Minnesota’s new Supreme Court Council on Child Protection and Maltreatment Prevention is beginning the work that Safe Passage and many advocates have called for: creating a clear, statewide plan to prevent abuse and better protect children once they are in the system. It was created by the Legislature and Supreme Court to look across the whole child‑protection system not just one agency and develop “a comprehensive blueprint for improvement that addresses all aspects of the child protection system, including prevention and early intervention”.

Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota strongly supported the council’s creation last session, urging lawmakers and judicial leaders to establish a body with the authority to review laws, policies, practices, data, and lived experience, then make specific recommendations to improve outcomes for children and families and prevent maltreatment. Chief Justice Ann McKeig is overseeing this effort, and in interviews with MPR and The Imprint, she has emphasized how deeply childhood trauma harms children and communities and how urgently systems must change so families get help sooner and children are safer and more visible.

For Minnesota, the council is a chance to align courts, agencies, advocates, and communities around a shared roadmap: preventing maltreatment where possible, intervening early when risk appears, and making sure children are not lost in bureaucracy when they need protection. For Safe Passage, it validates years of advocacy and invites continued input from data and lived experience as the blueprint takes shape. Every state needs a strong Council on Child Protection and Abuse Prevention. One that listens to children, families, and front‑line advocates; confronts hard truths about current systems; and commits to measurable, trauma‑informed change.

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What the Council is doing now

The council is still in its blueprint‑building phase but has already identified concrete directions for Minnesota

• Two core goals:
  – Prevent child maltreatment and unnecessary entry into the system.
  – Improve how child protection works once families are involved.

• Timeline:
  – Quarterly status updates in 2025.
  – Progress report by July 15, 2025.
  – Final blueprint by January 15, 2026.

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Early ideas on prevention

Council presentations to the Legislative Task Force and partners highlight “promising practices and potential solutions” for prevention:

• Family Resource Centers: Local hubs where families can get practical help and support early—before a hotline call or removal—so stress and risk don’t escalate.lcc.mn

• Community involvement and supportive living environments: Stronger community‑based supports (peer mentors, neighborhood networks, supportive housing) that reduce isolation and make it easier for families to seek help.lcc.mn+1

• Hospital‑to‑home programs: Smoother, supportive transitions for newborns and young children from hospital to home, especially in stressed families, to catch risks early and connect services.

These are examples of the preventive infrastructure the council believes Minnesota should build.

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Early ideas on improving child protection

On system improvement, council materials point to several needed changes.

Consistent, high‑quality training: Statewide, uniform training standards for judges, county workers, lawyers, GALs/CASA, and others, so practice does not vary dramatically by county.

• Clearer roles in court: Better definitions of who is a “parent” and who is a party or participant, giving relatives and kin caregivers more predictable roles and rights.

• Early legal representation: Ensuring parents and children receive lawyers early in the process, not only after major decisions, to improve fairness and outcomes.

• Supports for foster youth aging out: Stronger housing, education, health, and transition planning for youth leaving care so they don’t fall through the cracks at adulthood.

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Challenge → solution pairs the Council is considering

In one slide deck, the council walks through specific challenges and potential solutions:

• Public stigma and fear of seeking help
  – Solutions: community hubs, peer mentors, outreach campaigns to normalize help‑seeking.

• Resource scarcity and limited in‑home support
  – Solutions: expanded in‑home services, allowing non‑county providers to help families.

• Complex case plans and confusing communication
  – Solutions: simplified case plans and orders, multilingual and visual materials.

• Inconsistent standards and screening across counties
  – Solutions: uniform training, statewide screening harmonization.

• Workforce strain and turnover
  – Solutions: peer‑support networks, competitive pay, more continuing education.

• Placement shortages and lack of appropriate care settings
  – Solutions: recruiting and training more foster families; carefully expanding group and PRTF options where needed.

• Cultural stigma and mistrust, especially in Tribal and marginalized communities
  – Solutions: cultural brokers, deeper tribal partnerships, deliberate trust‑building.

So while the final blueprint is still being written, the council is already naming concrete directions, not just abstract goals.

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How stakeholders can give input

The council is using focus groups, surveys, and other outreach to gather community input from parents, youth, foster families, Tribal representatives, and providers.

• Watch Minnesota Supreme Court news and announcements for meetings and updates:
  – Council page: <https://mncourts.gov/about-the-courts/newsandannouncements/itemdetail.aspx?id=2378>.mncourts

• Watch DHS bulletins for invitations to focus groups and surveys (e.g., July 14, 2025 focus group notice):
  – Example bulletin: <https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDHS/bulletins/3e8bd6a>.govdelivery

Councils typically invite:

• Written comments (emails, letters, online forms) during comment windows.

• Live testimony at meetings or listening sessions, with brief speaking slots.

• Survey responses or focus‑group participation to capture broader experiences.lcc.mn+2

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Action steps readers can take

To make this update actionable for your readers, here are concrete steps:

Stay informed and share information

• Visit the Council announcement page and Safe Passage’s website (<https://safepassageforchildren.org/>) to follow updates and learn more about its work.mncourts+1

• Read coverage from MPR and The Imprint and share these articles with your networks.

Provide input to the Council

• Watch DHS bulletins and Supreme Court announcements for surveys, focus groups, and comment periods (for example, the July 2025 focus group notice).lcc.mn+1

• When invited:

  • Submit written comments explaining who you are (parent, youth, foster parent, CASA, service provider, advocate), what part of the system you see, and one or two specific changes you believe are needed.

  • Sign up to speak at listening sessions or public meetings; prepare a 2–3 minute statement focused on one key challenge and one solution that should be in the blueprint.

  • Fill out surveys and encourage others (parents, youth, foster families, Tribal leaders, providers) to do the same so the council hears from those most affected.lcc.mn

Support Safe Passage’s advocacy

• Learn more about Safe Passage’s work and advocacy model: <https://safepassageforchildren.org/about/> and <https://safepassageforchildren.org/what-we-do/our-advocacy-model/>

• Share Safe Passage publications on child protection and child deaths to help build understanding of why reform is urgent: <https://safepassageforchildren.org/resources/publications/>.safepassageforchildren

• Support Safe Passage financially or by becoming a regular advocate so they can continue bringing front‑line realities into the Council’s work: <https://www.givemn.org/organization/Safe-Passage-For-Children-Of-Minnesota>.givemn

Engage your own community

• Talk with local legislators, county commissioners, and school leaders about the Council and why child protection reform matters; share the Council’s focus areas and challenge‑solution examples as talking points.youtube

• Encourage local agencies, courts, and providers to participate in Council surveys and focus groups so the blueprint reflects real conditions across Minnesota.

• Use KARA and Safe Passage materials in parent groups, faith communities, and professional networks to keep child protection and maltreatment prevention on the agenda.

These actions help ensure the Council’s blueprint is informed by real experiences and that Minnesota’s child‑protection reforms move from ideas into practice.

ThIs is where you come in.

Share this article on social media. Send it to people in your circle who vote, teach, heal, or lead. Call or email your State Representative and ask them what outcome data your state collects on children in CPS, how many children known to the system have died in the last decade, and what they are doing to reduce both the human and financial cost of childhood trauma. It does make a difference when informed constituents refuse to look away.

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