There was an article in the paper recently (StarTribune, March 21, 2019) that tells us that the point-in-time homeless count in Minnesota shows that homelessness has increased by 10%. Family homelessness has decreased by 5%, but overall there were more people homeless in Minnesota on October 25th of 2018 than in previous years. The one-night […]

The Connected Kids Initiative (CKI) was born out of eight unique Minnesota agencies collaborating for a better future for kids and families in our communities and neighborhoods. They launched their non-traditional team (non-profit, government and church) in late 2016 and came up with a strategic plan.  They piloted their idea in Anoka County and within one […]

The biological need for belonging is incredibly strong and pervasive in all humans. It is the basis for our survival in life. Human babies require the longest time span for development to adulthood. We have drawn the line at 18 years of age; when it is said we become an adult human. However, we know […]

After three and a half years, the Sauer Collaborative for Child Well-Being came full circle.  We came together at the Minneapolis Foundation in June of 2014.  We invited a group of professionals from across the child welfare system to come together to work on aligning the system to child well-being.  Over the years, the collaborative […]

A few years ago, we did two focus groups: one was with youth aging out of foster care and one was with adults who had been in foster care.  In both groups, I listened as they talked about what it felt like to only have adults in their lives who were paid to be there.  […]