Senate omnibus funds child‑welfare IT modernization and targeted grants for family supportive housing and PRTF projects

The Senate Health and Human Services omnibus spreadsheet presented April 9 includes several items affecting child welfare and family services: a $10,000,000 appropriation for SSIS (child welfare information system) modernization, one‑time grants for family supportive housing and PRTF facility improvements, and other DCYF policy and operating adjustments.

“Thank you for including most of the DCYF policy provisions,” said Tiki Brown, commissioner of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, who also asked the committee to consider resourcing needs tied to the implementation of statutory changes and IT modernization.

Why it matters: County social‑service systems rely on SSIS for case management and reporting. County leaders and administrators told the committee that modernizing SSIS will reduce time spent on data entry, support statewide statutory changes and help implement large reforms such as the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act.

Key child‑welfare and family‑support items described

- SSIS modernization: The omnibus includes $10,000,000 in funding for the child welfare IT modernization project. County officials supported the funding and urged the committee to consider full funding for total project costs.

- Family supportive housing: Senate File 1732 (Sen. Bolden) is reflected with a $750,000 one‑time grant for family supportive housing in fiscal year 2026, intended to pair subsidized housing with wraparound services for families experiencing homelessness.

- PRTF and Clay County project: The bill includes a Clay County PRTF facility improvement grant of $1,000,000 one‑time and a reappropriation of prior startup grant funds into local use for a PRTF project.

- Grants and food‑security items: The omnibus also includes grants for Catholic Charities’ homeless elders program ($1,000,000 one‑time) and a Senate position to fund regional food banks and local food‑shelf support.

County officials’ priorities and concerns

Scott County Commissioner Barb Weckman Brekke, representing the Minnesota Association of Counties, thanked the committee for SSIS funding but urged full funding to cover total project costs and staffing, training and service‑development needs tied to modernization.

Stacy Hennen of the Minnesota Association of County Social Services Administrators praised the child welfare response change for educational neglect and the fiscal analysis provision, but asked for further work to resolve provider‑county interactions around relative licensing and administrative fee structures.

Voices with lived experience

Alexis Borgeson, a foster youth outreach and engagement specialist and formerly in foster care, thanked the committee for funding the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson and said the support would allow continued outreach to young people in a variety of settings.

Ending note

Committee members and agency officials signaled that funding for IT modernization and targeted housing and PRTF grants is a priority, while counties requested additional resources to implement statutory changes and to address workforce and local capacity needs.