This brief summarizes information collected during visits to Hennepin County (Minnesota's largest urban county) in 1999 and 2000 to document changes and progress since 1997. It updates a 1997 report that reviewed the benefits and services in the state and described the economic and political context shaping Minnesota's agenda for serving low-income families. The report begins by profiling the population, economic conditions, and political landscape in Minnesota during the second visit, then it describes Minnesota's social safety net for low income families. It reviews the service delivery structure in Minnesota, focusing on organizational and policy changes, budgets, and overall philosophy of support for low income families. It describes three key services in the state (income support and workforce development, child care assistance, and child welfare programs). The report concludes that Minnesota stands out in its provision of relatively generous program benefits to support its longstanding goal of reducing poverty and helping families become self-sufficient. Its expenditures for child care assistance increased dramatically over the years, though there are still long waiting lists for services. Child welfare cases have not increased following welfare reform. Remaining challenges include increasingly diverse caseloads and a severe housing shortage. (Contains 20 endnotes.) (SM)