The Welfare Board is composed of five county commissioners and two private citizens appointed by the Commissioner of Human Services, and that at least one of the appointed citizens be a women. The Social Service Center of Goodhue County, the Goodhue County Welfare Department, and the Goodhue County Office of Child Support are three units of County Government sharing the same administrative board, the same administrator, and the same accounting department. The Goodhue County Welfare Department helps persons in need to apply for financial assistance. The staff is well trained regarding the laws and rules of the programs, the details involved, the verifications needed in processing an application, and the proper implementation of the many mandated changes. Applications are taken for Medical Assistance, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Emergency Assistance to Families with Children, Minnesota Supplemental Aid, General Assistance, General Assistance Medical Care, and Food Stamps.
Eligibility is determined according to program requirements and verified information.
A recommendation is then presented for Welfare Board action. All active cases must be reviewed at specified intervals according to the governing program, and redetermination of eligibility including mandatory verifications is made. As the name implies, the Social Service Center of Goodhue County provides services to people. The services address social, individual, and family problems. The Office of Child Support is responsible for establishing and enforcing court orders for child support and establishing paternity for children born out of wedlock.