The Minnesota Department of Human Services applauds families who adopt foster children. To honor those families – and to raise awareness of the need for adoptive families – the department, counties and nonprofit partners will host Celebrate Adoption: Circus of the Heart. Join us from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, at the Northern Star Scouting Base Camp for games, music, pony rides, therapy dogs, activities for teens and more. To learn more about adoption, visit the department’s adoption webpage.

The Minnesota State Demographic Center estimates that by 2024, there will be 3.1 million jobs available and only 2.7 million working-age adults. Work-authorized refugees and asylees can help fill vacancies. Learn more about the hiring process for refugees and asylees in a department brochure (PDF).

Department staff recently visited Center of Excellence Preschool and Learning Center in Minneapolis to see firsthand how it’s serving families in crisis through a trauma-informed curriculum, engagement with parents and empathy. Center leaders also discussed the effect of housing stability on child development, and ways government could better support child care and early education providers. To learn more about child care in Minnesota, visit the department’s child care webpage.

Uniform preferred drug list goes into effect July 1:

• Simplifies pharmacy benefits for providers and people with Medicaid and MinnesotaCare coverage
• Reduces therapy disruptions when people switch health programs and plans.

Learn more.

Crisis Text Line is Minnesota’s new text-based suicide prevention and mental health crisis service. Text MN to 741741 to be connected with a trained counselor who will help you and connect you to local resources. Crisis Text Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in all parts of the state. Read More.