By Ariana King, Graduate Assistant at CASCWMIFPA Bill PASSEDOn March 16, 2023, MIFPA modifications included in bills SF667/HF1071 were presented to and approved by Governor Walz. Representative Keeler, herself an Indigenous community member, and Senator Kunesh, of Native descent, were key figures in the bill’s passage. Updates on Bill(s) HF1672/SF1638 Quality Parenting Initiative funding [...]
By Ariana King, Graduate Assistant This past week, several new bills related to child welfare were introduced in both the House and Senate. The MIFPA modifications bill continued to progress, was amended and passed for the third reading in the Senate on 2/27/2023. The next day, the House received the bill from the Senate. [...]
By Ariana King, Graduate Assistant Last November, the Supreme Court heard the case of Haaland v. Brackeen*, which challenges the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Long considered a gold standard in child welfare, ICWA prioritizes keeping Native children in out-of-home care with Native families first before looking to non-Native families for foster care or [...]
By Stacy Gehringer There are many, many bills related to children and families introduced and revisited at the Minnesota legislature during session. Hearings, testimony, debate, companion bills — it’s a lot to track! We have provided bill summaries and brief status updates below that are relevant to the child welfare workforce, as well as [...]
Compiled by Mariel Carlson, MSW, Graduate Assistant The legislative session has officially ended as of Monday, May 23 at midnight, according to the constitutional mandate. This means that legislation which was not passed by the House and Senate is not able to be passed unless the governor declares a special session. The governor may [...]
A glimpse into Minnesota’s CRP Process Written by Mariel Carlson, MSW, Graduate Assistant, In the process of preparing this blog, this writer consulted with a local child welfare worker. A Brief History Citizen Review Panels (CRPs) are committees composed of volunteer community members, established in each state for the purpose of keeping state members [...]
Foster Advocates photo credit: Senate Media Services At Foster Advocates, we empower our young people by lifting up their passion and expertise and building a Foster-led movement for meaningful systems change. Our network of Fosters* have been working hard this year to elevate three critical issues affecting Fosters in Minnesota. We can’t think [...]
Compiled by Mariel Carlson, Graduate Assistant Two weeks remain in this legislative session before adjournment on Monday, May 23. This means that the House and Senate must reconcile their party differences in order to pass omnibus bills. Currently, the House is led by the DFL and the Senate has a GOP majority. Governor Tim [...]