For the next biennium, legislators appropriated 40 million dollars to modernize Minnesota’s Social Services Information System. This will create more training, collection of child welfare data, clarity, transparency, and best practices throughout the “life of a case” and shine a light on how well or poorly programs and policies are working.
This upgrade of our outdated core digital infrastructure for managing, documenting, and reporting all aspects of child protection systems (CPS) will give workers significantly more time to work with children and families.
Funding was provided to rebuild the CASA volunteer Guardian ad Litem program. Funding to raise wages for staff Guardians was not included. This could be interpreted as a rejection of new GAL management’s role in eliminating over 300 volunteer (all but 12) CASA GALs over the last few years and that legislators want to see the volunteer program rebuilt to its prior size. If that were to happen, all 300 children currently in the system without a mandated Guardian ad Litem will have one. READ MORE
Financially, having a GAL advocate for a child in CPS reduces the child’s time in foster care by 7.5 months (and average savings of $15,000. Per child or a savings to the State of a significant percentage of $4,500,000.00/ of the 300 children in foster care that did not have a staff or CASA GAL in MN today.
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Children in CPS foster care have a significantly higher foster care cost because many of them have mental health and behavior issues that require more staff, more training and more healing and skill building programs.
The typical monthly cost of foster care for troubled youth in CPS programs generally ranges from $1,000 to $2,800 per month, (12,000 TO 34,000 dollars/year) depending on the state, care setting, and the level of the youth’s needs14589.
Supplemental Rates for Higher Needs (MAPCY Assessment)
Troubled youth—those with higher behavioral, emotional, or medical needs—receive supplemental payments determined by the MAPCY (Minnesota Assessment of Parenting for Children and Youth) assessment. For 2024–2025, the supplemental monthly rates are:
| MAPCY Level | Monthly Supplemental Rate |
| Level C | $115 |
| Level D | $230 |
| Level E | $345 |
| Level F | $460 |
| Level G | $575 |
| Level H | $690 |
The total monthly payment for a troubled youth in foster care is the sum of the basic rate (based on age) and the supplemental rate (based on assessed need)57.
KARA/Kids at risk action/invisible children
