We’re breathing a sigh of relief this week! That’s because more laws will soon go into effect to protect Minnesota children from harm.
Following the recent Star Tribune series “In Harm’s Way,” legislators began paying closer attention to flaws in our state’s child protection system. Among other problems, the articles revealed major inconsistencies in how child maltreatment reports and mortalities are handled from county to county.
As a result, legislators paid more attention to these and other issues. Here are some of the biggest changes that will soon become law:
New Council on Child Protection and Maltreatment
The chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court has been tasked with creating a council of experts from a wide range of backgrounds to “develop a comprehensive blueprint for improvement that addresses all aspects of the child protection system, including prevention and early intervention.”
Safe Passage was directly involved in this effort. In our opinion, this was our biggest accomplishment. Now we’ll be working to ensure those appointed to the committee prioritize child safety over other concerns.
A final report is due Jan. 15, 2026.
Fewer Barriers to Reporting Maltreatment
Authored by Rep. Jim Nash, a child abuse survivor himself, this law will prohibit schools and organizations from preventing or discouraging mandated reporters from making reports of suspected maltreatment. In fact, intentionally preventing a person from making a report would result in a misdemeanor.
Closer Reviews of Child Deaths and Serious Injuries
Each county will now be tasked with creating a child mortality review team. When a county determines that maltreatment contributed to a death or critical injury, it must now flag the state panel within a few days. A child abuse pediatrician who works closely with Safe Passage will be on the state review team.
Additional Investments in Caseworker Software
This year lawmakers agreed on the need to upgrade SSIS, the system that child protection workers use to track cases, in order to free up more time for them to spend with families. Although only $10 million was earmarked this year, additional funding is expected in the future as the full cost is closer to $100 million.
Consideration of a statewide maltreatment reporting system
Minnesota is one of nine states with a county-administered child protection system, overseen by the state. This study will examine whether the system should be centralized at the state level to reduce inconsistencies. A final report from the Department of Children, Youth and Families is due June 1, 2025.
Overall, the 2024 legislative session was a victory for kids!
Safe Passage attributes this success to a collective effort to communicate with lawmakers and educate them on the issues. Many of you made valuable contributions by showing up to our Day at the Capitol or sending letters to legislators.
Thank you for your ongoing concern and support!
To learn more about these bills, check out the provisions contained in the Education Finance omnibus bill and the Judiciary and Public Safety Omnibus bill.