The Star Tribune recently published a 3-part series about the need to better protect Minnesota’s children from abuse and neglect. The article noted that a dozen children with a child protection history died from maltreatment in 2021 – the second-highest figure in at least a decade.
That’s about one child per month.
Just as disturbing is the rate of recurrence. The number of children suffering from repeat abuse is up 60 percent in Minnesota, which is twice the national average.
While the problem is multi-faceted, many people believe the state’s child protection system is skewed too much toward protecting abusers rather than the abused, including Kathleen Blatz, former chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.
“We’ve got this system now that I think has elevated family preservation and parents’ rights over children,” Blatz said. “And the child pays the price. … If we ever did to domestic abuse victims what we do to children, there would be such a huge outcry.”
We’re gearing up for the 2024 legislative session and planning to talk with legislators about the need for meaningful changes. And we’d love to have you join us in this work. Together, if we don’t advocate for these children, who will?