Bill Text: MN SF2338 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Child well-being plan establishment; annual child maltreatment report requirements modifications
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-08 - Referred to Health and Human Services [SF2338 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-SF2338-Introduced.html
1.2relating to children; requiring a plan to improve child well-being; modifying
1.3requirements of the annual child maltreatment report; amending Minnesota
1.4Statutes 2010, section 257.0725.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. CHILD WELL-BEING.
1.7 Subdivision. 1. Legislative findings. Research has determined that children who are
1.8alleged to be maltreated are among those most at risk of experiencing substantial delays
1.9in their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development with negative long-term
1.10consequences for their health, economic, and social well-being in adulthood. Early
1.11intervention and other services, as well as improved family well-being, can significantly
1.12improve outcomes for these children. To ensure children obtain effective services to
1.13improve their well-being in childhood and adulthood, the legislature finds that better
1.14information is needed to plan, monitor, and assess efforts at both the child and family level
1.15and at the state, county, and tribal level.
1.16 Subd. 2. Instruction to the commissioners; report. (a) The commissioners
1.17of human services, education, health, and corrections shall submit a joint report to
1.18the governor and the legislature by March 15, 2012, on a plan to improve children's
1.19well-being in the child welfare system by enhancing information used for planning and
1.20evaluation at the individual child level and at the state, county, and tribal levels. The report
1.21shall address well-being information for children for whom a report of maltreatment
1.22was accepted, including both family assessment and traditional investigation referrals,
1.23regardless of whether the maltreatment allegation was substantiated. In preparing their
1.24recommendations, the commissioners must consult with representatives of the judicial
2.1system, county child protection caseworkers, children's advocates, and researchers with
2.2experience using multiple data sources to examine child well-being outcomes. The report
2.3shall address issues of feasibility and cost, including training and systems changes that can
2.4be accomplished within existing resources.
2.5(b) The report must address individual child well-being. The report must include
2.6recommendations to improve data sharing between the agencies and to improve the quality
2.7and quantity of information used in child welfare investigation and family assessments,
2.8case planning, and service planning and provided to the courts for permanency and other
2.9child placement decisions. The report must recommend information system components
2.10that ensure appropriate screenings and examinations have occurred and, if indicated,
2.11referrals for additional assessment and services. The system must also indicate whether
2.12children are receiving recommended services, and the outcomes of any services. This
2.13includes, but is not limited to, physical and mental health, education, including early
2.14intervention and early education services, and services provided to families to address
2.15their child's well-being.
2.16(c) The report must address aggregated well-being information. The report must
2.17include recommendations on ways to improve state, county, and tribal level information
2.18on child well-being and monitor performance toward achieving positive outcomes for
2.19children and families including, but not limited to, those required in the federal Child and
2.20Family Services Review:
2.21(1) the proportion of children reported for maltreatment who have received
2.22appropriate developmental screenings are enrolled in and receiving early intervention
2.23services or other early childhood programs, children's mental health services, child care,
2.24or other services intended to improve their readiness for school;
2.25(2) indicators of educational achievement including school attendance, proportion
2.26meeting or exceeding standards in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests, and
2.27the proportion graduating from high school on time and the proportion graduating but not
2.28on time;
2.29(3) results by race, geography, and other demographic information necessary to
2.30determine if services and child outcomes vary according to race, geography, or other
2.31issues not specific to individual children;
2.32(4) results by response category;
2.33(5) ways to efficiently aggregate information collected at the case level for state
2.34reports and incorporate into state budget documents and other state planning efforts;
2.35(6) issues in staff training, data privacy, and systems planning necessary to coordinate
2.36and link data across state agencies to provide information required in this section; and
3.1(7) other data that may be necessary to determine and improve the well-being of
3.2children involved in child welfare.
3.3 Subd. 3. Annual report on child well-being. Beginning January 1, 2013, the
3.4commissioner of human services shall issue a biennial report to the governor and the
3.5legislature containing the aggregated well-being data listed in subdivision 2, paragraph
3.6(c). The commissioner shall post the report on the department's website.
3.7 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 257.0725, is amended to read:
3.8257.0725 ANNUAL REPORT.
3.9The commissioner of human services shall publish an annual report on child
3.10maltreatment and on children in out-of-home placement. The commissioner shall confer
3.11with counties, child welfare organizations, child advocacy organizations, the courts, and
3.12other groups on how to improve the content and utility of the department's annual report.
3.13In regard to child maltreatment, the report shall include the total number of calls or
3.14reports of alleged child maltreatment made to county child protection offices, the number
3.15and kinds of maltreatment reports received, and any other data that the commissioner
3.16determines is appropriate to include in a report on child maltreatment. In regard to children
3.17in out-of-home placement, the report shall include, by county and statewide, information
3.18on legal status, living arrangement, age, sex, race, accumulated length of time in
3.19placement, reason for most recent placement, race of family with whom placed, and other
3.20information deemed appropriate on all children in out-of-home placement. Out-of-home
3.21placement includes placement in any facility by an authorized child-placing agency.
