The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) Innovations Teen Parent Project grant funds the Teen HOPE program in Hennepin Healthcare Systems. This program uses a single point of contact model for case management services to pregnant and parenting teens on MFIP. The goals of the program are for teen parents to progress in school, not have a subsequent pregnancy while in the program, and for healthy, school ready children. Most of the case managers for these teens are public health nurses, however, if the teen is already being provided with home health care services, they are assigned a case manager who is a social worker rather than a public health nurse to avoid duplication of services.

Hennepin County Human Services Department has had a receivable contract with DHS since 2015 for the Teen HOPE program. Each calendar year we receive $58,000 to cover the cost of one fulltime social worker (case manager) for the program. Amendment 1 to this agreement added an annual receivable amount of $235,809 paid for 3 years for a total amended amount of $707,427. This funding will be used for participants of the program who are experiencing homelessness or precariously housed.

Amendment 2 to this agreement allows for additional duties; expenditures based on a cash basis with a service period based on services rendered, and each budget period based on the State Fiscal Year, are necessary for the satisfactory completion of the contract.

All Hennepin County youth who are under age 20 and without a high school diploma or GED at the time of MFIP enrollment are eligible for the Teen HOPE program. Participants who choose to continue postsecondary education after graduating from high school may remain in Teen HOPE through age 24. The subgroup for the homelessness support funding consists of Teen HOPE participants who either have an open child care case or are in the process of applying for child care in addition to meeting the definition of homeless or precariously housed. This includes youth who self-identify as homeless/precariously housed and/or are without a permanent residence, doubling up with friends or relatives and/or are behind in paying rent and possibly facing an eviction.

This board action request aligns with Hennepin County disparity reduction efforts by supporting housing stability for teen parents who are receiving county services.