>> A RECENT STAR TRIBUNE SERIES REPORTED THAT HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN ARE HARMED EACH YEAR AFTER BEING REUNITED WITH PARENTS BY COUNTY OFFICIALS.

THIS MORNING THE LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON CHILD PROTECTION HAD ITS THIRD MEETING ON THIS ISSUE.

WITH THE START OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION JUST A FEW DAYS WE'VE INVITED CO-CHAIRS OF THE TASK FORCE, DFL SENATOR NICOLE MITCHELL AND DFL HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE DAVE REPRESENTATIVE DAVE PINTO.

YOU ARE IN YOUR OTHER LIFE A COUNTY PROSECUTOR SO YOU HAVE SOME HANDS ON EXPERIENCE WITH THIS.

HOW DID THIS GET SO SCREWED UP?

>> WELL, IT'S A REALLY CHALLENGING SYSTEM, RIGHT?

AND THERE'S NO MORE HIGHER CALLING THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP KIDS SAFE.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE A PARENT WHO MAY BE ABUSE COMPREHENSIVE, YOU'RE FACED WITH A REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT CHOICE AND IT'S A COMPLICATED SYSTEM.

CHALLENGING SYSTEM, IMPORTANT SYSTEM AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PAYING AS MUCH ATTENTION TO IT AS POSSIBLY CAN.

>> Cathy: THERE'S NOT REALLY A STATEWIDE SYSTEM.

IT'S MORE COUNTY-RUN.

WHY IS THAT?

DO WE KNOW?

>> ELL, SO IT IS NOT AS COMMON TO HAVE THAT SORT OF A SYSTEM.

IN MINNESOTA, IT IN SOME WAYS NICE.

WE HAVE SO MUCH COUNTIES, AND THEN HE COUNTIES ARE ABLE TO MATCH WITH DIFFERENT SERVICES.

SO THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT KIND OF KNOW THE SERVICES BEST AND KNOW THE PEOPLE IN THEIR COUNTY BEST VERSUS IF YOU HAD A SPECIALIZED SYSTEM.

OF OURSE WE DON'T EVER WANT TO REMOVE A CHILD FOR POVERTY ISSUES.

WE'D RATHER PROVIDE SERVICES AND SUPPORT.

BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT WHETHER THERE ARE SOME WAYS WE CAN LEVERAGE A TWO-TIER SYSTEM.

OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THERE'S DEFINITELY ROOM FOR US TO LOOK AT THAT SYSTEM AND KEEP DOING WHAT WE THINK WOULD WORK BEST.

>> Eric: BECAUSE DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE IN THE STATE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES FOR SIMILAR SITUATIONS SOME >> IT'S TRUE.

AND WE'RE A RELATIVE MINORITY OF STATES, I THINK IT'S NINE STATES TOTAL THAT HAVE A COUNTY-RUN SYSTEM.

WE HAD AT AIR PREVIOUS TASK FORCE MEETING A PREJUDICES ABOUT THE COSTS AND BENEFITS WITH SWITCHING.

IT'S UNCLEAR THAT THE RESULTS ARE BETTER IN STATE-ADMINISTERED SYSTEMS AND OF COURSE MAKING A CHANGE TO A STATE-ADMINISTERED SYSTEM ITSELF HAS A COST.

AS YOU SAY, A LOT OF DIFFERENT OUTCOMES DEPENDING WHERE YOU ARE IN THE STATE.

>> Cathy: WHY DO OTHER STATES SPEND ABOUT 40% OF THEIR FUNDS ON KIDS, BUT MINNESOTA'S ONLY, LIKE, 2% AND EVIDENTLY A REVIEW SHOWS THE STATE SPENDSES FAR TOO MUCH ON CASE WORKER COSTS AND VISITS.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES.

>> WELL, SO, SOME OF THE FUNDING, BECAUSE WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SYSTEM, WILL COME FROM THE COUNTIES.

AND THEN THE COUNTIES GET FUNDING IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

SO THAT FUNDING PIECE IS, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S IN"ALMANAC: AT THE CAPITOL" RATE.

BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT, WHEN YOU'RE A COUNTY-RUN SYSTEM IN A STATE.

I ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT MINNESOTA IS DOING A GOOD JOB IN A LOT OF WAYS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE AVERAGE LOSS OF LIFE PER 100,000 CHILD IS UNFORTUNATELY 2.5.

IN MINNESOTA, IT'S 1.7.

SO WE DO HAVE A BETTER OUTCOME.

BUT E AT LEAST IN TERMS OF IF A TALLIES.

BUY-IN WE DON'T WANT ANY, RIGHT?

WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WORK ON THAT AND DROP THAT NUMBER.

SO WE WANT TO BE REALLY MINDFUL THAT WE'RE HELPING THE FAMILIES THAT NEED SUPPORT, BUT MAKING SURE WHEN THERE IS A REALLY LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION THAT WE'RE GETTING THE HELP THAT WE NEED TO GET THOSE CHILDREN OUT OF THAT.

>> Eric: BLACK KIDS ARE OVERREPRESENTED I THINK IN THE CASES.

>> IT'S TRUE.

>> Eric: THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY PRESERVATION ACT.

HOW WOULD THAT PLAY IN?

>> YES, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BILLS THAT WAS HEARD IN THE TASK FORCE MEETING TODAY.

SO WHAT WE DID IS WE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF PERSPECTIVES, A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS.

AND YEAH, THAT ADDRESSES A CONCERN.

I MEAN, ON TOP OF ALL THE OTHER CHALLENGES IN OUR SYSTEM, WE HAVE SOME OF THE WORST DISPARITIES IN THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO OUTCOMES FOR KIDS, RALES FROM FAMILIES ...

ET CETERA, FOR KIDS OF COLOR AND FOR BLACK KIDS IN PARTICULAR.

>> Eric: IF A PARENT IS ON DRUGS, AND THEY GO INTO REHAB, AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES, YOU LOSE AND HAVE TO GET BACK ON, ARE THE COUNTY AGENTS, ARE THEY TOLERANT OF THAT, OR IS IT ONE TIME YOU FAILED A DRUG TEST, YOU'RE GONE?

OR HOW IS THAT PLAYED OUT?

>> WELL, OF COURSE WITH DIFFERENT COUNTIES THERE'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF DISPARITY.

SO I COME TO THIS WORK FROM PREVIOUSLY BEING COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE, A VOLUNTEER, AND STILL CURRENTLY BEING A FOSTER PARENT.

THERE IS ACTUALLY A LOT OF WORK FOR PARENTS, ESPECIALLY FOR DRUG USE, TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THOSE SYSTEMS.

I KNOW A FOSTER BABY I AD IS BACK WITH A PARENT THAT WAS ABLE TO GO THROUGH REHAB AND WAS ABLE TO WORK THE CASE PLAN.

AND THEN THERE WAS A REUNIFICATION BECAUSE OF COURSE THAT IS THE GOAL AT THE END OF THE DAY IS TO PRESERVE FAMILIES TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE AS LONG AS THAT FAMILY SITUATION IS SAFE.

SO WE DO HAVE THOSE SYSTEMS IN PLACE.

BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WE'RE CENTERED IN THE CHILD AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE SAFE AT ANY TIME.

>> Cathy: SO I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A MEETING TODAY.

AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE BIN.

BUT YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES DIDN'T SHOW UP TODAY, IS THAT RIGHTED?

>> IT IS CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A ERIES OF MONTHLY MEETINGS.

AND AS IT TURNED OUT, JUST THE TIME IS AKING OF IT, BECAUSE I REALLY DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THERE WAS A PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED MEETING ON THE HOUSE SIDE AT LEAST A NUMBER COULD NOT IS A ATTEND.

AND I KNOW FOLKS ARE WATCHING AND KEEPING IN TOUCH.

>> Eric: WE'LL TRACK IT THROUGHOUT THE SESSION.

APPRECIATE YOU COMING BY.

HAVE A GOOD SESSION.

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