Human Services warns county: child‑welfare reforms will raise workloads and costs

Human Services leaders told the Stearns County Board that a set of federal and state reforms will substantially change child‑welfare practice and could raise workloads and costs for the county.

Melissa Huberty, human services administrator, introduced a panel including Nick Henderson, Family & Children’s Division director, who overviewed the federal Family First Prevention Services Act and Minnesota’s forthcoming implementation of the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (the Act). Henderson said the state’s guidance focuses first on race and ethnicity in the initial two years, with other disproportionality categories phased in later. “These changes will require significant adjustments to our practices, staffing, service delivery, technology, community partnership, and the resources we utilize,” Henderson said.

Staff explained that under the Act the standard shifts from prior “reasonable efforts” to a higher standard called “active efforts.” Shannon Erickson described that difference in practice: “Rather than simply providing a referral, a worker will need to assist with scheduling an appointment, coordinating services, addressing barriers such as transportation or childcare, and maintain ongoing contact with families and providers.” Presenters warned that active efforts require far more documentation, staff time, and available community services; staff estimated per‑family costs could rise between 30% and 100% and that active efforts could roughly double the staff time spent on each family.

Presenters also described a federal initiative, A Home for Every Child, and said counties must expand foster‑care capacity and prevention efforts; staff cited national foster‑home shortages and emphasized kinship licensing and culturally responsive recruitment as priorities. Nick Henderson and the team also raised operational concerns: the state’s current Title IV‑E prevention plan limits reimbursable programs (e.g., Parents as Teachers and motivational interviewing), and only child‑protection case managers are currently eligible to draw down certain federal prevention funds — a limit staff said is constraining local access to federal dollars.

Commissioners asked about local training availability, foster‑parent recruitment, and whether case reviews will be conducted by the state or counties; staff said final guidance is pending but that state review in conjunction with counties is likely. The board scheduled follow‑up work‑session discussions on budget and staffing needs.

Human Services will return with budget implications and more detailed plans for training and recruitment at upcoming meetings.