Pediatric Advocacy Links

• Abuse
• Behavior
• Breastfeeding
• Chemical Substance Recovery
• Children with Special Needs
• Clinics
• Day Care
• Dental
• Early Childhood Education
• Financial Resources
• General Medicine
• Government
• Housing/Shelters
• Insurance
• Nutrition
• Parenting
• Teen Programs
  
  

Abuse

• Corner House
  
  

• Cornerstone
  
  

• Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
  
  

• MN Coalition for Battered Women
  
  

• Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota
  Website for MN Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, provides county resources and emergency numbers.

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Behavior

• Alexander Center for Child Development and Behavior
  Provides diagnostic, treatment, consultation and education services for children and adolescents who have, attention, behavioral, developmental, mind-body disorders, learning differences, chronic illness and other related difficulties.
  
  
• Emily Program
  Treatment program that provides comprehensive psychological, nutritional, and medical care for individuals with eating disorders.
  
  
• HCMC Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center
  Diagnoses and treats sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and insomnia in both adults and children
  
  
• Integrative Medicine at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
  Website with videos and descriptions of services provided inpatient and outpatient

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Breastfeeding

• La Leche League
  Website has listings of groups, group leaders, and contact information for breastfeeding mothers that have questions and/or need support.
  
  
• Local Breastfeeding Programs and Warmlines
  Hennepin County Breastfeeding Coalition description and phone numbers for different breastfeeding agencies/programs in the Twin Cities area.
  
  
• WIC Breastfeeding Support
  Website provides information regarding breastfeeding for families participating in WIC.

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Chemical Substance Recovery

• African-American Family Services
  
  
• Al-Anon
  
  
• Alcoholics Anonymous
  
  
• Chrysalis
  
  
• Gamblers Anonymous
  
  
• Hennepin County Chemical Health Services
  
  
• RS Eden

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Children with Special Needs

• 348-TOTS (Early Childhood Screening)
  The central intake referral source for Minneapolis residents for early intervention services for children age 0-3 years.  They give early childhood screening through the Minneapolis public school system and intervention assistance to children who either have or are at risk for developmental delay.
  
  
• Early Childhood Services
  Directory of services that are available in Minnesota for disabled children.  Can search based on service category or by county.
  
  
• Follow Along Program
  Program with the MDH that will send questionnaires to a family after a nurse visits the home to discuss the program and evaluate the child age 4-36 months.  Parents return questionnaires and if concerns are identified a nurse follows up with information for further evaluation or referral to services.  After a child is 36 months information is given for Early Childhood Screening.  Services are available at no cost to the family.
  
  
• Fraser
  Center that helps children, adolescents, and adults by offering diagnostic evaluations, mental health services, rehab services, child care/education, housing, and workshops for parents, caregivers, and professionals.  Can be very helpful for families of children with autism, TBI, developmental delay, emotional/behaviorial disorders, those with Down syndrome.
  
  
• Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs (MCSHN)
  MDH website that has links for professionals and parents with special needs children for financial resources, MCSHN clinics, informational links to different diseases/conditions, and an early childhood services directory.
  
  
• Minnesota First Signs
  Organization that focuses on educating parents and pediatric professionals regarding the early signs of autism and developmental disorders
  
  
• PACER Center
  Organization that provides information, parent training, referrals, and programs to parents of disabled children.  Most services free of charge.  Programs include those for parents, professional, and children/young adults.
  
  
• Washburn Child Guidance Center
  Center that focuses on children with social, emotional, & behavioral problems by offering assessment, treatment, support services, advocating for access for the children, offering training and information to parents/families.

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Clinics

• Planned Parenthood
  
  
• Red Door Services (aka Red Door Clinic)
  Provides services for sexual health care including screening, treatment, prevention, and education on sexually transmitted diseases.  Located at Hennepin County Public Health Clinic, 4^th floor, Hennepin County Health Services Building.
  
  
• St. Mary’s Health Clinics
  Provides free outpatient health care to the Minneapolis-St. Paul and suburban areas.
  
  
• Walk-In Counseling Center
  Clinic provides crisis intervention and short-term counseling.  Services are available to individuals, couples, & families.

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Day Care

• Child Care Assistance Program
  
  
• Greater Minneapolis Day Care Association (GMDCA)
  
  
• Minneapolis Kids

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Dental

• Children’s Dental Services
  Offers dental services to children from low income families, with and without insurance.  There are 17 satellite clinics in addition to the main clinic located at either schools or head start centers throughout the metro area.
  
  
• Helping Hand Dental Clinic
  Clinic is part of West Side Community Health Services.  West Side also has the West Side Dental Clinic.
  
