Last week the U of M’s Center for the Advanced Study of Child Welfare presented a proposal for a Child Welfare Training Academy to the Legislative Child Protection Task Force.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) will run the Academy, which is needed to stabilize Minnesota’s child welfare programs.
Other components of a well-functioning system that are also still needed include:
- Sufficient services available to implement case plans
- Manageable caseload sizes for child protection, foster care, County Attorneys, and guardians ad litem
The Academy will help DHS establish consistent casework practices statewide, and strengthen its mandate to provide program leadership.
With federal matching funds, the net cost to the state will ramp up from $2.7 million to $4.6 million over three years – a reasonable amount for this essential resource.