Hennepin County Settlement Agreement To Improve Child Protection Services

In its settlement with A Better Childhood, Hennepin County, Minnesota has agreed to increase oversight of foster care and to implement a new, team-based system for screening maltreatment reports. The county will commission a foster care needs analysis and write a plan for addressing current and projected resources needed. Children who are suspected victims of maltreatment will be interviewed separately from their alleged abusers. To accomplish the objectives of the settlement agreement, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) will appropriate and provide to Hennepin County an additional $2.25 million over and above the federal funds and other . . .