Unit Program Areas
Policy and practice
Unit staff work across the child welfare continuum to ensure equity, cultural affirmation, and responsiveness in Minnesota child welfare policy and practice. Staff participate in various work groups related to housing practice, centered on but not limited to safety prevention, foster care, and permanency. Unit staff work with other department staff on the creation of bulletins, trainings, practice guides, as well as review internal and external legislative policy proposals to ensure the needs of African-American and African heritage communities are met.
Technical Assistance
The African American Child and Family Well-Being Unit provides targeted technical assistance to counties across Minnesota to support the consistent and equitable application of child welfare policies and practices impacting African American and African heritage children and families. This work is critical to reducing disparities and promoting culturally responsive approaches across the child welfare continuum.
The Unit offers a range of support, including case consultations, training, policy guidance, and strategic planning assistance. By responding to county requests and partnering on improvement efforts, the Unit helps build local capacity to implement best practices rooted in racial equity, family preservation, and community engagement.
This work is done to ensure practice and knowledge-sharing opportunities, align efforts statewide, and promote learning across jurisdictions. Whether addressing specific case-level concerns or supporting system-wide change, the Unit's technical assistance is grounded in collaboration, accountability, and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for African American children and families.
If you are a county agency and would like to request technical assistance with non-MAAFPACWDA-related provisions, policy, or practice to support working with African American children and families, please email us here: dcyf.aacwb@state.mn.us
MAAFPACWDA Phase-In Specific Technical Assistance
In addition to general child welfare technical assistance, the unit also provides technical assistance to both Hennepin and Ramsey Counties as part of the Phase-In program outlined in section 21 of the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act. This assistance is provided to support the phase-in program, which will promote the successful statewide implementation of the act in 2027. Unit staff can work directly with the phase counties on various aspects of implementation, answer questions, clarify policy application, and provide case consultations, mapping, and related efforts to support the county's ongoing implementation.
If you are a Phase In Program county agency and would like to request technical assistance with MAAFPACWDA-related provisions, policy, or practice, please email us here: maafpacwda.phaseinta.dcyf@state.mn.us
MAAFPACWDA Statewide Technical Assistance
DCYF is not currently providing technical assistance to non-Phase In counties, but is developing a process to provide statewide technical assistance to all Minnesota local social service agencies. We will be providing more information about the TA process in the coming months.
Safety and Prevention
The African American Child and Family Well-Being Unit is committed to keeping African American and African heritage children safe, supported, and with their families—where they belong. Central to this mission is a focus on prevention: addressing challenges early, reducing system involvement, and eliminating unnecessary entry into the child welfare and foster care systems.
The unit works in close partnership with the DCFY Child Safety and Permanency Administration’s Safety and Family Preservation program areas to support agency efforts and ensure equity in promoting safety and family preservation for African American children and families. For more information on the agency's Safety and family preservation work, please visit Child Safety and Family Preservation | Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families
The Unit also works in partnership with families, community leaders, and culturally specific organizations to identify and respond to the root causes of involvement in child welfare—such as poverty, lack of access to services, and systemic racism and their impact on child safety. By strengthening protective factors such as economic stability, mental health support, parenting resources, and community connections, the Unit helps families build resilience and stay together.
These efforts are guided by the belief that prevention is the most effective path to safety and well-being. Through proactive, community-driven strategies, the Unit is helping to create a more just and responsive system—one that supports, rather than separates, African American families.
Case Reviews
The African American Child and Family Well-Being Unit conducts both individual case reviews and systemic practice reviews to strengthen accountability and consistency in Minnesota’s child welfare system. After receiving reports through the MAAFPACWDA Feedback and Compliance Portal, the Unit examines individual cases to ensure that county agencies apply child welfare policies accurately, equitably, and in alignment with state requirements. In addition, the Unit analyzes broader patterns and trends across targeted child welfare outcomes to identify systemic issues, promote consistent practice, and support continuous improvement in statewide policy administration.