Child Protection

A 2024 law amended Minnesota's juvenile code to raise the minimum age of delinquency from 10 to 13. The Minnesota Legislature also updated the child protection code so that youth under 13 who commit a delinquent act will be considered a “child in need of protection or services” (CHIPS). These changes took effect on August 1, 2026, and represent a major shift in how the state responds to children exhibiting “concerning or harmful behaviors.”  Learn more about raising the age of delinquency.

The Children's Justice Act focuses on improving the handling of child maltreatment cases. Grant funds strengthen the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases, reduce trauma to child abuse victims and promote interagency collaboration.

In Minnesota, Children’s Justice Act funds:

• Forensic interview training for law enforcement and child protection workers
• Indian Welfare Act training for judges, prosecutors, guardians ad litem and child protection workers
• Specialized training for judges, prosecutors, guardians ad litem, law enforcement, medical professionals and child protection workers
• Use of multidisciplinary teams in screening, case management, and case review.

The Minnesota Children’s Justice Act Task Force includes individuals from disciplines involved in county and tribal child protection and court systems. The task force meets four times a year. Its mission is to review and assess how the child protection and criminal justice systems in Minnesota handle child maltreatment cases, and ensure that maltreated children are not revictimized by the systems designed to protect them.

Minnesota Citizen Review Panels involve community members in ensuring that the child protection system works well and protects children from abuse and neglect. Minnesota has panels in Chisago, Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington and Winona counties. Reports can be found on this Child Protection, Foster Care, and Adoption Resources. More background about the panels is in the fact sheet Minnesota Citizen Review Panels: Reaching out to protect children DHS-5684 (PDF).

Family Group Decision Making is a family-centered process that recognizes the importance of involving family groups in making decisions about children who need protection or care. Groups can be initiated by child welfare agencies whenever a critical decision about a child is required. Family members lead decision-making, while social service agencies agree to support family group plans that adequately address concerns for child safety, well-being and permanency.

This system facilitates access to experienced peer consultants regarding difficult child safety and neglect decisions with child welfare colleagues within 24 hours of initiating contact with a family. Consultation is available to county and tribal child welfare agency social workers and their supervisors and/or managers when making decisions about child safety. More information can be found on the Child Protection and Child Welfare Supervision page on PartnerLink, or by calling 888-234-1138.

Minnesota’s Safe Harbor Law ensures young people who are sexually exploited are treated as victims and survivors, not criminals. Learn about DHS's role in supporting and securing safety for child victims of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

The Safe Place for Newborns law provides a safe and anonymous alternative for mothers to safely give up their newborns. Mothers, or someone with their permission, may leave unharmed newborns, no more than seven days old, with an ambulance dispatched in response to a 9-1-1 call, or at a hospital or health care facility that provides urgent care. More information can be found on the department’s  Safe Place for Newborns webpage and on the Safe Place for Newborns DHS-6504 (PDF) fact sheet.

Partners and providers that are considered “safe places” can access related resources and materials on the Safe Place resource page.

Local social service agencies must be available 24 hours, seven days a week, including holidays, to respond to reports of child maltreatment containing imminent danger. When children are named in reports of imminent danger, local social service agencies must have immediate (within 24 hours) face-to-face contact with alleged victims and their primary caregiver. They must enter report and screening decisions into the Social Service Information System no later than the following business day.

The department endorses the use of the Structured Decision Making System (PDF) and SDM Safety Assessment Policy & Procedures Manual (PDF) for assessing child maltreatment in the home, which:

• Improves assessments of family situations to better determine the protection needs of children
• Increases consistency and accuracy in case assessment and case management among child abuse and/or neglect within a county and among tribes
• Increases the efficiency of child protection operations by making the best use of available resources
• Provides management with needed data for program administration, planning, evaluation and budgeting.

Child protection staff, supervisors and others involved in child protection intake and report screening must follow these guidelines, and immediately implement updated procedures and protocols.

• Minnesota Child Maltreatment Intake, Screening and Response Path Guidelines, DHS-5144 (PDF)
• Engaging Families in Voluntary Child Welfare Service Practice Guide, DHS-5881C (PDF)

Minnesota's Best Practices for Family Assessment and Family Investigation, DHS-7059 (PDF) provides direction regarding protocols mandated by state statute and recommended as best practice for local child welfare agencies, promoting statewide standards for child protection practices related to assessment and investigation.

Workers in a number of professions, including health care, social services, psychological treatment, child care, education, corrections, law enforcement and clergy, are required to report suspected child maltreatment. The Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy created a Mandated Reporter Training, a self-paced learning module designed for professionals identified by law who must make a report if suspected or known child maltreatment has occurred. 

The Resource Guide for Mandated Reporters of Child Maltreatment Concerns, DHS-2917 (PDF) includes more information about reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.

Medical Neglect: How and when to report

Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment. Medical neglect occur when a caregiver fails to provide necessary medical care by refusing or failing to seek, obtain or follow through with necessary medical care, posing serious risk to a child. Medical Neglect: How and when to report (PDF)

Minnesota's Best Practices for Facility Investigation, DHS-7593 (PDF) provides direction on protocols and best practice for child welfare agencies, promoting statewide standards for facility investigations. It contains protocols for the front-end of child protection responses. Except for where noted, these protocols occur after the intake, screening and response path assignment has occurred.  All protocols required by law include a statutory reference.