Hennepin County seeks overhaul of child protection system
Hennepin County officials are pushing for a $26 million overhaul of their child protection system, as well as a change in focus for the work.
A 13-month long study of the system by the county's Child Protection Oversight Committee found what officials call "serious systemic problems."
Hennepin County commissioner Mike Opat, who co-chaired the oversight committee, said reports of abuse are at an all-time high, and too many children are suffering. Opat said the committee determined that Child Protection Services needs to change its focus from intervention to prevention.
"We have been purely involved in protection and reacting to abuse and neglect and, did it happen? Didn't it happen? What happens from here?" said Opat. "This move we're going to hear about is changing that whole dynamic from protection to well-being."
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
One way to do that is for the county to partner with more community-based programs designed to help at risk families, said Deputy Hennepin County administrator Jennifer DeCubellis.
That way, she said, "families can be identified, receive services and support — mental health, chemical health, parenting supports, in-home nursing — in order to be able to provide the environment for the families to be successful."
DeCubellis, Opat and other members of the committee presented the findings from the study, including recommendations that include the hiring of 247 more staff.
Current workloads are too much for staff to handle, said Janine Moore, the county's area director for Children and Family Service.
The target workload is eight to 10 cases per caseworker, Moore said, and each case can involve multiple children.
"Unfortunately, right now we are dealing with caseloads around 18 or 19," said Moore. "As a result of that, our staff are dealing with up to 50 kids, where they are required to keep 50 children safe, day to day."
County officials have not identified a funding source for the plan. But they hope the state and private philanthropic groups will help fund it.