Minn-LInk

Minn-LInK uses multiple sources of administrative data to answer questions about the impacts of systems and policies on Minnesota's children.

The Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) Minn-LInK project uses state administrative data from multiple agencies to answer questions about the impacts of policies, programs, and practice on the well being of children in Minnesota. Minn-LInK is intended to produce reports that have implications for practice, policy, or both, and build upon the work of other state agencies and university researchers. The project is also a research support for faculty and students of the School of Social Work. State agencies that provide data work in partnership with the Center to discuss and address child welfare policy questions.

Have a research Question? Share it with us!

Minn-LInK always wants to know what child welfare and child and family well-being research issues are important to the agencies that serve families. Minn-LInK studies involve collaboration with local and state agencies to answer questions that have policy and practice implications. The project conducts a limited number of free or low-cost studies each year as part of the University and College of Education and Human Development commitments to collaboration and community engagement. For examples of our recent studies, please see the links at the right.

Please send your questions or project ideas to Anita Larson, at amlarson@umn.edu

Publications
Click here for a listing of Minn-LInK Briefs and Publications

Current Work

Homeless and Highly Mobile Students
An increasing number of American school-age children lack fixed, permanent housing which negatively affects their school engagement and ultimately can jeopardize long-term school success. This report describes one attempt at using statewide administrative data from child welfare and education systems in one Midwestern state to form a broader picture of how homeless and highly mobile students are faring. Read the report on homeless and highly mobile students

Children in Treatment Foster Care
This exploratory study matched a set of data from a treatment foster care population served in one Midwestern state during one calendar year with statewide data from public schools and child welfare agencies to create a broader picture of how these children were faring. Read the study report

Part C Study
An exploration of the special education use patterns of children who received Part C early intervention in preschool years. Part C serves developmentally disabled infants and toddlers and is intended to prevent or reduce the need for special education services later on. Read Part C Study reports.

Minn-LInK Users

PhD students for practicum projects and dissertations
Faculty needing statistics for grant applications and research
CASCW studies and curriculum development

Student and Faculty Users
Depending on the nature of the research, students and faculty may be able to perform their own statistical analyses of prepared data sets. (Students and faculty may not have direct access to full Minn-LInK datasets.) Prepared data sets may be used for research on site at the CASCW and within the guidelines set by the Center's data sharing agreement statement.

Data and Variable Descriptions
Each state administrative data set has an accompanying data dictionary that summarizes the names of the variables and field descriptions from the originating child welfare or public program system. Whenever possible, information about who enters the data, and when data is collected is gathered to assist in the fullest understanding of the accuracy and quality of the data. Not all data fields from the public systems are available in Minn-LInK data sets. For a review of the variables contained in the projects state administrative datasets, contact the Minn-LInK Coordinator, Anita Larson, at 612-625-8169 or by email at amlarson@umn.edu.

(Example chronology for incorporating CASCW Minn-LInK data into the University research approval process.)

Process for Use
Use of CASCW Minn-LInK data will add steps to the research development and implementation processes. Highlighted stages of the example process below represent likely additional steps needed when utilizing CASCW Minn-LInK data for research.

Contributing Agencies and Datasets, as of May, 2005

Minnesota Department of Health
Birth vital statistics for all children in Minnesota for calendar years 1985-1988 and 2003. Data contains variables on birth outcomes, prenatal care, parental education status, and marital status.

Minnesota Department of Education
Student test and attendance data containing demographic variables, gifted/talented status, grade-level test scores, graduation rates, attendance, and expulsions and supervisions for academic years 2001-2003. An academic year runs from September through June, so academic year 2001 covers enrollment between September, 2000 through June, 2001.

Department of Human Services
Child protection maltreatment data from Social Service Infromation System (SSIS) containing demographic variables, maltreatment data, investigation information, and placement information for the continuous time perioud of January, 2000 through July, 2003.

Department of Human Services
County-level social services financing data that includes BRASS code financing, allocation and unallocated costs, service unit data, and funding sources. Files are public use but agency contact would like to be notified of use.

Researcher Access to Data
Data sets may be prepared for researchers for their own analysis. Researchers may not have access to full statewide datasets. Prepared data sets may not leave the CASCW and analysis completed by researchers must be done on site. Arrangements can be made with the Center's Minn-LInK Coordinator for computer use time and access to datasets. Researchers will be asked to sign a User Agreement with the Center that also specifies these requirements of use.