MN Child Fatalities Rise for Fifth Year (thank you Safe Passage for Children)

In 2023, at least 32 children died from maltreatment in Minnesota – the fifth year in a row of increases. That’s almost three children per month who spent their final hours in crisis; their deaths were entirely preventable. State agencies received over 82,000 reports about possible neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and other forms of child maltreatment in 2023 – an increase of 4 percent from 2021.

Clearly many of the state’s policies and practices are not working, including its commitment to “help professionals shift from a focus on reporting families to focusing on identifying family strengths and providing support as needed,” as indicated on page 28 of Minnesota’s Child and Family Services 2025-2029 plan.  Read more here.

Making life safe for abused and neglected children will take all of us. You can start by sharing this article with people you know but most importantly, make a habit of sharing KARA podcasts and articles with your State Representative (find them in this link)