DEPARTMENT: Public Health
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
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Authorization To Accept Grant Funds For Strong Foundations With Minnesota Department Of Health
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize acceptance of grant funds for Strong Foundations with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
SUMMARY
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of, a community health board under Minn. Stat. ch. 145A, and is required to govern and administer those functions as fully as other Dakota County functions, including the responsibility to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota County residents.
Public Health has a long history of providing home visiting services to families in Dakota County. The Public Health Department currently utilizes the Strong Foundations grant through MDH to fund these services. The Strong Foundations grant is a combination of state and federal funds for home visiting services supporting women, infants, young children, and families in the community, with the goal of improved outcomes for pregnant people and parents with young children.
By Resolution No. 22-436 (October 18, 2022), the Board approved the application and acceptance of MDH Strong Foundations grant funds in the amount of $1,259,535 for the first year of the grant, the period of January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. The Strong Foundations five-year grant funds will be used exclusively to support the Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting (MECSH) evidence-based home visiting model at Dakota County. The Strong Foundations grant will ensure stable funding to provide family home visiting services to county residents over the next five years. This funding will be determined annually and is expected to remain stable.
By Resolution No. 23-276 (June 20, 2023), the Board approved the application and acceptance of MDH implementation of a project to build evidence-based family home visiting program through the MECSH model between June 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024, up to $150,000. This funding opportunity supplemented Public Health's current Strong Foundations award.
In November 2024, Public Health was notified by MDH that they were awarded $1,694,916, which includes MDH’s formula of $1,626,100 along with the MECSH trainer amount of $68,816, for the period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, which is $194,001 over the County Manager’s recommended 2025 budget.
OUTCOMES
How Much?
The number of families and home visits has increased since the pandemic and is projected to continue to increase in 2025.
• 2022 families served: 642
• 2023 families served: 742
• 2024 projected families served: 800
How Well?
Incremental change in important maternal and child outcomes for families who are enrolled in the family home visiting program:
• In 2022, 92 percent of children were up to date with immunizations. In 2023, 93 percent of children were up to date, up one percent from 2022.
• In 2022, 59 percent of children had their nine-month well-child checkup completed before one year of age. In 2023, 90 percent of children in family home visiting had a 9-month well-child check by one year of age, up 31 percent from 2022.
Are we better off?
In 2023, the percent of singleton babies born at healthy weight by mothers seen prenatally by the family home visiting program was 98 percent, which exceeds the county target of 90 percent.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Staff recommends authorization to accept grant funds for Strong Foundations with MDH in the amount of $1,694,916, which includes MDH’s formula of $1,626,100 along with the MECSH trainer amount of $68,816, for January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.
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EXPLANATION OF FISCAL/FTE IMPACTS
There is a $0 net County cost anticipated as a result of this action. The County Manager’s recommended 2025 budget includes $1,500,915 in funds for this grant, and since the award for 2025 from MDH is $1,694,916, which includes MDH’s formula of $1,626,100 along with the MECSH trainer amount of $68,816, Public Health will return to the board in early 2025 to obtain board authorization to amend the 2025 Public Health Budget to add the additional $194,001.
☐ None ☐ Current budget ☒ Other
☐ Amendment Requested ☐ New FTE(s) requested
RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of, a community health board under Minn. Stat. ch. 145A, and is required to govern and administer those functions as fully as other Dakota County functions, including the responsibility to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota County residents; and
WHEREAS, Public Health has a long history of providing home visiting services to families in Dakota County; and
WHEREAS, the Public Health Department currently utilizes the Strong Foundations grant through MDH to fund these services; which is a combination of state and federal funds for home visiting services supporting women, infants, young children, and families in the community, with the goal of improved outcomes for pregnant people and parents with young children; and
WHERES, by Resolution No. 22-436 (October 18, 2022), the Board approved the application and acceptance of MDH Strong Foundations grant funds in the amount of $1,259,535 for the first year of the grant, the period of January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023; and
WHEREAS, the Strong Foundations five-year grant funds will be used exclusively to support the Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting (MECSH) evidence-based home visiting model at Dakota County; and
WHEREAS, the Strong Foundations grant will ensure stable funding to provide family home visiting services to county residents over the next five years, which will be determined annually and is expected to remain stable; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution No. 23-276 (June 20, 2023), the Board approved the application and acceptance of MDH implementation of a project to build evidence-based family home visiting program through the MECSH model between June 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024, up to $150,000, which supplemented Public Health's current Strong Foundations award; and
WHEREAS, in November 2024, Public Health was notified by MDH that they were awarded $1,694,916, which includes MDH’s formula of $1,626,100 along with the MECSH trainer amount of $68,816, for the period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, which is $194,001 over the County Manager’s recommended 2025 budget; and
WHEREAS, the County Manager’s recommended 2025 budget includes $1,500,915 in funds for this grant, and since the award for 2025 from MDH is $1,694,916, which includes MDH’s formula of $1,626,100 along with the MECSH trainer amount of $68,816, Public Health will return to the board in early 2025 to obtain board authorization to amend the 2025 Public Health Budget to add the additional $194,001.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby authorizes the Community Service Director to accept Strong Foundations grant funds in the amount of $1,694,916, which includes the Minnesota Department of Health’s formula of $1,626,100 along with the Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting trainer amount of $68,816 for the period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, which is $194,001 over the County Manager’s recommended 2025 budget; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That unless the grant program requirements change, the Community Services Director is hereby authorized to amend the grant to extend the grant term up to two years after initial expiration date, accept additional grant funds, and continue grant-funded full-time equivalents, consistent with County contracting policies, and inclusion of grant funds in future yearly Recommended and Approved Budgets, subject to approval by the County Attorney’s Office as to form.
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PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION
22-436; 10/18/22
23-276; 6/20/23
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment: None.
BOARD GOALS
☒ A Great Place to Live ☐ A Healthy Environment
☐ A Successful Place for Business and Jobs ☐ Excellence in Public Service
CONTACTS
Department Head: Coral Ripplinger
Author: Tracy Howard