Members of the Minneapolis NAACP raised concerns at the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday about the implementation of a new law intended to address failures in the child welfare system. It happened during public comment where anyone can speak to commissioners about county business.
The law being brought up Tuesday was the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act. The law is sets new standards for social service agencies to help prevent family separations and seeks to reunite children with their family. Specifically, its designed to help African American and disproportionately represented children in the system.
A report given to the state legislature last year found that African American children make up nine percent of the population, but they made up 18 percent of children in involuntarily out-of-home placements due to behavioral health needs.
The full law went into effect on January 1, but only in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties. Both counties are receiving $2.5 million to phase-in the law and form a model for other counties which have until 2027 to implement the law.
So far, the rollout has not been enough for people who fought for years to get the law passed. Kelis Houston is the chair of the Minneapolis NAACP’s Child Protection Committee and founder of Village Arms, a group that works to keep African American families together. She told commissioners that right now the law is being taking into consideration for only 30 percent of new intakes and that’s leading to unjust family separation.
The three who spoke Tuesday all say the law needs to be fully implemented in Hennepin County now.
“It has already been piloted and proven to work in practice.” Houston said, “It does not need another pilot but full implementation.”
“Just imagine if your own children were being taken out and displaced with the intent, they will never return them,” said Cynthia Wilson, Minneapolis NAACP President.
Thomas Barry, Minneapolis NAACP Child Protection Committee said, “Give these families inside of Hennepin County a fair shot. The bill has passed, it’s the law of the land. We should not have to ask or beg anyone to just follow the law.”
We did reach out to the Department of Children, Youth and Families, but have not heard back at this time.
The board does not respond to public comments given at the meetings. Public comments are not recorded and posted with the public meeting video.
Public comment at the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners meetings happens before committee meetings which are usually every other week on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Hennepin County Government Center. Any member of the public can address the board about county matters in person for up to two minutes. People can also leave a recorded message at 612-348-3100 that will be played during the public comment section.
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