Engagement Across Tribal Nations and Counties

Focus Group Participation Highlights

Intake / Screening Focus Group Engagement Across Tribes and Counties

At-a-Glance Summary

Across six functional focus groups, counties participated 52 times (with several counties attending multiple functional areas), generating more than 1,245 challenges and enhancement criteria over 15 days of engagement.

Follow-up sessions included 55 participants representing 38 county participation instances, focused on clarifying and validating initial themes.

This breadth and repeat participation across intake, investigation, case management, fiscal, administration, and permanency highlights that system challenges span the full child welfare lifecycle.

Focus Group Participation

• Intake/Screening: 10 counties | 250+ challenges/enhancements

• Investigation/Assessment: 8 counties | 220+

• Case Management: 11 counties | 225+

• Administration: 6 counties | 150+

• Fiscal & Title IV-E: 11 counties | 200+

• State Permanency: 6 counties | 100+

Follow-Up Sessions

• Intake/Screening: 18 participants | 11 counties

• Investigation/Assessment: 12 participants | 10 counties

• Case Management: 25 participants | 17 counties

Tribal & State Engagement

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  • Prevention: 5 state staff; enhancements and challenges finalized

  • AICWIT: Engagement with Red Lake Nation and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to identify Tribal-specific system needs

This level of engagement demonstrates both the need for change and the collective will to shape it together.

These steps set the foundation for a modular, CCWIS compliant system that makes work easier and supports better outcomes for families.

Engagement With Counties:

- Attending all the county leadership meetings

- SSIS Partnership

- MACSSA Modernization and Children’s combined chair regular meetings

- Governance seats at decision making level

Engagement with Tribes:

- Attending AICWIT leadership meetings

- Tribal Consultation

- Planning input sessions

- Governance seat at decision making level

Other engagement:

- Attending ombudsmen meeting this fall

- Discussions with leaders in Supreme Court Council on Child Protection

- Presentations to child protection task force, Tech Advisory Council

- Hiring engagement coordinator to own engagement coordination

- Future plans for public dashboards for transparency

We are improving technology and systems to better support state program and delivery partners. These projects enhance Minnesotan's access to vital services, reduce staff's administrative burdens, and support equitable outcomes by ensuring that all Minnesotans can navigate and benefit from programs with dignity and ease. To view the projects, go to Technology and System Modernization | Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families .