Purpose of the Bill

The bill focuses on enhancing child protection services in Minnesota by modifying the roles and structure of the multidisciplinary child protection team. It aims to improve collaboration and responsiveness regarding child welfare, specifically addressing issues related to at-risk youth and Indigenous communities.

Main Provisions

• Establishment of Multidisciplinary Child Protection Teams: Counties are required to create teams that may include a range of professionals such as welfare directors, attorneys, sheriffs, health and education representatives, and mental health service providers. These teams will also include agencies responding to sex or labor trafficking and those dealing with cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous relatives.

• Duties of the Child Protection Team: The teams are responsible for public and professional education, developing prevention and intervention resources, and offering case consultations. They provide recommendations on services for specific cases involving children and families. The team may comprise various human services, law enforcement, legal, health, education, and community organization representatives.

• Focus on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives: The bill specifies that the child protection teams can aid in creating programs to prevent Indigenous youth from going missing or being murdered. It mandates the inclusion of representatives from agencies focused on this issue within the team.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

The bill amends existing statutes to formally integrate concerns related to the Indigenous community into the duties of the child protection teams. It specifies that teams should now explicitly consider the needs of Indigenous youth and families related to cases of missing and murdered relatives.

Relevant Terms

• Child protection
• Multidisciplinary team
• Indigenous relatives
• Human services
• Child welfare
• Sex trafficking
• Labor trafficking
• Case consultation
• Missing and murdered Indigenous relatives