2015 Minnesota Statutes

256M.41 CHILD PROTECTION GRANT ALLOCATION.

Subdivision 1.Formula for county staffing funds.

(a) The commissioner shall allocate state funds appropriated under this section to each county board on a calendar year basis in an amount determined according to the following formula:

(1) 50 percent must be distributed on the basis of the child population residing in the county as determined by the most recent data of the state demographer;

(2) 25 percent must be distributed on the basis of the number of screened-in reports of child maltreatment under sections 626.556 and 626.5561, and in the county as determined by the most recent data of the commissioner; and

(3) 25 percent must be distributed on the basis of the number of open child protection case management cases in the county as determined by the most recent data of the commissioner.

(b) Notwithstanding this subdivision, no county shall be awarded an allocation of less than $75,000.

Subd. 2.Prohibition on supplanting existing funds.

Funds received under this section must be used to address staffing for child protection or expand child protection services. Funds must not be used to supplant current county expenditures for these purposes.

Subd. 3.Payments based on performance.

(a) The commissioner shall make payments under this section to each county board on a calendar year basis in an amount determined under paragraph (b).

(b) Calendar year allocations under subdivision 1 shall be paid to counties in the following manner:

(1) 80 percent of the allocation as determined in subdivision 1 must be paid to counties on or before July 10 of each year;

(2) ten percent of the allocation shall be withheld until the commissioner determines if the county has met the performance outcome threshold of 90 percent based on face-to-face contact with alleged child victims. In order to receive the performance allocation, the county child protection workers must have a timely face-to-face contact with at least 90 percent of all alleged child victims of screened-in maltreatment reports. The standard requires that each initial face-to-face contact occur consistent with timelines defined in section 626.556, subdivision 10, paragraph (i). The commissioner shall make threshold determinations in January of each year and payments to counties meeting the performance outcome threshold shall occur in February of each year. Any withheld funds from this appropriation for counties that do not meet this requirement shall be reallocated by the commissioner to those counties meeting the requirement; and

(3) ten percent of the allocation shall be withheld until the commissioner determines that the county has met the performance outcome threshold of 90 percent based on face-to-face visits by the case manager. In order to receive the performance allocation, the total number of visits made by caseworkers on a monthly basis to children in foster care and children receiving child protection services while residing in their home must be at least 90 percent of the total number of such visits that would occur if every child were visited once per month. The commissioner shall make such determinations in January of each year and payments to counties meeting the performance outcome threshold shall occur in February of each year. Any withheld funds from this appropriation for counties that do not meet this requirement shall be reallocated by the commissioner to those counties meeting the requirement. For 2015, the commissioner shall only apply the standard for monthly foster care visits.

(c) The commissioner shall work with stakeholders and the Human Services Performance Council under section 402A.16 to develop recommendations for specific outcome measures that counties should meet in order to receive funds withheld under paragraph (b), and include in those recommendations a determination as to whether the performance measures under paragraph (b) should be modified or phased out. The commissioner shall report the recommendations to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over child protection issues by January 1, 2018.

History:

2015 c 71 art 1 s 46