St. Paul Children’s Collaborative presents youth outcome data, opens $2 million RFP for community grants

The St. Paul Children’s Collaborative updated the City Council Policy Committee on June 1 on its youth outcome plan and announced a $2,000,000 request for proposals to fund community programs that support young people in Saint Paul.

The update covered indicators the Collaborative’s board has identified as priority measures, including kindergarten readiness, third-grade reading proficiency, health insurance coverage, youth connections to caring adults, child maltreatment, and on-time high school graduation. “Our mission at the St. Paul Children’s Collaborative is to mobilize the influence and resources of the city, county, school district and community to improve outcomes for young people in the city,” said Laurie Davis, co-director of the Collaborative.

Why this matters: The Collaborative ties its grantmaking and advocacy to these indicators and explicitly uses the data to shape funding priorities. The board’s recent additions to the plan — social competence and positive identity — reflect a growing emphasis on social-emotional and identity-related measures in response to community concerns about youth mental health.

Key findings and data cited

- Kindergarten readiness: St. Paul Public Schools data show roughly half of entering kindergartners were classified as “low risk” (interpreted in the presentation as ready for kindergarten). The district’s FastBridge/FAST screening is administered in the fall, and…