Minnesota leads the pack in some prenatal and early childhood policies – Minnesota Reformer

Minnesota’s policies are more supportive of expectant parents and young children than other states, but there is still room for improvement, according to a team of Vanderbilt researchers.

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University evaluates the impact of public policy measures on child and family well-being. Tons of evidence shows that first years are the most important in a child’s development, while the first trauma Or hunger can lead to costly social, health, and economic problems well into adulthood

In groups Political roadmap 2023, which assesses each state’s efforts to improve prenatal and early childhood health, Minnesota was among the top 10 states for the following metrics: proportion of women receiving prenatal care; the proportion of children receiving developmental screening tests; and the proportion of children with at least one parent working full time and not living in poverty.

Minnesota also has higher than average rates of infant mortality, breastfeeding and access to early childhood services.

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center recommends certain policies that improve the health of young children, such as expanding Medicaid eligibility, ensuring paid family leave, and adopting a minimum wage of ‘State of at least 10 dollars an hour.

Minnesota’s minimum wage is $10.59 per hour for large employers and $8.63 per hour for everyone else. The minimum wage will increase by 26 and 23 cents, respectively, starting in 2024. And it will be significantly higher in the Twin Cities.

During the last legislative session, Minnesota lawmakers passed a bill paid for family and medical leaveallowing up to 20 weeks of paid leave for new parents starting in 2026.

The center also advocates for a refundable earned income tax credit, a tax break for low- and moderate-income families. The Minnesota version is called the tax credit for working families. Lawmakers also approved a refundable child tax credit of $1,750 per child this year. (A refundable tax credit means the credit will first be applied to the taxes a family owes, but if there is any money left over, it will be sent directly to the taxpayer.)

It’s not all good news: Minnesota is below average in immunization rates for children under 3, food insecurity among children, and the share of parents reporting not doing very well. to go out.

The report does not cover the availability of child care, although the group advocates for child care subsidies, but one factor in parental well-being could be high cost and scarcity of childcare services.

Some states have taken steps to reduce the administrative burden associated with the government’s largest nutrition program, known as SNAP. Other states have extended the period between renewals and case management. These measures increase the participation rates of eligible families, according to the researchers.

Minnesota has implemented these measures for some families, but not all, according to the report. For example, homeless families may need to renew their SNAP certification more frequently than other families.