Chapter 142A — Children

142A.01 Definitions This section defines key terms used throughout Chapter 142A. 'Commissioner' means the commissioner of children, youth, … 142A.02 Creation of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families This section creates the Department of Children, Youth, and Families as a new state agency. It makes the commissioner … 142A.03 Commissioner This section describes the commissioner of children, youth, and families and lists the commissioner's many duties. The … 142A.04 State and County Systems This section requires the commissioner to set up and maintain computer systems needed to run programs like SNAP (food … 142A.045 Children, Youth, and Families Intergovernmental Advisory Committee This section creates an advisory committee to give advice to the commissioner on services for children, youth, and … 142A.05 Rulemaking This section gives the commissioner the power to adopt rules needed to carry out the department's responsibilities. The … 142A.06 Administration of Federal Grants-in-aid This section explains how the commissioner handles federal grants-in-aid for welfare and assistance programs. Federal … 142A.07 Grants and Purchase of Service Contracts This section governs how county agencies buy social services from outside providers through grants and contracts. … 142A.08 Plain Language in Written Materials This section requires that written materials about benefits and eligibility for programs run by the commissioner must be … 142A.09 Background Studies on Licensees and Other Personnel This section requires background studies for people working at licensed child care facilities, certified child care … 142A.10 Compliance System This section sets up a compliance system so the commissioner can make sure public assistance programs are run correctly … 142A.11 County Public Assistance Incentive Fund This section creates an incentive fund that rewards counties for doing a good job running public assistance programs. … 142A.12 Limits on Receiving Public Funds This section stops providers, vendors, or individuals who have been excluded from one state program from participating … 142A.13 Electronic Benefit Transfer Card This section sets rules for Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards used for cash benefits in public assistance … 142A.14 Tax Rebates This section says that federal or state tax rebates received by public assistance recipients cannot be counted as income … 142A.15 This section number has been assigned but its content was established by 2025 legislation. It is a placeholder section … 142A.20 Administrative and Judicial Review of Children, Youth, and Families Matters This section provides the right to appeal decisions about public assistance, social services, and foster care payments. … 142A.22 Overpayments Become Judgments by Operation of Law This section allows overpayments of public assistance benefits to automatically become court judgments 90 days after … 142A.25 Wrongfully Obtaining Assistance; Disqualification This section applies the wrongful obtaining of assistance law (section 256.98) to everyone who applies for or receives … 142A.26 Fraud Prevention Program This section requires the commissioner of children, youth, and families to work with the commissioner of human services … 142A.27 Administrative Fraud Disqualification Hearings This section requires local agencies to hold administrative fraud hearings for people accused of wrongfully getting … 142A.28 Recovery of Money; Apportionment This section explains how recovered overpayment money is split between the state and county agencies. Counties can keep … 142A.29 Work Reporting System This section creates a centralized work reporting system where employers must report new hires within 20 days. The … 142A.30 Child Support Obligor Community Service Work Experience Program This section allows the commissioner to place child support obligors who fail to pay and are physically able to work … 142A.40 Legal Referral and Assistance Grants This section directs the commissioner to give grants to nonprofit legal services programs that help people with … 142A.41 Citation This section provides the official name for sections 142A.411 to 142A.415, which may be called the 'Children's Trust … 142A.411 Definitions This section defines key terms used in the Children's Trust Fund for the Prevention of Child Abuse Act. It defines … 142A.412 Trust Fund This section creates the Children's Trust Fund for the Prevention of Child Abuse as a state treasury account. The fund … 142A.413 Local Child Abuse Prevention Councils This section allows counties or groups of counties to set up local child abuse prevention councils. These councils … 142A.414 Procedures and Criteria for Disbursement This section sets the rules for distributing Children's Trust Fund money. Applicants must match at least 40% of the … 142A.415 Acceptance of Federal Funds and Other Donations This section allows the commissioner to accept federal money, gifts, donations, and bequests for the Children's Trust … 142A.416 Annual Appropriation This section appropriates money each year from the Children's Trust Fund to the commissioner for child abuse prevention … 142A.417 Child Protection Grants to Address Child Welfare Disparities This section creates a grant program to reduce racial disparities in the child welfare system. The commissioner awards … 142A.418 Payments by State This section governs state foster care maintenance payments under federal Title IV-E. Counties and Tribal Nations are … 142A.42 Diaper Distribution Program This section creates a diaper distribution program through a sole-source grant to the Diaper Bank of Minnesota. The … 142A.43 Grants-in-aid to Youth Intervention Programs This section authorizes grants to nonprofit agencies that run youth intervention programs. These are community-based … 142A.44 Great Start Scholarships Program This section creates the Great Start Scholarships Program to make high-quality early care and learning affordable for … 142A.45 Family First Prevention Services Act Support and Development Grant Program This section establishes a grant program to support prevention and early intervention services under the federal Family … 142A.451 Family First Prevention Services Act Kinship Navigator Program This section creates a grant program for Kinship Navigator programs under the federal Family First Prevention Services … 142A.452 Family First Prevention and Early Intervention Allocation Program This section allocates money to counties and federally recognized Tribes for prevention and early intervention services … 142A.46 Early Childhood Learning and Child Protection Facilities This section lets the commissioner give grants to state agencies and local governments to build or fix up facilities for … 142A.47 Quality Parenting Initiative Grant Program This section creates a Quality Parenting Initiative grant program to support children and families in foster care. … 142A.48 Educate Parents Partnership This section allows the commissioner to partner with health care providers and community organizations to give new … 142A.60 Citation This section establishes the citation for the Northstar Care for Children Act. Northstar Care provides benefits for … 142A.601 Public Policy This section states Minnesota's public policy on child safety and permanency. Children do best in permanent, safe homes … 142A.602 Definitions This section defines key terms used in the Northstar Care for Children Act. It explains important concepts like basic … 142A.603 Northstar Care for Children; Generally This section provides an overview of how Northstar Care for Children works. A child is eligible if they qualify for … 142A.604 Eligibility for Foster Care Benefits This section sets the eligibility rules for foster care benefits under Northstar Care for Children. A child must be … 142A.605 Northstar Kinship Assistance Eligibility This section sets eligibility rules for Northstar kinship assistance, which helps relatives who take permanent custody … 142A.606 Northstar Adoption Assistance Eligibility This section sets eligibility rules for Northstar adoption assistance, which provides financial support and medical … 142A.607 Assessments This section explains the assessment process used to determine benefit levels for children in Northstar Care for … 142A.608 Agreements This section governs the written agreements required for Northstar kinship assistance and adoption assistance. … 142A.609 Benefits and Payments This section describes the three benefits under Northstar Care for Children: medical assistance, a basic payment, and a … 142A.61 Support for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Families This section creates a program to support adoptive, foster, and kinship families. Services include information, … 142A.611 Federal, State, and Local Shares This section explains how the costs of Northstar Care for Children are shared among the federal government, the state, … 142A.612 Administration and Appeals This section covers the administration and appeals process for Northstar Care for Children. The financially responsible … 142A.65 Relative Custody Assistance This section is the Relative Custody Assistance Act, which applies to children placed with relatives or important … 142A.75 Juvenile Justice Program This section designates the Department of Children, Youth, and Families as the state agency responsible for Minnesota's … 142A.76 Office of Restorative Practices This section creates the Office of Restorative Practices within the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. … 142A.765 Restorative Practices; Restitution Program This section establishes a restorative practices restitution program for juveniles. It provides a framework for young …