Pine County HHS warns new child‑welfare law will raise costs, staffing and data demands

Pine County Health and Human Services Director Becky Fossman told the County Board on May 20 that the department spent well under its 2024 out‑of‑home placement budget but faces a new, unfunded state law that will significantly increase workload and costs by 2027.

Fossman said Pine County budgeted slightly more than $1.3 million for 2024 placement expenses across child protection, probation and children’s mental health and spent under $1 million, leaving the county about $500,000 under budget. "For 2024, we budgeted a little over $1,300,000," she said. "We were under budget by over $500,000 in those 3 line 3 3 big areas."

The reason the county may need new staff and spending, Fossman said, is the African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act — which she referred to in the meeting as the ACT or MASPA and said is spelled out in "Minnesota Statutes 260" — and the law’s requirement that counties perform "active efforts" and extensive case reviews for…