[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6335777,"mediaKeyId","2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3","parentId",2288630,"title","Inspector general functions, audits and fraud investigations will move to DCYF in June; lawmakers press for more detail","audioSeconds",434,"startMs",2015000,"endMs",2449000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3&start=2015&end=2449","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3/thumbnail_2015000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6335777/Minnesota/Inspector-general-functions-audits-and-fraud-investigations-will-move-to-DCYF-in-June-lawmakers-press-for-more-detail","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335777-a2e734273fce196ea112204054f9de4d/orig.mp4?Expires=1777337341&Signature=NqfSKbIc63E3aeeDGBVtWn9Vek7TvZBcAE8MZmo2ugMNFjyi~izMsBcUD5oO0rY2RqDU3RuCi~OIaxKl~cpv9apXWKET9wHs4FrJmNi6isKhAzsBUwxtNG-cMhfbHTOvShJ3sXfpzVsAnyhTXMHOslaBldknafumrRxFwsuWaVpqo~BdRvNO~3xvkar3IVpGrDO5sJfvgdIryKfI1kzWrto-RP-rzGH0Kp3MyYI~vi3ABpOgizTzBTR2pA2aHdOhP33F7s0mWL~SsHsRMxgaHp6Bykx8xN0~2lKbrVfGsk16FbyJrVvdVHqaHLSH~G-TWTYhgqlu76MTUcMo1gFBOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MNHouseInfo","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Department of Children, Youth and Families will assume Office of Inspector General functions from the Department of Human Services in June, Commissioner Tiki Brown told the House Children and Families Committee, including program integrity work on childcare assistance (CCAP), Great Start compensation payments, MFIP and SNAP recipient investigations.

Commissioner Brown said the Office of Inspector General investigates suspected fraud, abuse and error using data analysis, tips, audits and referrals to law enforcement such as the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and county agencies. She said administrative remedies can include warnings, stipulated provider agreements, monetary recoveries, fines, payment withholds, suspensions and terminations.

“Fraud against public programs is unacceptable. It's not a victimless crime and it harms the same people that we are trying to help with these services,” Brown told the committee.

Brown described the OIG’s child-care-specific tools: the Early and Often team that provides technical assistance to new providers; random, no-notice audits of licensed child care centers that receive grants; a fraud-prevention investigation program (FPI) that funds investigator positions in counties and participating tribal nations; and a data-and-analytics office that analyzes billing and benefit data to spot outliers and concerning patterns.

The committee pressed agency officials about recent reporting of active investigations and large numbers of licensing violations at specific providers. Brown said the investigative functions remain at DHS for the moment and will transfer intact; she said the new inspector general begins the next day and will coordinate a seamless transfer.

Lawmakers asked how and when payments would be suspended for suspected fraud; Brown said specifics on payment-stopping mechanics are ordinarily handled by inspector-general staff and the Department of Human Services and were not part of her prepared remarks, but she committed to follow up.

Committee members also discussed the role of referrals: Brown said OIG refers potential criminal cases to the BCA and to county prosecutors when appropriate. Jennifer Summerfeld, government relations director for DCYF, told the committee the agency is preparing a policy proposal to increase transparency for Great Start compensation payments; she said the agency has so far followed CCAP data-release rules and that some family providers resisted public disclosure of payments.

The committee requested additional data on the number of investigations, referrals to law enforcement and the outcomes or closures of cases; Brown said DHS could provide those figures and DCYF would coordinate with the incoming inspector general.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee 2/11/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Children, Youth and Families will take over Office of Inspector General responsibilities from the Department of Human Services in June, inheriting audits, random compliance checks and a data-driven fraud-detection program that refers suspected criminal cases to law enforcement.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6335767,"Lawmakers, counties urge speedy modernization of aging SSIS child-welfare system that drains caseworker time",3120,1424000,4544000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3&start=1424&end=4544","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3/thumbnail_1424000.jpg","/articles/6335767/Minnesota/Lawmakers-counties-urge-speedy-modernization-of-aging-SSIS-child-welfare-system-that-drains-caseworker-time","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335767-a1e64138be7dd93973408ba3923ddcc8/orig.mp4?Expires=1777337341&Signature=a4VKru-cc7YCoFSwrxWiuBXy5ptWbyaJ7MwBiADtOj3KoY9dzPGlRRti0fNdm7lzZw5UavdsSf6Y5dAIqeNGnmHug5eEaq55l5peLEsOjKDS0ByFwHHtswDvkx0Y4qZWFg7ABWbRRIc6rymJhm2YZZsSEOegJHBq2FMlaOcPM8fxDqqPfbKFIp5zaq6lXoa-mw2IsY3Gg6BGXbLNBUeOvcQvasLBi7KamtNeh2ucFCxIjkQ9DpePM01-1Y2EQdip0sjSQar5GjLwh-dUkyKMDYRrUnqJLtT-6FR3TH0ZBz8kOeJBeWli72P2KAgbn~Yovi0wa253k6R~sKDAYi6LUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County officials and lawmakers told the Department of Children, Youth and Families that modernizing SSIS, Minnesota’s Social Services Information System, must be a priority because frequent system crashes and the inability to copy-and-paste notes consume caseworkers’ time.

