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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Lorie Shaull/KAXEThe Republican won all but 11 of 80 precincts in Senate District 6 in her April 29, 2025, special election victory. Seven precincts that voted red in 2022 flipped. -
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Lorie Shaull/KAXEAccording to unofficial results, Keri Heintzeman earned 60.27% of the vote in the race against DFLer Denise Slipy for Senate District 6. -
Contributed/RDNE Stock project via PexelsThe state Department of Human Services is accepting public feedback on its second draft to modernize child care licensing standards through June 30, 2025. -
At Minnesota's Capitol, state lawmakers are trying to come together on a new two-year budget, estimated to land at around $66 billion.
