1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to children; requiring commissioner of human services to modify the Child 
1.3 	Welfare Training System; requiring a report; authorizing rulemaking; appropriating 
1.4 	money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 260C.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [260C.81] CHILD WELFARE WORKFORCE STABILITY STUDY.
1.7 	(a) The commissioner of human services shall partner with the University of Minnesota's 
1.8 	Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare to conduct a child welfare workforce stability 
1.9 	study. The first study must be completed by June 30, 2021, and the study must be repeated 
1.10 	biannually thereafter. The study must examine (1) workforce intent to remain in child 
1.11 	welfare, (2) statewide rates of turnover, and (3) barriers to retention.
1.12 	(b) The commissioner shall report the results of each child welfare workforce stability 
1.13 	study to the governor and to the committees in the house of representatives and senate with 
1.14 	jurisdiction over human services by December 1, 2021, and biannually thereafter.
1.15 	(c) After each child welfare workforce stability study is complete, the commissioner 
1.16 	shall work with the Child Welfare Training Academy, counties, tribes, and other stakeholders 
1.17 	to develop strategies to stabilize the workforce as appropriate.
1.18 	(d) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2021, and biannually thereafter from the general 
1.19 	fund to the commissioner of human services for the purposes of this section.

1.20 	Sec. 2. [260C.82] MINN-LINK STUDY.
1.21 	(a) The commissioner of human services shall partner with the University of Minnesota's 
1.22 	Minn-LInK statewide integrated administrative data project to conduct an annual study to 
2.1 	understand characteristics, experiences, and outcomes of children and families served by 
2.2 	the child welfare system. Minn-LInK researchers shall annually conduct research and provide 
2.3 	research briefs, reports, and consultation to the Child Welfare Training Academy to inform 
2.4 	the development and revision of training curriculum.
2.5 	(b) The commissioner shall report a summary of the research results to the governor and 
2.6 	to the committees in the house of representatives and senate with jurisdiction over human 
2.7 	services annually by December 15.
2.8 	(c) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2020, and annually thereafter from the general 
2.9 	fund to the commissioner of human services for the purpose of this section.

2.10 	Sec. 3. CHILD WELFARE TRAINING SYSTEM.
 2.11 		Subdivision 1.Modifications. (a) The commissioner of human services shall modify 
2.12 	the Child Welfare Training System developed pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.13 	626.5591, subdivision 2, as provided in this section. The new training framework shall be 
2.14 	known as the Child Welfare Training Academy.
2.15 	(b) The Child Welfare Training Academy shall be administered through five regional 
2.16 	hubs in northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast, and central Minnesota. Each hub shall 
2.17 	deliver training targeted to the needs of its particular region, taking into account varying 
2.18 	demographics, resources, and practice outcomes.
2.19 	(c) The Child Welfare Training Academy shall use training methods best suited to the 
2.20 	training content. National best practices in adult learning must be used to the greatest extent 
2.21 	possible, including online learning methodologies, coaching, mentoring, and simulated skill 
2.22 	application.
2.23 	(d) Content of training delivered by the Child Welfare Training Academy must be 
2.24 	informed using multidisciplinary approaches and must include the voices and expertise of 
2.25 	stakeholders, including but not limited to child welfare professionals, resource parents, 
2.26 	biological parents and caregivers, and community members. Content must be structured to 
2.27 	reflect the variety of communities served by child welfare and must recognize the racial 
2.28 	disparities and disproportionality that exist in the system. Content must also be informed 
2.29 	with attention to both child safety and the evidence-based understanding that maintaining 
2.30 	family relationships is key to child well-being.
2.31 	(e) Each child welfare worker and supervisor shall be required to complete a certification, 
2.32 	including a competency-based knowledge test and a skills demonstration, at the completion 
3.1 	of the worker's initial training and biannually thereafter. The commissioner shall develop 
3.2 	ongoing training requirements and a method for tracking certifications.
3.3 	(f) Each regional hub shall have a regional organizational effectiveness specialist trained 
3.4 	in continuous quality improvement strategies. The specialist shall provide organizational 
3.5 	change assistance to counties and tribes, with priority given to efforts intended to impact 
3.6 	child safety.
3.7 	(g) The Child Welfare Training Academy shall include training and resources that address 
3.8 	worker well-being and secondary traumatic stress.
3.9 	(h) The Child Welfare Training Academy shall serve the primary training audiences of 
3.10 	(1) county and tribal child welfare workers, (2) county and tribal child welfare supervisors, 
3.11 	and (3) staff at private agencies providing out-of-home placement services for children 
3.12 	involved in Minnesota's county and tribal child welfare system.
3.13 		Subd. 2.Partners. (a) The commissioner of human services shall enter into a partnership 
3.14 	with the University of Minnesota to collaborate in the administration of workforce training.
3.15 	(b) The commissioner of human services shall enter into a partnership with one or more 
3.16 	agencies to provide consultation, subject matter expertise, and capacity building in 
3.17 	organizational resilience and child welfare workforce well-being.

3.18 	Sec. 4. CHILD WELFARE CASELOAD STUDY.
 3.19 	(a) The commissioner of human services shall conduct a child welfare caseload study 
3.20 	to collect data on (1) the number of child welfare workers in Minnesota, and (2) the amount 
3.21 	of time that child welfare workers spend on different components of child welfare work. 
3.22 	The study must be completed by July 1, 2020.
3.23 	(b) The commissioner shall report the results of the child welfare caseload study to the 
3.24 	governor and to the committees in the house of representatives and senate with jurisdiction 
3.25 	over human services by December 1, 2020.
3.26 	(c) After the child welfare caseload study is complete, the commissioner shall work with 
3.27 	counties and other stakeholders to develop a process for ongoing monitoring of child welfare 
3.28 	workers' caseloads.

3.29 	Sec. 5. RULEMAKING.
 3.30 	The commissioner of human services may adopt rules as necessary to establish the Child 
3.31 	Welfare Training Academy.

4.1 	Sec. 6. APPROPRIATION.
 4.2 	(a) $....... in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
4.3 	of human services for the purposes of section 3. The base for this program is $....... in fiscal 
4.4 	year 2021 and $....... in fiscal year 2022.
4.5 	(b) $....... in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
4.6 	of human services for the purposes of section 4.