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Gov. Tim Walz on Monday tapped an assistant commissioner in the Department of Human Services to be the first commissioner of Minnesota’s new 

Department of Children, Youth and Families

Tikki Brown, 46, has been part of the team planning for the new department since it was announced in 2023. She started at the Human Services Department as an intern and spent the next two decades moving up the ranks in roles promoting equity and inclusion.

“I have a deep commitment to working with communities working with folks with lived experience, working across different agencies and divisions,” Brown told MPR News.  “I have a firm belief we can’t do this work alone. We have to work in partnership. And I think that will carry me well into this new role.” 

The new department is set to open July 1 with a leadership team that will oversee the transition of programs for caregivers and young children that are currently part of four state agencies — Human Services, Education, Public Safety and Health. Brown expects this to take a year.

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Tikki Brown has been part of the team planning for the new department since it was announced in 2023. It’s set to open in July and oversee programs four young children currently divided up among four state agencies.

Kerem Yücel | MPR News

tikki brown commissioner minnesota children youth families

Walz taps assistant commissioner to lead new child-focused department

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