HF 1203

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 03/21/2011 09:19am

A bill for an act
relating to children; requiring a plan to improve child well-being; modifying
requirements of the annual child maltreatment report; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2010, section 257.0725.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin CHILD WELL-BEING.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision. 1. new text end

new text begin Legislative findings. new text end

new text begin Research has determined that children who are
alleged to be maltreated are among those most at risk of experiencing substantial delays
in their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development with negative long-term
consequences for their health, economic, and social well-being in adulthood. Early
intervention and other services, as well as improved family well-being, can significantly
improve outcomes for these children. To ensure children obtain effective services to
improve their well-being in childhood and adulthood, the legislature finds that better
information is needed to plan, monitor, and assess efforts at both the child and family level
and at the state, county, and tribal level.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Instruction to the commissioners; report. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioners
of human services, education, health, and corrections shall submit a joint report to
the governor and the legislature by March 15, 2012, on a plan to improve children's
well-being in the child welfare system by enhancing information used for planning and
evaluation at the individual child level and at the state, county, and tribal levels. The report
shall address well-being information for children for whom a report of maltreatment
was accepted, including both family assessment and traditional investigation referrals,
regardless of whether the maltreatment allegation was substantiated. In preparing their
recommendations, the commissioners must consult with representatives of the judicial
system, county child protection caseworkers, children's advocates, and researchers with
experience using multiple data sources to examine child well-being outcomes. The report
shall address issues of feasibility and cost, including training and systems changes that can
be accomplished within existing resources.
new text end

new text begin (b) The report must address individual child well-being. The report must include
recommendations to improve data sharing between the agencies and to improve the quality
and quantity of information used in child welfare investigation and family assessments,
case planning, and service planning and provided to the courts for permanency and other
child placement decisions. The report must recommend information system components
that ensure appropriate screenings and examinations have occurred and, if indicated,
referrals for additional assessment and services. The system must also indicate whether
children are receiving recommended services, and the outcomes of any services. This
includes, but is not limited to, physical and mental health, education, including early
intervention and early education services, and services provided to families to address
their child's well-being.
new text end

new text begin (c) The report must address aggregated well-being information. The report must
include recommendations on ways to improve state, county, and tribal level information
on child well-being and monitor performance toward achieving positive outcomes for
children and families including, but not limited to, those required in the federal Child and
Family Services Review:
new text end

new text begin (1) the proportion of children reported for maltreatment who have received
appropriate developmental screenings are enrolled in and receiving early intervention
services or other early childhood programs, children's mental health services, child care,
or other services intended to improve their readiness for school;
new text end

new text begin (2) indicators of educational achievement including school attendance, proportion
meeting or exceeding standards in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests, and
the proportion graduating from high school on time and the proportion graduating but not
on time;
new text end

new text begin (3) results by race, geography, and other demographic information necessary to
determine if services and child outcomes vary according to race, geography, or other
issues not specific to individual children;
new text end

new text begin (4) results by response category;
new text end

new text begin (5) ways to efficiently aggregate information collected at the case level for state
reports and incorporate into state budget documents and other state planning efforts;
new text end

new text begin (6) issues in staff training, data privacy, and systems planning necessary to coordinate
and link data across state agencies to provide information required in this section; and
new text end

new text begin (7) other data that may be necessary to determine and improve the well-being of
children involved in child welfare.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Annual report on child well-being. new text end

new text begin Beginning January 1, 2013, the
commissioner of human services shall issue a biennial report to the governor and the
legislature containing the aggregated well-being data listed in subdivision 2, paragraph
(c). The commissioner shall post the report on the department's website.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 257.0725, is amended to read:

257.0725 ANNUAL REPORT.

The commissioner of human services shall publish an annual report on child
maltreatment and on children in out-of-home placement. The commissioner shall confer
with counties, child welfare organizations, child advocacy organizations, the courts, and
other groups on how to improve the content and utility of the department's annual report.
In regard to child maltreatment, the report shall include the new text begin total number of calls or
reports of alleged child maltreatment made to county child protection offices, the new text end number
and kinds of maltreatment reports received new text begin , new text end and any other data that the commissioner
determines is appropriate to include in a report on child maltreatment. In regard to children
in out-of-home placement, the report shall include, by county and statewide, information
on legal status, living arrangement, age, sex, race, accumulated length of time in
placement, reason for most recent placement, race of family with whom placed, and other
information deemed appropriate on all children in out-of-home placement. Out-of-home
placement includes placement in any facility by an authorized child-placing agency.