The second meeting of the Child Protection Task Force. Image Source: WDIO/’Northlanders Work To Improve MN Child Protective Services’
The Governor’s Task Force on the Protection of Children has been in effect for nearly one month. They have until December 31 of this year to report preliminary recommendations to the legislature and the governor—that’s only two months away. So far they have held two meetings.
First Meeting: Beginning the Process
The Child Protection (CPS) Task Force, co-chaired by Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Lucinda Jesson and Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter, first met on Monday, October 13. During this initial meeting, Governor Dayton expressed his concern about violence in Minnesota, its presence in child protection cases statewide, and the potential ability of the CPS Task Force to address the topic:
“…I think one thing you could do is to help the people out there saying, ‘How could you let this happen? How can this happen to anybody?’ Which it shouldn’t. Help them understand how it’s come to this situation today.” (Source: MPR)
Other members of the CPS Task Force brought up the now controversial law recently passed by the 2014 legislature that codified existing DHS guidelines that prohibit the use of past reports of alleged child maltreatment—regardless of the reports’ outcomes (i.e., screened in or screened out, substantiated or not)—during the screening/intake decision-making process. Several legislators have expressed consternation about this law, and according to MPR, Governor Dayton is advocating that the law be changed.
Another area of concern that was brought up is what happens once a report is received. Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz expressed concern over the lack of information we have regarding the number of reports received, the allegations made, and the outcomes of each report, whether screened in or screened out. CPS Task Force member Dr. Lisa Hollensteiner, an emergency room physician at Fairview Southdale Hospital, mentioned that Minnesota may want to consider developing a statewide screening hotline rather than having each county screen their own calls.
Second Meeting: Input From the Workforce and the Public
The Task Force’s most recent meeting was held on Tuesday, October 21. During this meeting, members of the public were able to testify before the panel. Front-line child protection social workers spoke about overwhelming caseload sizes and data entry requirements, both of which reduce the amount of time they are able to spend with families. They also discussed issues that arise when coordinating with other systems, such as law enforcement, who may not have similar priorities and/or timelines to closing cases.
More resources, more workers, and a more streamlined process were brought up by the workers as solutions to being able to work more effectively with children and families and reduce the amount of time spent filling out paperwork. One of the workers, David Vukelich, said:
“The important piece for us is we need help—resources.” (Source: Duluth News Tribune)
Vukelich also asked if a front-line worker would be represented on the task force; currently there isn’t one.
Access to more resources, including more workers, could also help workers intervene earlier and perhaps take a preventive approach. Stacey Achterhoff, a teacher (and mandated reporter) in Duluth, said that she’d like to see reports of excessive school absences to be given greater priority within the child protection system:
“Missing school should be treated as an opportunity to work with families before mental health, addiction or other barriers become so great that services offered aren’t adequate.” (Source: WDIO)
She stated that workers have told her that their ability to adequately address cases of educational neglect are impeded by large caseload sizes.
In order to meet the end-of-year deadline for turning in preliminary legislative recommendations, the task force announced at this meeting that they will be breaking up into 3 workgroups to address specific areas. According to the Star Tribune, these workgroups will look at:
- Screening practices and transparency
- Resource allocation and Family Assessment
- Training and supervision of child protection workers
The subgroups’ recommendations must be received by the main Task Force by December 5.
Next Task Force Meeting: November 5
The next Task Force meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 5, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM in Room 5 of the State Office Building, located at 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55155. The meeting is public.
As always, we’d love to hear from you. What legislative and/or systemic changes would you propose to the Task Force? Leave a comment below with your thoughts. (Please note: This is purely for discussion—any comments posted here will not be forwarded to the Task Force. If you are interested in submitting comments to the Task Force, please visit their webpage. They have an option for sending public comments.)
Laws for foster parents rights in mn. Need to change. We are the voice of these children and often times we are not able to advocate for the children in our care without retaliation from the system.