HF1918

HF1918 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Department of Children, Youth, and Families policy language; TEACH early childhood program, great start compensation support payment program, child welfare policies, and out-of-home placement plans updated; and provisions to prevent foster care placements modified.

Related bill: SF2778

AI Generated Summary

This bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation affecting the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. It covers a wide range of topics, including policy updates to existing child welfare programs, modifications to foster care placements, changes to child welfare policies, and provisions aimed at preventing unnecessary foster care placements. Below is a summary by key areas:

Key Provisions:

Economic Assistance (Article 1)
- Exempts the commissioner from electronic benefits transfer contract term limits.
- Allows contracts for public benefits issuance through an electronic benefit transfer system to have an initial five-year duration with renewals extending up to ten years.
Child Care Provider Programs (Article 2)
- Updates data management requirements for the Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program.
- Specifies that data on child payments and attendance is public, while personal family or provider expense data remains private.
Child Welfare (Article 3)
- Foster Care and Placement Policies:
  - Active efforts must be made to locate noncustodial or non-adjudicated parents before removing a child from their home.
  - Relatives and extended family must be identified and considered for placement before foster care is used.
  - Courts must review out-of-home placements at least every 90 days and conduct additional reviews when children remain in foster care beyond six months.
  - Requires detailed documentation for children placed in foster care, including health, educational records, and transition plans for extended foster care.

African American Child and Family Well-Being Initiatives:
- Establishes an advisory council to address the disproportionate number of African-American children in foster care.
- Creates an oversight unit to monitor case reviews and offer technical support to ensure compliance with the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act.
- Implements systemic reviews to evaluate outcomes for African American children in the foster system.
Concurrent Permanency Planning:
- Limits defining a foster family as a permanent home before all efforts have been made to reunite the child with parents or relatives.
- Strengthens procedures for identifying a long-term placement early in the process.
Educational and Health Stability for Children in Foster Care:
- Requires agencies to ensure educational continuity for children in foster care by keeping them in the same school whenever possible.
- Enhances oversight of children's medical care, including ensuring vaccinations and necessary treatments.
Reinstatement of Parental Rights:
- Allows certain parents whose rights were previously terminated to petition for reinstatement if conditions leading to termination have been rectified and if in the child's best interest.
Truancy and Education Neglect:
- Mandates schools to report children with seven or more unexcused absences to a local welfare agency.
- Requires agencies to provide interventions before escalating cases to court.

Transfers to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (Article 4)
- Transfers specific duties and responsibilities from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Overall Purpose

The bill aims to improve child welfare policies, enhance oversight for foster care placements, reduce racial disparities in child protective services, ensure stability for children removed from their homes, provide better economic support, and streamline services under the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Bill text versions

Introduction PDF file

Actions

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
March 04, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading, referred to	Children and Families Finance and Policy
March 04, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading, referred to	Children and Families Finance and Policy
March 26, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Committee report, to adopt and re-refer to	Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
April 06, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Committee report, to adopt and re-refer to	Children and Families Finance and Policy

Citations

[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Exempts the commissioner from the contract term limits for the issuance of public benefits through an electronic benefit transfer system and related services."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "This bill amends section 142A.03 by adding a new provision regarding electronic benefits transfer contracting.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "142A.03",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Notice requirements expanded to include information required under section 260C.221 subdivision 2 paragraph b."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "The bill amends child placement notification requirements.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.221",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 2"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Requirement for children to undergo a chemical use assessment as part of reasonable conditions of release."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "The bill amends hearing and release requirements for children taken into custody.",
      "modified": [
        "Extended hearing requirements to include determinations under the Indian Child Welfare Act."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.178",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 1"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Requirement for responsible social services to report on efforts to engage parents and provide services."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "This bill updates the requirement for case plans concerning children in custody.",
      "modified": [
        "Guidelines for court approval of case plans."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.178",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 7"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Clarifications on trial home visit provisions."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Amendments to the dispositional options for children in need of protection or services.",
      "modified": [
        "Dispositions guidelines when a child is placed under protective supervision."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.201",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 1"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Requirements for educational stability and health care planning in placement plans."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Changes to out-of-home placement plans and independent living plans.",
      "modified": [
        "Out-of-home placement plan timelines and update requirements."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.212",
    "subdivision": "subdivisions 1 and 2"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Annual reviews required by the court to ensure permanency planning efforts."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Establishing review mechanisms for placements of older youth in foster care.",
      "modified": [
        "Conditions under which an administrative review is mandated."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.451",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 9"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Clarifications on oral and written reporting timelines."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Affects mandated reporting requirements in Minnesota regarding child maltreatment.",
      "modified": [
        "Procedures when submitting reports through the provider licensing and reporting hub."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260E.06",
    "subdivision": ""
  }
]