CASCW at the Capitol

Week 7 at the Captiol

The House Children and Families Finance Committee approved its supplemental budget bill on April 18, sending the bill to the Ways and Means Committee. The bill appropriates $9 million dollars to begin revamping the Social Services Information System, $34.37 million dollars to fund early childhood education, and reduces the licensing burdens for child welfare and child care programs.

Week 6 at the Capitol

The House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee heard testimony regarding HF912, also known as the Layla Jackson Act. The bill requires social service agencies to make active efforts to prevent out-of-home placement and promote family reunification. The bill’s author, Rep. Agbaje testified, “We know that kids do better when they’re with their families.” The bill was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

Week 3 at the Capitol

Many organizations release annual legislative agendas based on particular advocacy work. For example, the National Association of Social Workers-MN (NASW) lists several broader priorities and specifically adopts the Institute to Transform Child Protection (ITCP) legislative agenda items related to improving child welfare practices. NASW-MN values and supports implementing child welfare policies that prioritize permanency options with parents or other family members. ITCP defines this priority by allowing counties to implement a community-based response to educational neglect cases and supporting relatives seeking custody with prior termination of parental rights on record by reducing the twenty-year ban to five years.

2024 Legislative Session Preview

Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session began February 12. The shorter length of this year’s session as compared to last year, paired with this session’s “policy and bonding” designation, forecasts less spending and more focus on policy issues. As we continue into the season, stay tuned for CACSW’s legislative updates, and see the end of this update for upcoming events. Read more about the upcoming 2024 session.

A Look Back at the 2023 Legislative Session

The 2023 legislative session brought major changes to the child welfare system in Minnesota, including the establishment of a new state agency, greater investments in children and families, and changes to regulations and licensing.

Changes included:

Creation of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Investing in Tribal Child Welfare
Funding for Early Childhood and Community Resources Centers
Child Maltreatment Reporting and Screening
Family First Prevention Services Act
Research and Planning for Child Welfare Investments

Read details from the 2023 Legislative Session

Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare

Contact

Website issues?

CASCW at the Capitol

Contact

Connect With Us

Website issues?