  
• North Point Health and Wellness Center
  Offers medical, dental, and mental health services along with community programs, food shelf, employment assistance and housing assistance in the North Minneapolis area.  Available for children and adults.  Northpoint accepts most major medical/dental insurance plans but also has reduced fee programs for patients without insurance.
  
  
• Southside Dental Clinic
  Clinic is part of Southside Community Health Services.  They accept most insurance and have a sliding scale for available for those without insurance.

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Early Childhood Education

• Community Initiatives for Children
  Organization for Cedar, Riverside, Phillips, Powderhorn Park, Central, Ventura Village, Whittier, Near-North, Summer-Glenwood, Hawthorne, and Bottineau neighborhoods that serves as a resource for families to educate their children.  Focus is on reading and summer education programs.
  
  
• Early Childhood Family Education
  Minnesota program for families with children ages birth-kindergarten that works to strengthen families through education.
  
  
• Minneapolis Public Schools and Student Placement Center
  
  
• New Family Center
  Part of The Center for Victims of Torture that helps with referral agencies for refugee clients including food, housing, transportation, legal education, health care, family support services, day care, mental health counseling/crisis intervention.
  
  
• Parents as Teachers
  National program with many local groups that focus on increasing parent knowledge of early childhood development, help with developmental delays/health problems, and increase school readiness.
  
  
• PICA (Parents in Community Action) Head Start
  A private, non-profit agency that operates Head Start and Early Head Start Programs in Hennepin County.  Also has information for parent training, project BOOST (6 week summer program for children going into kindergarten.
  
  
• Way to Grow
  A school readiness program that includes home visits, help for teen mothers, and family support services.  Located in Minneapolis.

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Financial Resources

• Minnesota Department of Commerce
  Applications for heating assistance
  
  
• The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
  Minnesota’s welfare reform program for low-income families with children.  Includes cash and food assistance and is a 4 month program that helps parents start working and get off welfare.
  
  
• Minnesota Public Utilities Commission – Telephone Discount Programs
  Information on who qualifies for telephone discount programs and how to apply.
  
  
• People Responding in Social Ministry (PRISM)
  Ministry that helps families in need of food, financial assistance, transportation, clothing, employment/budget counseling.
  
  
• Sabathani Community Center
  Center in South Central Minneapolis (Central and Bryant neighborhoods) that offers family resources services and life skills center in addition to health access center, youth programs, and senior center.
  
  
• Spare Key
  
  
• St. Louis Park Emergency Program
  Program available to St. Louis Park residents in need that includes food shelf, transportation assistance, crisis support, seasonal support, clothes closet, and financial assistance.

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General Medical

• The Aliveness Project
  Community Center in South Minneapolis dedicated to serving HIV/AIDS community through a meal program, food shelf program, complementary services (massage, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, & Shiatsu) and prevention services.
  
  
• CDC Immunization Info
  
  
• Centro
  Clinic serving the Latino community including children, teens, and parents. Includes services based on sliding scale, wellness programs, & mental health.
  
  
• Metro Women’s Center
  Offers advice and financial/legal assistance to those with unwanted pregnancies and not choosing abortion.
  
  
• Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center
  Provides access to chemical health programs, childcare, early childhood education, family services (parenting classes, intensive in-home services, living skills), housing program, sexual abuse advocacy.
  
  
• MN Asthma Info Center
  
  
• MN Family Planning & STD Hotline
  
  
• Neighborhood Health Care Network
  Website has links to clinics that provide comprehensive medical, dental, counseling services.  Some clinics also have adolescent, reproductive and school based care.
  
  
• North Point Health and Wellness Center
  Offers medical, dental, and mental health services along with community programs, food shelf, employment assistance and housing assistance in the North Minneapolis area.  Northpoint accepts most major medical/dental insurance plans but also has reduced fee programs for patients without insurance.
  
  
• West Side Community Health Services
  Provides health care (medical and dental) and education to immigrant and low-income communities with multiple clinics in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.  Services include adolescent health, dental, diabetes, family planning, HIV care, prenatal care, well child care, immunizations, women’s health, eviction prevention, health education, nutrition services, pharmacy).

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Government

• American Academy of Pediatrics
  
  
• The Children’s Defense Fund
  
  
• Cover the Uninsured
  
  
• Medical Home
  
  
• Minnesota Chapter of AAP
  
  
• Minnesota Department of Health
  
  
• Minnesota State Legislature
  
  
• National Alliance for Hispanic Health
  
  
•  United States House of Representatives
  
  
• United States Senate

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Housing/Shelters

• Jeremiah Program
  
  
• Lutheran Social Services
  
  
• People Serving People
  
  
• Project Offstreets
  
  
• Sabathani Community Center
  Center in South Central Minneapolis (Central and Bryant neighborhoods) that offers transitional housing for families.
  
