You've come to the right place to learn more about the Families First Project and how to use this site to begin to transform Minnesota into the best state for families.

Click on the plus of each step below to familiarize yourself with the Families First Project and the tools that this site provides you to get started.

  • Learn about the economic challenges that are confronting parents and aspiring parents.

    Use these materials to get up to speed on the interplay between public policy, family finances, and family formation.

    • Family Testimonials: A library of video testimonials from Minnesota parents who have shared their lived experiences and perspectives on how public policy impacts family finances
    • Articles: A curated collection of news articles and op-ed pieces related to family economics
    • Fast Facts: A collection of talking points and fast facts related to family economics that you can share in conversation or on your social media
    • News from the Legislature: A direct link to Minnesota House of Representatives official site where you can find out what's going on at the Capitol

  • Share your knowledge, insights, and thoughts with friends, family, and fellow parishioners.

    Think about the young adults, couples, and families in your community that you could talk to about family economics.

    Start a conversation with them about what their economic needs are for their family to flourish or to start a family.

    In the next step, you'll look at possible solutions to help meet those economic needs.

  • Explore Solutions

    Our “Policy Proposals” tab was created to provide you with a menu of ideas for potential legislation that would directly address the economic hurdles affecting family formation and family thriving.

    Explore each proposal. Do any resonate with you?

  • Take Action

    The perspective and living witness of families will be a critical part of transforming policy proposals into laws that impact the daily lives of families. Can you think of any young adults, couples, and families in your community that would benefit if one or more of the policy proposals were passed into law?

    If so, it's time to act! 

    Create a team of citizen advocates by letting families know about the policy proposal (or proposals) that you really like and inviting them to join you in the effort to put families first in Minnesota.

    “Take Action” was created to be your one-stop shop for everything you need to advocate for policies that would remove barriers to family formation and support family economic security (thriving) in Minnesota. Use the resources on the Take Action page to

    1. Find out who represents you in the legislature.
    2. Schedule a meeting with your legislators.
    3. Ask your legislators to champion the policy proposals that you and your fellow citizen advocates want to see enacted into law.