Unit Program Areas

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.

In addition, the Unit facilitates communities of practice and knowledge-sharing opportunities to 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.

MAAFPCWDA Phase-In Specific Technical Assistance

In addition to general child, welfare technical assistance, the unit also provides tailored technical assistance to both Hennepin and Ramsey Counties as part of the Phase-In program outlined in the Minnesota African-American family preservation, and child welfare disproportionality act. This Assistance is provided to support the successful implementation of the phase-in program which will promote 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 as well as provide case consultations mapping, and related efforts to support the county's ongoing implementation.

Supporting Family Preservation

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 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. By strengthening protective factors like economic stability, mental health support, parenting resources, and community connection, 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.

MAAFPACWDA implementation

Unit staff have been continuously involved in the implementation of the Minnesota African-American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act by serving on internal planning committees, external statewide working group, action teams, and providing physical assistance and support to the larger statewide working group tasked with supporting the statewide implementation of the act

To learn more about the department's efforts to implement the Minnesota African-American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act, visit the department's MAAFPACWDA Implementation page.