Children's Check-up Series Check-Up 2: Vaccinations and the Challenges Confronting Minnesota Children takes a deeper look into children’s vaccination trends in Minnesota children. Get the report: Check-Up 2 Get the report: Check-Up 1 (PDF)

Community Benefit Report In order to best provide and advocate for the most vulnerable in our community, pediatric hospitals like Children’s are obligated to actively engage with the community at large. Get the Report (PDF)

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The Office of Child Health Advocacy and Policy supports the advocacy goals of Children’s. Each year, Children’s works to positively influence federal, state, and local public policy decisions related to children’s health and well-being. We work with departments throughout Children’s, patients and their families, health care professionals, community groups, and government officials. We are nonpartisan and proudly serve as child health experts and as a resource for our elected officials. We work for children!

Legislative Advocacy

One of the most effective ways to help protect the health and safety of children is to advocate on their behalf.

Legislative advocacy is speaking up for another or championing a cause, in order to change public policy. As citizens, we have the ability to change, keep, and make laws. Together, we can do this by voicing our concerns to public officials.
Get e-mail alerts to issues that need your voice; join the Children's Adocacy Network

Overview of State and Federal Government

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Have a Policy Idea?

The Office of Child Health Policy encourages you to share your legislative ideas and projects. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children.
Submit an idea

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Elected officials visit Children's

In June 2011, U.S. Sen Al Franken visited Children's - Minneapolis on Saturday to tour the hospital and meet with patients and care givers about issues related to Medicaid and medical education. Franken met with a Children's resident to discuss the importance of Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education funding (CHGME). CHGME is critical to help fund educational residents at Children's. Franken received a tour of Children's new Cardiovascular Center.After the tour, he sat down with doctors and a parent who discussed the critical need for Medicaid funding to help families who are facing serious medical conditions. Medicaid is the single largest insurer of children, and accounts for 44 percent of revenue at Children's. It pays providers around 80 percent of the cost of care, meaning Children's loses millions every year taking care of patients who rely on Medicaid. Still, Children's executives stressed their commitment to serving all patients with the best possible care regardless of insurance status. See more photos from Franken's visit.

In June 2011, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, spoke at Children's - Minneapolis, highlighting the need for urgent action to address a growing shortage of vital medications, especially drugs for treating cancer. Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska and a Minnesota family also spoke about the drug shortages. See more photos from Klobuchar's visit.




In September 2010, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum visited Children's St. Paul campus to discuss legislative issues. She and her staff joined Alan Goldbloom, MD, Children's president and CEO, Clark Smith, MD, Children's chief of pediatrics, and Tom McGough Jr., president of McGough Construction, for a tour of the campus work site. They saw the transformation the hospital is taking, including the space that will become new operating rooms. McCollum and her staff also joined Goldbloom for a conversation about federal legislative issues, health care reform implementation and the financial challenges facing Children's as a result of state budget cuts.See more photos from McCollum's visit.



U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen visited Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in August 2010. Paulsen, along with staff member Katie Meyer, met with Alan Goldbloom, MD, Children's president and CEO. Paulsen constituent Veronica Stolz shared her personal experience at Children's. Stolz's daughter, Katie, now 19 month olds, was born at 17 oz. and was in the hospital for 99 days. As part of the visit, neonatologist Jeanne Mrozek, MD, and patient care manager Jo Crosby walked the group through the NICU. See more photos from Paulsen's visit.


Senator Al Franken visited Children’s of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus in Nov. 2009, to meet with Children’s President and CEO, Alan Goldbloom, MD, and tour the hospital. Senator Franken toured Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which was named one of the best NICU programs in the country by US News and World Report. He also walked through the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the newly opened Emergency Department, and spent considerable time speaking with Children's staff.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, held a news conference at Children's on March 8, 2009, to raise awareness of the sudden - and dramatic - increase in the cost of a drug commonly used to treat heart defects in premature infants. The drug has been used for more than 40 years. Children’s staff brought the inexplicable price increase to the attention of the Senator.

CEO and president Alan Goldbloom, MD, hosted U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison on a visit he made to Children’s in July. Rep. Ellison’s visit was part of an ongoing effort to ensure that our legislators are familiar with the work Children’s does, and are well-equipped to speak up on behalf of children and children’s hospitals on important legislative matters.

US. Rep. Michele Bachmann visited and toured Children’s on April 3. Bachmann spoke with Children's CEO and president Alan Goldbloom, MD, about the importance of Medicaid and about Children’s commitment to training the next generation of pediatric physicians.