1.3requirements of the annual child maltreatment report; amending Minnesota
1.4Statutes 2010, section 257.0725.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. CHILD WELL-BEING.
1.7 Subdivision. 1. Legislative findings. Research has determined that children who are
1.8alleged to be maltreated are among those most at risk of experiencing substantial delays
1.9in their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development with negative long-term
1.10consequences for their health, economic, and social well-being in adulthood. Early
1.11intervention and other services, as well as improved family well-being, can significantly
1.12improve outcomes for these children. To ensure children obtain effective services to
1.13improve their well-being in childhood and adulthood, the legislature finds that better
1.14information is needed to plan, monitor, and assess efforts at both the child and family level
1.15and at the state, county, and tribal level.
1.16 Subd. 2. Instruction to the commissioners; report. (a) The commissioners
1.17of human services, education, health, and corrections shall submit a joint report to
1.18the governor and the legislature by March 15, 2012, on a plan to improve children's
1.19well-being in the child welfare system by enhancing information used for planning and
1.20evaluation at the individual child level and at the state, county, and tribal levels. The report
1.21shall address well-being information for children for whom a report of maltreatment
1.22was accepted, including both family assessment and traditional investigation referrals,
1.23regardless of whether the maltreatment allegation was substantiated. In preparing their
1.24recommendations, the commissioners must consult with representatives of the judicial
2.1system, county child protection caseworkers, children's advocates, and researchers with
2.2experience using multiple data sources to examine child well-being outcomes. The report
2.3shall address issues of feasibility and cost, including training and systems changes that can
2.4be accomplished within existing resources.
2.5(b) The report must address individual child well-being. The report must include
2.6recommendations to improve data sharing between the agencies and to improve the quality
2.7and quantity of information used in child welfare investigation and family assessments,
2.8case planning, and service planning and provided to the courts for permanency and other
2.9child placement decisions. The report must recommend information system components
2.10that ensure appropriate screenings and examinations have occurred and, if indicated,
2.11referrals for additional assessment and services. The system must also indicate whether
2.12children are receiving recommended services, and the outcomes of any services. This
2.13includes, but is not limited to, physical and mental health, education, including early
2.14intervention and early education services, and services provided to families to address
2.15their child's well-being.
2.16(c) The report must address aggregated well-being information. The report must
2.17include recommendations on ways to improve state, county, and tribal level information
2.18on child well-being and monitor performance toward achieving positive outcomes for
2.19children and families including, but not limited to, those required in the federal Child and
2.20Family Services Review:
2.21(1) the proportion of children reported for maltreatment who have received
2.22appropriate developmental screenings are enrolled in and receiving early intervention
2.23services or other early childhood programs, children's mental health services, child care,
2.24or other services intended to improve their readiness for school;
2.25(2) indicators of educational achievement including school attendance, proportion
2.26meeting or exceeding standards in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests, and
2.27the proportion graduating from high school on time and the proportion graduating but not
2.28on time;
2.29(3) results by race, geography, and other demographic information necessary to
2.30determine if services and child outcomes vary according to race, geography, or other
2.31issues not specific to individual children;
2.32(4) results by response category;
2.33(5) ways to efficiently aggregate information collected at the case level for state
2.34reports and incorporate into state budget documents and other state planning efforts;
2.35(6) issues in staff training, data privacy, and systems planning necessary to coordinate
2.36and link data across state agencies to provide information required in this section; and
3.1(7) other data that may be necessary to determine and improve the well-being of
3.2children involved in child welfare.
3.3 Subd. 3. Annual report on child well-being. Beginning January 1, 2013, the
3.4commissioner of human services shall issue a biennial report to the governor and the
3.5legislature containing the aggregated well-being data listed in subdivision 2, paragraph
3.6(c). The commissioner shall post the report on the department's website.
3.7 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 257.0725, is amended to read:
3.8257.0725 ANNUAL REPORT.
3.9The commissioner of human services shall publish an annual report on child
3.10maltreatment and on children in out-of-home placement. The commissioner shall confer
3.11with counties, child welfare organizations, child advocacy organizations, the courts, and
3.12other groups on how to improve the content and utility of the department's annual report.
3.13In regard to child maltreatment, the report shall include the total number of calls or
3.14reports of alleged child maltreatment made to county child protection offices, the number
3.15and kinds of maltreatment reports received, and any other data that the commissioner
3.16determines is appropriate to include in a report on child maltreatment. In regard to children
3.17in out-of-home placement, the report shall include, by county and statewide, information
3.18on legal status, living arrangement, age, sex, race, accumulated length of time in
3.19placement, reason for most recent placement, race of family with whom placed, and other
3.20information deemed appropriate on all children in out-of-home placement. Out-of-home
3.21placement includes placement in any facility by an authorized child-placing agency.