  
• Sharing and Caring Hands
  Center that provides meals, food, shelter, and clothing to those in need.
  
  
• St. Anne’s Place

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Insurance

• Hennepin County Assured Access
  This is not insurance.  Hennepin County uses the application to confirm a family’s income and provide list of clinics that use a sliding fee scale for outpatient services.  Fees are determined by each clinic.
  
  
• Minnesota Department of Human Services
  Child and Teen Checkups: for children enrolled in MA or MinnesotaCare.
  
  
• Minnesota Health Care Programs
  Link to the Minnesota Health Care Programs website with links & descriptions of the state insurance programs available to children and families.
  
  
• Minnesota Low-Cost Health Care Directory
  The Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota website with links for health care for children/families with little or no insurance.  Addresses and phone numbers along with a list of available interpreters provided.
• Anoka County
• Carver County
• Dakota County
• Hennepin County
• Ramsey County
• Scott County
• Washington County

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Nutrition

• Centro
  Latino-specific food shelf.
  
  
• Emergency Food Shelf Network
  Nonprofit food bank that supports Minnesota hunger relief organizations and has numerous food assistance programs.
  
  
• Fare for All
  Open to anyone who registers ans prepays for food packages at either a local distribution site or the main office.  No income restrictions.  Available once a month.
  
  
• Fare for All Express
  Also open to anyone but no prepayment or preregistration required.  Available once a month.  Packages are available at distribution sites.
  
  
• House of Charity
  Offers hot meals to those in need and also has a Summer Food Service Program that ensures children have at least 1 well-rounded meal every day all year.
  
  
• Loaves and Fishes
  Provides nutritious meals to those in need at multiple dining locations in the metro area for dinner.
  
  
• Mothers and Children’s Program (MAC)
  Program through MDH for children up to age 6, women who have a baby < 1 yr old, pregnant or breastfeeding women not served by WIC.
  
  
• Sharing and Caring Hands
  Center that provides meals, food, shelter, and clothing to those in need.
  
  
• WIC program
  Link to the Minnesota Dept. of Health (MDH) Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program with information on who qualifies, how to apply, and other services available to those who qualify.

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Parenting

• African American Men’s Project
  
  
• Early Childhood Family Education
  Minnesota program for families with children ages birth-kindergarten that works to strengthen families through education.
  
  
• Family and Children’s Service
  Organization that has 2 offices in the Minneapolis area and provides counseling, education, programs for families and children for success in school, decrease family violence, and change communities.
  
  
• Minnesota Dads at Home
  Group that connects Stay-at-home Dads and their children to other Fathers and children mainly in the Twin Cities area.
  
  
• MN Parent Center (part of PACER Center)
  Statewide project that works to help families and schools work together for the benefit of students.
  
  
• Minnesota Sudden Infant Death Center
  Statewide program though Children’s hospital that provides information on prevention, and information, counseling and support to families that have experienced an infant death.
  
  
• Parenting Education Resources
  Website offers articles and videos to help parents be with issues faced by parents with children and teens, also military families.
  
  
• Parent Warmline (612) 813-6336
  Phone number that parents in the Twin Cities can call for advice, answer questions, and referral to community services.  It is a non-crisis, non-medical service.  Website also has information on family resource centers at Minneapolis and St. Paul Children’s Hospital, Minnesota Child Advocacy and Resource Effort (MCARE), Parent-to Parent Support, and Minnesota Sudden Infant Death Center.
  
  
• Resource Center for Fathers and Families
  Six offices in the Metro area that serve to help fathers in the role of parenting.
  
  
• Southside Family Nurturing Center
  Center provides programs and support to families at risk for abuse and neglect at no cost to the families they serve.

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Teen Programs

• Annex Teen Clinic
  North Suburban Youth Health Clinic – serves ages 12-25 and provides low-cost reproductive/sexuality health services.  Services are free or based on a sliding scale.
  
  
• Star Center for Family Health
  Services for Teenagers at Risk (STAR) is an outpatient program for adolescents with eating disorders and weight management.
  
  
• TAMS (Teen Age Medical Service)
  Adolescent clinic that provides comprehensive medical care including physical exams, sports physicals, immunizations, asthma, reproductive health, family planning, and counseling.  Most insurance plans accepted along with other pay arrangements possible.  Another TAMS clinic is also at Southwest High School.
  
  
• Teen Health 411
  Teen website that provides up to date information to teens and has information regarding teen clinics in the Twin Cities.
  
  
• West Suburban Teen Clinic
  Clinic that serves ages 12-23 in western Hennepin, Carver, and Scott Counties and provides low-cost medical, mental health, and education.
  

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