Commissioner Tiki Brown told the committee that SSIS is “based in the 1980's and 1990's technology” and that the department’s most critical technology need is modernizing the child-welfare portions of SSIS. Ashley Reisenhower said the department has made planning and initial investments in 2023 and 2024 and that the state appropriated $10 million in 2024 to begin targeted improvements to the child-welfare portion of SSIS.

Reisenhower added that the federal match typically covers about 50 percent of SSIS costs, and Brown said full modernization is costly; the department is pursuing an incremental approach of planning, targeted fixes and eventual system replacement to limit service disruption. County representatives and committee members described the practical effects on frontline workers: long waits for the system to respond, lost or repeated data entry and hours spent retyping detailed family assessments and placement plans.

“Unless able to spend time with children and families,” Brown said, SSIS instability “leaves workers facing frequent system crashes for minutes or hours at a time.” Vice Chair Jess Hansen told the committee that caseworkers’ first contemporaneous notes are the most valuable and that repeated data loss harms service quality.

Lawmakers urged DCYF to provide specifics on planned modernization steps, expected timelines and the anticipated federal match levels as the department frames its multi-year technology plan.","Lawmakers and county partners urged rapid modernization of Minnesota’s aging Social Services Information System, saying crashes and limited functionality keep caseworkers from spending time with children and families.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6335772,"Lawmakers press new children’s agency on daycare closures and transparency of Great Start payments",1668,4194000,5862000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3&start=4194&end=5862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3/thumbnail_4194000.jpg","/articles/6335772/Minnesota/Lawmakers-press-new-childrens-agency-on-daycare-closures-and-transparency-of-Great-Start-payments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335772-84ca0901d3ac72297626281295b472db/orig.mp4?Expires=1777337341&Signature=b-kWARIAQlo1fe7lerE7kcnDfOuVaIchrNc~heJHV7ECBYs0KzTjVt03WCjyWomsDYL7OoIBk0GxVP1qWYlhyPPAi1o6y6Py4~6ydbWUYatcLWgUZQ01BCrS5zJ-yt~6YwNBaIgYKj7DVHFK-mAslUdoopKbzUAxBpSKt8kZAB2TNV7J7C1hQK6O1fvokIKxD~9vGe2S5rEaZQyw4Cfb3wdeAJxOY7rMxkVEJW6GSo-wK5jlxdKMBrN65z4-MNK16mgvFAp7SPdUjs5pQt-KuqtzAtFAv7sqEeGSnrc9jWajN0YeEPjVoyRegWSfmbhXntV1WHpXaTUaqUXa~nPKqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lawmakers told the Department of Children, Youth and Families on Wednesday that childcare closures are accelerating in parts of Greater Minnesota and asked what the new agency will do to stabilize family and center-based providers.

Assistant Commissioner Diane Halsey described two current state efforts for stabilization and workforce development: the Great Start Compensation and Payment Program, which provides monthly grant compensation intended to raise provider pay and help keep programs open, and a “Grow Your Own” initiative aimed at recruiting and training new early childhood educators and prospective family providers. Halsey said the Great Start program has supported thousands of providers and is credited anecdotally with keeping some programs operating.

Representative Celestin Carr and others told the agency the region continues to see closures despite existing programs. Lawmakers pressed for clarity about how new DCYF staff and the approximately $11 million in recent appropriations are being used to arrest the decline in provider capacity and to prioritize provider-stabilization work.

Jennifer Summerfeld, government relations director for DCYF, told the committee that the department has provided the data it can under current rules but plans a policy proposal to allow more transparency on Great Start payments. “A decision was made over a year ago ... that we would follow the childcare assistance program regulations for what data we could provide, regarding the Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program,” Summerfeld said. She said some family providers opposed public release of provider-level payment data, and the agency intends to pursue legislation to clarify data release rules.

