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House Research home > Minnesota Government in Brief > Government Functions and Services: Family Assistance

Minnesota Family Investment Program

• MFIP is a state program begun in January 1998 that replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) entitlement program
• MFIP provides cash assistance and employment and training services to eligible families with children.
• With some exceptions, MFIP is provided for no more than 60 months. In July 2002, families began reaching that 60-month limit. However, some of these families received exemptions or extensions. Exempt families may receive assistance without that month counting toward the 60-month time limit. Families with extensions may continue to receive cash assistance, but that month of assistance counts toward the 60-month time limit. Families without extensions and with more than 60 months of assistance are ineligible to receive assistance.
• Eligible families must be citizens or qualified noncitizens, have income and assets below limits set by the legislature, and include at least one minor child or pregnant woman and the child's parent or stepparents
• MFIP caregivers are expected to meet hourly work requirements. The program provides supports to make work possible (including child care assistance) and imposes sanctions for noncompliance
• MFIP is funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and by state appropriations
• The legislature sets benefit levels, which include cash and food assistance portions. Benefits vary by family size; a family with one adult and one child receives up to $764 per month. The food portion is adjusted as needed to reflect cost-of-living adjustments in the federal Food Support program

FY 2011 Income Assistance Projections for MFIP, GRH, GA, MSA

Related links:

• House Research publication Minnesota Family Assistance Guide (PDF)
• Legislative Reference Library Links to the World: Welfare

Originally published January 2011. The fiscal year 2011 projections are from the Department of Human Services, November 2010 forecasts of family self-sufficiency and medical programs. Other data are from DHS, MDE, MHFA, and other sources.