A Shared Plan for Safer Children and Stronger Families

DCYF wants children to be safe and families to be supported. Its Child Safety and Permanency Administration (CSP) plays a key role in ensuring families thrive. With the release of CSP’s first strategic plan, the administration is taking an important step toward clearer direction, stronger partnerships and better outcomes for families statewide. The plan outlines collaboration initiatives focused on keeping children safe, strengthening families, and working with Tribal Nations, counties, courts, and community partners to reduce overrepresented populations in the child welfare system.

“Children, youth, and families experience systems as connected, not separate. This shared plan reflects the importance of listening to communities, learning from lived experience, and working together across systems to help children stay safe, connected, and supported,” said Rebecca St. George, Assistant Commissioner of DCYF’s Child Safety and Permanency Administration.

Why the strategic plan matters to Minnesota’s children and families

When children grow up safe, stable, and supported, they become adults who contribute to a stronger Minnesota. The plan’s goal is simple: reduce harm and improve outcomes for families, especially those disproportionally affected by the child welfare system. In practice, this means implementing efforts to prevent unnecessary out-of-home placements, increasing reunification, and reducing the number of youth who reenter foster care.

Co-director Ross explained, “We want to build more accountability for government employees to always prioritize what’s best for community, in true partnership with community members.”

The plan focuses on four major priority areas: 

• Equity and racial justice 
• Engagement, partnership and collaboration
• Prevention and family and community well-being, and 
• Safety, permanency and ongoing well-being

Each area includes clear steps for how the administration will partner more effectively with counties, Tribal Nations and community organizations.

Creating the plan

The plan was shaped through months of work with administration staff, community partners and people with lived experience. The administration relied on staff who already have strong relationships in the community to recruit 22 community members, including young adults, to ensure community voices were included in real and meaningful ways. This included a community engagement advisory group, five virtual community interviews, and additional interviews with CSP’s American Indian Wellbeing Unit and African American Child and Family Well-being Unit. Community members were compensated for their time and expertise.

“Our goal is to intentionally walk alongside community members who are directly impacted by our decisions, and we want them to help guide our practice and processes,” Co-director Ross said. “This is what’s required for any transformation in our work.”

Commitment to accountability

The administration is now preparing to implement the plan and is exploring working with a vendor to support a transparent rollout. The plan also identifies five core areas that CSP must invest in to make the work last: 

• Leadership, governance and decision-making
• Workforce culture and capacity
• Infrastructure, technology and resources
• Learning, accountability and continuous quality improvement, and 
• Engagement, partnership and collaboration.

The administration will show accountability through:

• Data that shows improved outcomes, as in the 2025 MAAFPCWDA Evaluation Report, which showed early implementation of the act resulted in better family engagement, increased collaboration across systems, and more culturally responsive, prevention-focused approaches
• Stories from families and community members
• Legislative proposals that match the plan
• Clear documentation of community engagement.

Connecting to the DCYF’s Whole Family Approach

The administration’s plan supports the DCYF Whole Family Approach, which focuses on helping families connect to the resources they need to thrive, including child care, mental health services and housing support. Before drafting the plan, the administration worked with Chapin Hall, a national research and policy center, to review its priorities and ensure the work aligned with the department’s Whole Family Approach. Administration leaders also joined community meetings that shaped the department’s plan.

This strategic plan isn’t just about improving a system; it’s about establishing positive relationships with community partners and building a future where children can grow up in safe, loving environments. As the administration moves forward, this strategic plan will guide decisions and ensure its work is grounded in shared priorities and partnership with the families and communities it serves.