Public Notice Detail

ST. PAUL, MN (April 24, 2002) – Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen A. Blatz and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Michael O’Keefe today announced that the Children’s Justice Initiative (CJI) is making progress on improving outcomes for abused and neglected children. 

“We have so much to be proud of in our first year,” said Chief Justice Blatz in her remarks at the Second Annual CJI Conference in Brooklyn Park.  “It is my hope that these successes will bolster our efforts and help make a difference in the lives of our neediest children.”

The CJI is a five-year plan that brings together juvenile courts, social service agencies and other key stakeholders to improve the processing and outcomes of child protection cases.  The effort is designed to provide permanent homes for abused and neglected children (either through reunification or placement with another family) in an expedited manner.  Studies show that maltreated children who are in stable, loving environments are more likely to lead healthy and productive lives, and less likely to engage in criminal behavior later in life.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the courts and social service agencies throughout the state to focus on outcomes for children,” said DHS Commissioner Michael O’Keefe. “Children deserve to grow up in safe, loving, permanent homes, and it is our responsibility to ensure that happens.”

Lead judges in 12 initial counties across the state formed collaborative teams of people from the juvenile courts, social services agencies, county attorneys’ and public defenders’ offices, court administration and guardian ad litem programs.  Others participants included medical and mental health professionals, foster parents, law enforcement personnel and school officials.  Each CJI team is working to make improvements in their county and meet the state and federal expedited timelines for permanent homes for children.  Sixteen additional counties are being phased in for the second year.  By 2006, all 87 counties will be part of the nation’s first statewide child protection reform effort. 

Chief Justice Blatz and Commissioner O’Keefe cited the following improvements as examples of how the 12 initial CJI counties were achieving project goals:

• Meeting state and federal timelines for finding permanent homes for children (majority of first-phase counties);
• Issuing orders at each hearing so that all parties are aware of the timeline and expectations, minimizing confusion and keeping cases on track;
• Holding pre-hearing conferences as a way to identify and resolve issues early in the case;
• Appointing public defenders earlier so they get better acquainted with their clients, rather than meeting them on the way into court;
• Implementing a policy of “no continuances,” which would reduce delays;
• Producing a video for parents, children and others that explains the child protection system and procedures in plain English, making the system more user-friendly and understandable;
• Getting rid of “cattle call” hearings where all cases are scheduled for the same time and allowing more time per hearing;
• Coordinating vertical representation so social workers, public defenders, guardians ad litem and judges all stay with the same family and are familiar with the case; and
• Adjusting schedules to reduce delays and improving the uniformity of reports.

The CJI Phase One counties are:  Carver, Chippewa, Crow Wing, Faribault, Hennepin, Kanabec, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Ramsey, Stearns, St. Louis and Washington.  Minnesota’s appellate courts were also part of the first phase. 

The second set of counties currently being phased in are: Aitkin, Blue Earth, Brown, Clay, Itasca, Kandiyohi, La Qui Parle, LeSueur, Mille Lacs, Mower, Nicollet, Sherburne, St. Louis (Hibbing/Virginia), Todd, Waseca and Yellow Medicine.