Since the beginning of the year, the safety of at least 30,000 children across Minnesota has been in question. That’s how many children have been screened into the child protection system since January. Although child protection plays an important role in keeping children safe, there’s always room for improvement.
Nearly 1 in 5 children have been the subject of more than one report within the past year.
Furthermore, nearly 1 in 5 children with “substantial child endangerment” concerns did not receive a visit from a caseworker within 24 hours, as required by law.
Most people agree that our child protection system needs to be improved. However, we’ve noticed a concerning shift toward policies and practices that favor the interests of parents and communities over the safety and best interests of children.
Child safety should always be the top priority.
As we gear up for the 2025 legislative session, here’s a brief overview of our top concerns – and where we’re planning to focus some of our efforts.
- Mandated reporter training/education
Mandated reporters make the vast majority of reports of maltreatment to local agencies. These people work in health care, law enforcement, mental health, social services, education and childcare. The current DHS-sponsored training spends far too much time encouraging mandated reporters to “PASS” before making a report. Mere seconds are spent on recognizing signs of physical abuse. We’re advocating for a complete overhaul of the training.
Additionally, in the wake of child abuse charges at a Blaine daycare center, we support the development of infographics and other materials that educate the public on warning signs. Bruises on infants, for example, should be considered suspicious.
- Child fatalities and near fatalities reporting
Information about child injuries and fatalities is not easily accessible. Most of the information we compiled for our own fatality reports came from the media. Child deaths are buried into the state’s annual maltreatment reports with few details about the circumstances surrounding their deaths. A new law is set to go into effect in late 2026, requiring the state to publish an annual summary of child fatalities. However, we would like to see more information about individual cases and will continue to advocate for greater transparency. - Allocation of state dollars toward child protection
In recent years, millions in state and federal funding have been left on the table. This money could have been put toward prevention services as well as case management. Last year a bill was introduced to conduct a fiscal analysis of the child welfare system in Minnesota, including an analysis of available funding sources for federal, state, county and tribal systems. However, it didn’t pass. We will be urging legislators to revisit this bill in 2025.
This is important work – but we can’t do it alone. You can partner with us to protect our state’s most vulnerable children. Consider becoming a regular donor or volunteering your time to help.