American Indian Birthing Center, which will offer healing-centered engagement and culturally-grounded support for birthing families and cultural providers based in protected, sacred space. The other covers seeding and planning for an African American Homeplace—a culturally celebrative space that will serve as a single-entry point to find perinatal safety, learn about and access perinatal care, lactation support, nutrition education, economic navigation and be in community during the postpartum period.

Minnesota increased the number of voluntary pre-k slots for early learning and child care ($33 million).

Advocates helped pass HF 912, the African American Family Preservation Act, which aims to address racism in the child welfare system and promote family stability.

Ongoing Grantee Areas of Advocacy:

Our lead allies in Minnesota are Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota (CDF-MN) and West Central Initiative. CDF-MN works to ensure every child has a healthy, fair, safe, moral, and head start in life and a successful passage to adulthood. The organization’s programs are based in advocacy, research, outreach, and youth development to make a positive difference in the lives of Minnesota’s children and families. CDF-MN and the West Central Initiative together chair the Minnesota Prenatal to Three Coalition, which represents a broad array of local, regional, and statewide early childhood and maternal & child health stakeholders and coalitions.

The Alliance’s lead grantees in Minnesota are working to advance early childhood policies in several areas:

Early Care and Education

Child Care

Child Care Workforce

Preschool and Pre-K

K-3 Education

Child and
Maternal Health

Child Welfare

Maternal Health

Infant & Child Health

Family
Supports

Family Economic Security

Home Visiting

Paid Family Leave

Early Childhood Infrastructure

Financing

Early Childhood Governance

Click here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.

NOTES:

¹Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.

²National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, March 2023, NCCP analysis of ACS 1-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2021.

³National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.

⁴Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.

⁵National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.

⁶Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.

⁷Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.

⁸Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.

RECENT ADVOCACY SNAPSHOT:

Minnesota Early Childhood Policy Advocacy

Minnesota “Coalition of Coalitions” Turns Years of Work into a String of Big Wins for Children and Families

October 31, 2023

From a new nation-leading child tax credit that will cut child poverty by a third, to $1.3 billion for expansion of mixed-delivery child care, to continuous medicaid coverage for children to age 6, to a long list of other wins for young children and their families, there were almost too many advancements to count in the 2023 legislative session. The secret to all these wins? A long-standing “of coalition of coalitions” in the state the centers communication, equity, cooperation, and authentic power sharing.