Saturday, Nov. 23, was National Adoption Day, and the latest findings showed Minnesota has made progress in helping kids in the foster care system secure a better future.
Aaron Sojourner, labor economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, helped lead a study of reforms Minnesota approved in 2015. He said states often provide financial support to children in foster care but support ends when a child is adopted or placed in a kin guardianship.
Minnesota decided to continue payments to households who take a child in permanently. Sojourner pointed out three years after foster cases started, positive outcomes became clear.
"The kids were scoring much higher on standardized achievement tests," Sojourner reported. "They were experiencing less turnover in schools and school instability."
He noted the incentives also boosted the chances of kids age 6 and older exiting the foster care system and moving into permanent home settings by 29%. Sojourner added while the results are encouraging, it is just one aspect of the child welfare landscape. Other research has shown racial disparities in Minnesota's foster care system, especially when looking at reducing entry rates.
Sojourner stressed if state lawmakers revisit the extended monthly payments in budget talks, they will need to realize the long-term payoff from these investments.
"The state is paying more money now but they're going to reap the benefits down the road," Sojourner contended. "In terms of increased earnings and employment."
His team's study said prolonged exposure to foster care is tied to poor transitions into adulthood, including homelessness.
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And: A McGregor gas station was fined by the state Pollution Control Agency; the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission was given a transportation award; and Red Lake County will defend its baseball title Monday. -
Contributed/Alyssa Chen / Minnesota ReformerThe state abruptly paused payment to thousands of care providers in May in a rush to meet a federal deadline. -
Contributed/Lakers Girls Golf Instagram PageAlmost 90 Northland students competed at the state golf tournament June 9-10, 2026, around the Twin Cities. -
Contributed/Brian DowThe number of detainees has not been confirmed. Bemidji police and Beltrami sheriff's deputies did not take part, leaders say. Some community members gathered to protest. -
And: A missing Alexandria woman found alive in mud puddle near Backus; a nature-based early learning center opens in Coleraine; and Brainerd boys and Detroit Lakes girls are state golf champions.
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Contributed/briandjan607 via FlickrThe Emergency Forest Order, which prohibited campfires and charcoal-fueled cookstoves, will be lifted on June 12, 2026. -
Contributed/Bemidji Fire DepartmentThe Bemidji Fire Department responded to the multi-family structure fire in the nearby city of Wilton on June 10, 2026. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe Paul Bunyan Playhouse is bringing back professional theater to the Historic Chief Theater for the first full season since 2023. -
Erin Bowman/KAXEChildren at the nature-based Roots and Wings Early Learning Center in southern Coleraine typically spend five to six hours outside each day on the 25-acre campus. -
Contributed/Minnesota Chippewa TribeMembers of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe bands cast ballots for secretary-treasurers and tribal council representatives on June 9, 2026.
