Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act modified, and money appropriated.

A bill for an act

relating to children and families; modifying the Minnesota African American

Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act; appropriating

money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 260.68, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 260.68, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Case review.

(a)
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Each responsible social services agency
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The commissioner
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shall conduct a review of all child welfare cases for African American and other

disproportionately represented children handled by
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the agency. Each responsible social

services agency
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responsible social services agencies. Responsible social services agencies

must provide the commissioner with any information requested for the purposes of this

subdivision in a form and within a time frame prescribed by the commissioner. The

commissioner
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shall create a summary report of trends identified under paragraphs (b) and

(c), a
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summary of
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remediation
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plan
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plans developed
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as provided in paragraph (d), and an

update on implementation of any previous remediation plans. The
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commissioner shall

provide the
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first report
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shall be provided
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to the African American Child Well-Being Advisory

Council, the
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commissioner
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responsible social services agencies
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, and the chairs and ranking

minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over child welfare by

October 1,
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2029
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2031
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, and annually thereafter.
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For purposes of determining outcomes in

this subdivision, responsible social services agencies shall use guidance from the

commissioner. The commissioner shall provide guidance starting on November 1, 2028,

and annually thereafter.
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(b) The case review must include:

(1) the number of African American and disproportionately represented children

represented in the county child welfare system;

(2) the number and sources of maltreatment reports received and reports screened in for

investigation or referred for family assessment and the race of the children and parents or

custodians involved in each report;

(3) the number and race of children and parents or custodians who receive in-home

preventive case management services;

(4) the number and race of children whose parents or custodians are referred to

community-based, culturally appropriate, strength-based, or trauma-informed services;

(5) the number and race of children removed from their homes;

(6) the number and race of children reunified with their parents or custodians;

(7) the number and race of children whose parents or custodians are offered family group

decision-making services;

(8) the number and race of children whose parents or custodians are offered the parent

support outreach program;

(9) the number and race of children in foster care or out-of-home placement at the time

that the data is gathered;

(10) the number and race of children who achieve permanency through a transfer of

permanent legal and physical custody to a relative or an adoption; and

(11) the number and race of children who are under the guardianship of the commissioner

or awaiting a permanency disposition.

(c) The required case review must also:

(1) identify barriers to reunifying children with their families;

(2) identify the family conditions that led to the out-of-home placement;

(3) identify any barriers to accessing culturally informed mental health or substance use

disorder treatment services for the parents or children;

(4) document efforts to identify fathers and maternal and paternal relatives and to provide

services to custodial and noncustodial fathers, if appropriate; and

(5) document and summarize court reviews of active efforts.

(d)
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For
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any responsible social services agency
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that has
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the commissioner identifies in
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a

case review
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as
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showing disproportionality and disparities in child welfare outcomes for

African American and other disproportionately represented children and the children's

families
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,
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compared to the agency's overall outcomes,
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the commissioner
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must
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include in

their case review summary report
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develop
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a remediation plan
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with the agency
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with

measurable outcomes to identify, address, and reduce the factors that led to the

disproportionality and disparities in the agency's child welfare outcomes. The remediation

plan shall also include information about how the responsible social services agency will

achieve and document trauma-informed, positive child well-being outcomes through

remediation efforts.

Sec. 2.
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APPROPRIATION; COUNTY IMPLEMENTATION OF MINNESOTA

AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY PRESERVATION AND CHILD WELFARE

DISPROPORTIONALITY ACT.
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$....... in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of

children, youth, and families to distribute to responsible social services agencies for support

for staffing and service provision related to the implementation of the Minnesota African

American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act.

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