Title

Minnesota African American Family Preservation Child Welfare Disparities Act

Intro

Minnesota is reforming its child protection policies and practices to eliminate long-standing disparities, unequal treatment and poor outcomes for too many children and families.

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Sections

Better outcomes for children and families

The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) is designed to help ensure that all children and families have equitable opportunities to thrive and remain safely connected to their families, communities and cultures.

Passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2024, the Act responds to longstanding disparities in Minnesota's child welfare system, where African American, American Indian, Latine and other disproportionately represented children have experienced involvement in child protection at higher rates than their peers. By strengthening prevention services, supporting family preservation and improving accountability across the child welfare system, the legislation aims to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for children and families.

While the Act centers the lived experiences of African American families, its implementation is intended to strengthen child welfare practices more broadly. Through changes to policy, workforce development, community partnerships and data transparency, MAAFPCWDA seeks to help families access support earlier, reduce unnecessary system involvement and promote child well-being.

Visit MAAFPCWDA: About the Act for more details about the legislation.

Why change is needed

This legislation was enacted in response to the persistent over-representation of African American and other communities of color in Minnesota’s child welfare system. In 2025:

African American children made up 16% of the child population but accounted for 29% of child protection cases.
American Indian children comprised 4% of the population but 20% of cases.
Hispanic children represented 10% of the population and 12% of child protection involvement.

The Act centers the lived experiences of African American families while also addressing broader disproportionality. It calls for systemic change across policies, practices, and workforce development, with a focus on prevention and preserving family connections.

Prevention and family preservation

Oversight and accountability

The Act establishes a permanent African American Child and Family Well-Being Unit and Advisory Council within DCYF to lead implementation, publish annual reports, and provide ongoing guidance.

The African American Child and Family Well-Being Unit was established by the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) to support implementation of the law and help improve outcomes for African American children, families, and children of African heritage in Minnesota's child welfare system.

The unit works with counties, Tribal Nations, community partners, and child welfare professionals by providing technical assistance, supporting workforce training, monitoring child welfare data, overseeing key responsibilities established under the Act, and helping strengthen partnerships across the child welfare system.

The African American Child and Family Well-Being Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations to the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) on ways to improve outcomes for African American children, families, and children of African heritage involved in the child welfare system.

The council brings together community perspectives and subject matter expertise to help identify disparities, strengthen policies and practices, and support culturally responsive services. Its work includes reviewing child welfare policies and data, recommending improvements to the child welfare system, supporting community engagement, and providing an annual public report with recommendations to help strengthen outcomes for children and families.

Better data and transparency

Development for child welfare professionals

Grant program

A $1 million annual grant program was established to support community agencies in implementing prevention-focused and culturally responsive services. In 2024, Hennepin and Ramsey counties each received a one-time $2.5 million allocation to support early implementation efforts. The 2026 Minnesota Legislature appropriated $15 million in one-time funding to be distributed to counties to support statewide implementation in 2027.

Implementation

The phase-in program is currently underway in Hennepin and Ramsey counties to help inform statewide implementation of MAAFPCWDA. Statewide implementation begins on Jan. 1, 2027. For more details, visit Implementation of MAAFPCWDA .

Phase-in program

The phase-in program supports implementation of the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA). Hennepin and Ramsey counties are testing and refining new approaches to implementing key provisions of the law, including changes related to the reestablishment of parental rights and child welfare data collection and reporting.

The Legislature provided one-time funding to support implementation in Hennepin and Ramsey counties through June 30, 2026. Other counties may choose to participate in the phase-in program, but this funding is available only to Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

As part of the phase-in program, DCYF is developing a compliance portal to support implementation and accountability. The department will also submit a report to the Minnesota Legislature before the phase-in program concludes on July 1, 2027, summarizing lessons learned and recommendations to support statewide implementation.

Statewide Work Group

To ensure a collaborative and informed rollout, the Act establishes a Statewide Work Group composed of representatives from urban and rural counties, legal professionals, and community-based organizations. This group is:

Monitoring and guiding the phase-in process
Assessing implementation costs
Recommend policy and legislative adjustments
Provide transparency through publicly accessible meetings and updates

Multigenerational African American family

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Individuals and Families

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Minnesota African American Family Preservation Child Welfare Disparities Act