1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; establishing a crisis
1.3 	nursery grant program; proposing coding for new law in
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256F.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [256F.15] GRANT PROGRAM FOR CRISIS NURSERIES.
1.7 		Subdivision 1.Crisis nurseries. The commissioner of
1.8 	human services shall establish a grant program to assist private
1.9 	and public agencies and organizations to provide crisis
1.10 	nurseries to offer services and temporary care to families
1.11 	experiencing crisis situations including children who are at
1.12 	high risk of abuse and neglect, children who have been abused
1.13 	and neglected, and children who are in families receiving child
1.14 	protective services.  This service shall be provided without a
1.15 	fee for a maximum of 30 days in any year.  Crisis nurseries
1.16 	shall provide short-term case management, family support
1.17 	services, parent education, crisis intervention, referrals, and
1.18 	resources, as needed.
1.19 	(a) The crisis nurseries must:
1.20 	(1) be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
1.21 	(2) provide services for children up to 72 hours at any one
1.22 	time;
1.23 	(3) provide short-term case management to bridge the gap
1.24 	between crisis and successful living;
1.25 	(4) make referrals for parents to counseling services and
2.1 	other community resources to help alleviate the underlying cause
2.2 	of the precipitating stress or crisis;
2.3 	(5) provide services without a fee for a maximum of 30 days
2.4 	in any year;
2.5 	(6) provide services to families with children from birth
2.6 	through 12 years of age;
2.7 	(7) provide an immediate response to family needs and
2.8 	strengths with an initial assessment and intake interview, make
2.9 	referrals to appropriate agencies or programs, and provide
2.10 	temporary care of children, as needed;
2.11 	(8) maintain the clients' confidentiality to the extent
2.12 	required by law, and also comply with statutory reporting
2.13 	requirements which may mandate a report to child protective
2.14 	services;
2.15 	(9) contain a volunteer component and support for
2.16 	volunteers;
2.17 	(10) provide preservice training and ongoing training to
2.18 	providers and volunteers;
2.19 	(11) evaluate the services provided by documenting use of
2.20 	services, the result of family referrals made to community
2.21 	resources, and how the services reduced the risk of
2.22 	maltreatment;
2.23 	(12) provide developmental assessments;
2.24 	(13) provide medical assessments as determined by using a
2.25 	risk screening tool;
2.26 	(14) provide parent education classes or programs that
2.27 	include parent-child interaction either on site or in
2.28 	collaboration with other community agencies; and 
2.29 	(15) have a multidisciplinary advisory board which may
2.30 	include one or more parents who have used the crisis nursery
2.31 	services.
2.32 	(b) The crisis nurseries are encouraged to provide
2.33 	opportunities for parents to volunteer, if appropriate.
2.34 	(c) Parents shall retain custody of their children during
2.35 	placement in a crisis facility.
2.36 		Subd. 2.Fund distribution. In distributing funds, the
3.1 	commissioner shall give priority consideration to agencies and
3.2 	organizations with experience in working with abused or
3.3 	neglected children and their families, and with children at high
3.4 	risk of abuse and neglect and their families, and serve
3.5 	communities which demonstrate the greatest need for these
3.6 	services.  Funds shall be distributed to crisis nurseries
3.7 	according to a formula developed by the commissioner in
3.8 	consultation with the Minnesota Crisis Nursery Association.  The
3.9 	formula shall include funding for all existing crisis nursery
3.10 	programs that have been previously funded through the Department
3.11 	of Human Services and that meet program requirements as
3.12 	specified in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), and consideration of
3.13 	factors reflecting the need for services in each service area,
3.14 	including, but not limited to, the number of children 18 years
3.15 	of age and under living in the service area, the percent of
3.16 	children 18 years of age and under living in poverty in the
3.17 	service area, and factors reflecting the cost of providing
3.18 	services, including, but not limited to, the number of hours of
3.19 	service provided in the previous year.