HF 2996 Summary

• Commissioner of human services shall partner with University of Minnesota's Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare to conduct a child welfare workforce stability study by June 30, 2020, and biannually thereafter, examining workforce intent to remain, statewide turnover rates, and retention barriers.

• Child Welfare Training System shall be renamed the Child Welfare Training Academy and administered through five regional hubs (northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast, and central Minnesota) with training tailored to regional needs using best practices in adult learning, online methodologies, coaching, and mentoring.

• Each child welfare worker and supervisor must complete biennial certifications including competency-based knowledge tests and skills demonstrations, and each regional hub shall employ an organizational effectiveness specialist trained in continuous quality improvement.

• Commissioner shall conduct a child welfare caseload study by July 1, 2019, to collect data on the number of child welfare workers and time spent on different work components, with results reported to the governor and legislature by December 1, 2019.

• $5,428,500 appropriated in fiscal year 2019 for the Child Welfare Training Academy (base of $7,287,800 in FY 2020 and $9,107,170 in FY 2021), plus $75,000 biannually for workforce stability study, $150,000 annually for Minn-LInK study, and $400,000 in FY 2019 for caseload study.