MN's Department of Human Services is like an octopus. Here's why.

With child care reimbursement fraud in the news this legislative session, it's helpful to understand the scale and responsibilities of the state's Department of Human Services (DHS), which distributes the funds and accounts for 42 percent of Minnesota's overall budget. With tentacles that reach into just about every other element of the state's budget, the octopus-like nature of the DHS - what is does and what it doesn't do - can be tricky to understand.

Stay tuned to Almanac’s ongoing coverage of local politics and policy issues by checking out additional public-affairs stories.

Almanac airs on Friday evenings on TPT2 at 7 pm and repeats on Sundays at 9:30 am.

Almanac at the Capitol airs on Wednesday evenings on TPT MN at 7 pm and on TPT2 at 10 pm. Check out the full schedule.