This extensive class action lawsuit settlement between Hennepin County and A Better Childhood is worth reading. If your time is limited, this summary captures key agreements.
The settlement has too many remedies to cover here, but some highlights are:
-
New foster care protocols and standards
-
Additional services for foster care case plans
-
Oversight committees to ensure compliance
-
Initiatives to maintain parent-child relationships during placements
-
Shelter care reforms
These structural changes will take awhile to evaluate, but other provisions should have an immediate impact.
For example, cases that are reported twice within a year must be screened in and offered services, so multiple allegations of maltreatment will start showing up in the statistics. And, if parents refuse needed services their case will go to the County Attorney for possible court action.