Committee members asked for provider-level payment lists; DCYF officials said they will work with the committee and with providers to craft any change so it balances transparency and provider concerns. Lawmakers also requested more specific program outcomes and local-data analysis to show the extent to which Great Start, Grow Your Own and other investments have slowed closures.","Committee members pressed DCYF for actions to stem daycare closures in Greater Minnesota and for transparency about the Great Start Compensation program; agency leaders said the program supports provider pay and that a policy proposal is being prepared to expand public reporting but some family providers oppose disclosure.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6335782,"Minnesota opens Department of Children, Youth and Families with $3.7 billion in annual spending and staggered program transfers",1776,744000,2520000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3&start=744&end=2520","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288630-1686fd4614b00bcee25dd63654ca9ef3/thumbnail_744000.jpg","/articles/6335782/Minnesota/Minnesota-opens-Department-of-Children-Youth-and-Families-with-37-billion-in-annual-spending-and-staggered-program-transfers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335782-2de71bcb1a457ec1f6c1051701a823ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1777337342&Signature=MhPaqNp~tDpW~DzVpXh7t7cCmJdMezVT9pLkFvWq1KDx8kquA62zsnZwZLhodxSaCJmxeQkOOTonaNmw2o1LhZyiJDg6j8QJ8~kLeYNc70pAVCxvg5a1pDHI565zK0d-lJLuWwJ6byVd-39am9f~RafUsR6GhPcXOw-FdoRGAF5W5kYJCirKBikzZrrlpACGemAIcIHyvCjMmqlBuGKQx0WUpiK3fHPwEeXGzcKPjfRUJpvKrJo16RYZdM91kGSqqDGjrdje3e~Hy4ztgS4l3TfYFjU3QQXfQhLt1t-TSYLyJstYR8~DEE6H-TmeNBsgSKgtqLYfSimmdrjAvOdhAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families launched July 1 to consolidate child- and family-focused programs from multiple agencies, its commissioner told the state House Children and Families Committee. Commissioner Tiki Brown said the agency aims to create “a sustainable public face for children's issues in state government” and to improve access and outcomes for families across all 87 counties and 11 sovereign tribal nations.

The new department will include programs and staff moved from the Department of Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Health. Commissioner Brown and the agency’s chief financial officer, Ashley Reisenhower, told lawmakers DCYF’s transition is phased: early learning and some children and family services moved in July during the first phase; central operating functions and grants work transferred in October; Help Me Connect moved in January; and the largest transfers — including Office of Inspector General functions and youth-justice programs from Public Safety — are scheduled for June.

DCYF leadership and structure were a focal point of the presentation. The agency has filled most senior positions, Brown said, and is recruiting a deputy commissioner and the inspector general. The legislature appropriated funding for a set of leadership roles in 2023 and additional operating staff in 2024; Brown said about 95 percent of the department’s positions transferred from originating agencies, with roughly 900–1,000 FTE expected when transitions are complete.

Budget details presented to the committee show DCYF managing roughly $3.7 billion in total annual expenditures during the transition year. Reisenhower said federal funding accounts for about $2.5 billion — roughly two-thirds of the total — the state general fund about $1.0 billion, and other funds about $290 million. She also said DCYF oversees an additional roughly $1.0 billion in technical and fiduciary funds, principally child support (about $640 million), that are important to the agency’s responsibilities but are not state general-fund balances.

The department’s spending profile is concentrated in grants and forecast programs: about $2.4 billion a year in grant programs (just over 60 percent of spending), with SNAP (food assistance) and other federal programs dominant; roughly $1.1 billion in forecast programs such as adoption assistance, foster care and childcare; and roughly 7 percent for program operations and administration. Reisenhower cited specific program figures in committee: Great Start compensation payments, early learning scholarships, county and tribal grants for child welfare, and forecast programs that serve tens of thousands of Minnesotans.

Brown told lawmakers the department will use a whole-family systems framework and prioritize coordination across programs, improved “front door” access to services and continued community engagement as it implements the transition. She said the agency’s timeline and interagency agreements are intended to avoid breaks in service for counties, tribes, providers and families during the phased transfer.

Looking ahead, Brown and Reisenhower told the committee DCYF will continue functional analyses to identify potential efficiencies and align training, call centers, grants and technology across the consolidated agency; they said some work is already under way but that full outcomes and savings will be clearer as the transition continues.

Commissioner Brown opened the presentation by saying, “We launched a new agency to create a sustainable public face for children's issues in state government with aligned outcomes and policy, improving the front door for services, easing access and navigation for families, and improving services overall.”

The committee asked for follow-up materials on staffing counts, the precise split of transferred positions, and documentation of the interagency agreements that govern the transition schedule.","The new Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), launched July 1, consolidates child-related programs from four agencies, will manage roughly $3.7 billion in annual expenditures and will complete major transfers in June; officials told a House committee the goal is improved access and coordination for families.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Inspector general functions, audits and fraud investigations will move to DCYF in June; lawmakers press for more detail

Lawmakers, counties urge speedy modernization of aging SSIS child-welfare system that drains caseworker time

Lawmakers press new children’s agency on daycare closures and transparency of Great Start payments

Minnesota opens Department of Children, Youth and Families with $3.7 billion in annual spending and staggered program transfers