News, Events & Education

Free Meals for Kids Mobile App

June 17, 2020

Free Meals for Kids app helps families and kids locate free healthy meals across Minnesota during the pandemic. Let’s work together to ensure hungry kids don’t miss a meal during the summer. The app is powered by GPS and shows locations of schools and other sites that are providing meals and meal packs, with days and hours for distribution. It also shows the distance and directions to the nearest site from your location. The app is updated daily. The app was created in partnership between Hunger Impact Partners and MDE. If you would like to list your site, or make corrections to what is currently listed please contact lkraft@hungerimpactpartners.org.

Food Benefits for Families

June 16, 2020

On May 28, 2020, Minnesota was approved to offer food benefits to families whose children were between the ages of 5 and 18 on September 1, 2019 and received free or reduced-price meals during the 2019-20 school year. This program can provide $325 per child in additional funds to help pay for groceries. These funds are available regardless of whether your family is enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP).  
If a child in your home was receiving free or reduced-prices meals when schools closed in March, your family is eligible for this important benefit. If your child was not receiving free or reduced-price meals, but was part of your family’s SNAP or MFIP case, you are also eligible for this benefit. To access these benefits, please see the instructions that match your specific situation below.
If your family was receiving SNAP or MFIP benefits on March 18, 2020: You are eligible for these benefits, and $325 per child will be added to your EBT card balance. You do not need to apply for these benefits or take any additional action, as this benefit is automatic.
If your family received free or reduced-price meals during the past school year and does not receive SNAP or MFIP: You will need to complete an application for benefits at the following website: www.mn.p-ebt.org. When you are approved, you will receive your card in the mail, and you can use it to purchase groceries at any EBT-approved grocery stores. You will receive $325 per child, which will be preloaded onto the card. If you do not complete the short application before June 30, 2020, you will not receive these benefits.
These benefits are intended to replace the benefits your child would have received if they had been able to attend school through June. These benefits are available even if your child continued to receive meals through your school. By signing up for these benefits, you will not be enrolling in SNAP, MFIP, free or reduced-price meals or any other program. 
If you have questions about requesting or using these benefits, please contact the P-EBT Hotline at 651-431-4050 or 800-657-3698.  
If your family is struggling to afford healthy food to eat, please contact your local county or tribal human services agency, apply for additional benefits at ApplyMN.dhs.mn.gov, or contact the Minnesota Food HelpLine at 651-486-9860 or 888-711-1151.  

Capernaum Resumes In-Person Appointments at Our Richfield Clinic

June 9, 2020

Capernaum has been providing teletherapy visits for the past few months, and we have seen success with this mode of service delivery for many children. However, we are excited to announce that we have begun in-person visits again at our clinic in Richfield. In addition to staff wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment, we have expanded our cleaning and disinfecting procedures, added screening for staff and clients, and modified our schedule so that a limited number of people are in the clinic at one time. Families have expressed that they feel safe with the measures in place and are excited to be back in the clinic. If you need speech or feeding services, do not hesitate to contact us!

Face-to-Face Services Begin at AOWL

June 8, 2020

Capernaum will begin face-to-face services at Academy of Whole Learning the week of June 8, 2020 and begin limited home services the end of June. We will continue with teletherapy as long as we are able to have that option for families where it is working well.

Tube Optimization Program

February 5, 2020

We at Capernaum are excited to provide you with an update on our Tube Optimization Program. The program has been up and running now for the past seven months, and we have had the pleasure of serving a total of seven amazing families who have participated in the program!

Each eligible child who participates in Capernaum’s Tube Optimization Program is provided with an individualized weaning plan to best meet their nutrition needs in the transition from tube to oral feeding. Out of the seven patients we have served here at Capernaum, the average pace of weaning has been a 10% decrease in tube feeds every 1-7 days. We have seen great success weaning from formula and/or fluids with complete tube weaning completed in an average of 1-3 months.

When it comes to weaning a child from their feeding tube, many parents and providers are concerned with the risk of weight loss that potentially could occur during the weaning phase. For many months or even years, families with children on a feeding tube work very hard to ensure their child is getting the exact number of milliliters per day to get the exact number of calories to meet their nutrition goals. Our program encourages a shift in mindset for families, as they go from counting milliliters and calories to letting their child’s natural eating instinct take charge. It can be scary for many; however, based on our participants, the average weight loss from the start of the weaning phase to the completion of the program has been a -0.46-pound weight loss (an average of 4% weight loss from the child’s baseline). We have had two kiddos actually gain weight with their wean!

It has been an incredible journey to see the transformation of each child as we decrease their tube feeds. We have had the wonderful privilege to witness the children’s love for food and eating come alive as they develop increases in hunger and thirst cues and experience joy with meal and snack times!

The Tube Optimization Program is accepting new patients at this time. Interested families may contact the main office for more information and details at (952) 285-2840.

Meeting MN State Mandates

November 9, 2019

Capernaum is doing our part to help meet MN State legislation mandates to deliver higher quality and lower cost health care through innovative approaches to care and payment. As part of the Minnesota model, the MN Dept. of Health (MDH) and Dept. of Human Services (DHS) hope to form more Integrated Health Partnerships.
 
Our goal is to provide quality patient care for our children and their families. We are helping by partnering with local health care delivery systems to facilitate improved coordination of care, communication, and collaboration with your child’s providers. One part of this strategy is remote access to EHR. We have established business agreements with Fairview Health Systems, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Hennepin Health, and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.
 
Capernaum seeks to engage with community partners as an integral part of a holistic approach to your child’s care and do our best to collaborate with all. We provide therapy services at many community sites: schools, center-based and in-home daycares, therapeutic preschools, and Head Start. We truly do serve children where they live, learn, and play! 

Equipment Assistance

October 24, 2019

Capernaum has identified a need in the community for assistance with upgrading/ordering medical equipment.

Ordering equipment, such as standers, wheelchairs, or walkers, requires a letter of medical necessity, often written by a physical therapist. If a child is not presently seeing a physical therapist, it is difficult to get the letter written. Capernaum’s physical therapist, Joni Vanselow, PT, has a passion to assist children and their families in procuring the right equipment in an expedient and professional manner. A process has been developed to help children and families obtain needed equipment.

If you are in need of such assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the front office at 952-285-2840, and let them know you want to participate in our Equipment Assistance program.