Minnesota is doing a better job helping households with children escape poverty but education outcomes remain shaky several years after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an annual child well-being report.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book again ranks Minnesota among the top states for overall performance. For economic stability, Minnesota is now second in the nation.
Alexandra Fitzsimmons, senior policy director for the Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota, said the state’s child tax credit, adopted in 2023, appears to be making a difference based on data from its first year.
“More than 200,000 families and more than 400,000 children benefited from that credit, which is tremendous,” Fitzsimmons reported.
She added the way the tax credit is delivered matters because families can choose to receive a portion through advance payments.
The report raises concerns about education. Nearly seven in 10 Minnesota fourth graders are not proficient in reading. Fitzsimmons noted the students were preschoolers early in the pandemic. Because of the lingering effects, Fitzsimmons argued the state should use every resource available to expand access to early childhood education.
Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said concerns about student achievement are a major reason policymakers should continue working to ensure children have access to basic needs.
“If a child is hungry or if they’re in an unstable housing situation, it’s difficult for them to focus in school,” Boissiere explained.
Fitzsimmons stressed daily life in Minnesota has seen many disruptions, from the federal immigration crackdown to federal scrutiny tied to social services fraud. She noted one in five children in Minnesota has a parent who is an immigrant.
“We need to make certain that our children who now have been pushed further into the shadows and weren’t attending school and weren’t going to the doctor — it’s something that we definitely need to be serious about addressing and making significant investments in,” Fitzsimmons urged.
Source: Public News Service
