Child Safety and Family Preservation Minnesota's child

Focus on family strengths

Children thrive when families are supported. That's why the department is directing more resources toward preventing out-of-home placement from occurring, keeping more families safe and together. 

Providing resources to families for basic needs, such as housing or child care, significantly improves the safety of children in their homes and communities.

The Minnesota Thriving Families, Safer Children report advocates refocusing Minnesota’s child protection system on family well-being and the root causes of family involvement to tackle the state’s racial and economic disparities. Recommended strategies prioritize equitable access to services and support informed by the experiences of Black, Indigenous and families of color as part of the nationwide effort to reform child welfare systems under the Thriving Families, Safer Children movement.

But there are situations that require intervention. In Minnesota, approximately 25,000 children are reported for abuse and neglect to the child protection system each year, which counties and tribes assess. The department's fact sheet on Child Safety and Permanency DHS-4735 (PDF) provides current statistical information.

What is considered abuse and neglect in Minnesota?

Neglect

Neglect is the most common form of maltreatment. It is usually a failure of a child's caregiver to:

• Provide needed food, clothing, shelter, medical or mental health care, education or appropriate supervision

• Protect a child from conditions or actions that endanger the child

• Take steps to ensure that a child is educated as required by law.

The following also may be considered neglect:

• Exposing a child to certain drugs during pregnancy

• Causing emotional harm to a child.

Physical abuse

This is when a caregiver causes any physical injury, or threatens harm or substantial injury, on a child other than by accident. Physical abuse can range from minor bruises to severe internal injuries and death.

Mental injury

This is harm to a child's psychological capacity or emotional stability evidenced by an observable and substantial impairment of a child's functioning.

Sexual abuse

This is when a child is a victim of a criminal sexual act or threatened act committed by:

• A person responsible for a child's care

• A person who has a significant relationship to a child

• A person in a position of authority.

How do I report abuse or neglect?

Call the county or Tribal social service agency, or the police, where the child lives if you believe that a child is being hurt or neglected.

Some people, whose jobs involve caring for children, such as doctors, teachers and ministers, are required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

Other people, such as neighbors or relatives, are encouraged to report if they think a child is being abused or neglected. Your report is confidential and your name cannot be released to the family except by a court order.