Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act modification

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)
deleted text begin
Each responsible social services agency
deleted text end
new text begin
The commissioner
new text end

shall conduct a review of all child welfare cases for African American and other

disproportionately represented children handled by
deleted text begin
the agency. Each responsible social

services agency
deleted text end
new text begin
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
new text end
shall create a summary report of trends identified under paragraphs (b) and

(c), a
new text begin
summary of
new text end
remediation
deleted text begin
plan
deleted text end
new text begin
plans developed
new text end
as provided in paragraph (d), and an

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

provide the
new text end
first report
deleted text begin
shall be provided
deleted text end
to the African American Child Well-Being Advisory

Council, the
deleted text begin
commissioner
deleted text end
new text begin
responsible social services agencies
new text end
, and the chairs and ranking

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

October 1,
deleted text begin
2029
deleted text end
new text begin
2031
new text end
, and annually thereafter.
deleted text begin
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.
deleted text end

(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)
new text begin
For
new text end
any responsible social services agency
deleted text begin
that has
deleted text end
new text begin
the commissioner identifies in
new text end
a

case review
new text begin
as
new text end
showing disproportionality and disparities in child welfare outcomes for

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

families
deleted text begin
,
deleted text end
compared to the agency's overall outcomes,
new text begin
the commissioner
new text end
must
deleted text begin
include in

their case review summary report
deleted text end
new text begin
develop
new text end
a remediation plan
new text begin
with the agency
new text end
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.
new text begin
APPROPRIATION; COUNTY IMPLEMENTATION OF MINNESOTA

AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY PRESERVATION AND CHILD WELFARE

DISPROPORTIONALITY ACT.
new text end

new text begin

$....... 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.

new text end