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Active Efforts Training |
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Active Efforts Training: Family Preservation and the MAAFPCWDA Framework (CWTA X221) If you or your colleagues still need to take this training (Hennepin and Ramsey child protection workers only), please register through the Training Academy's Training Portal. If you do not currently have a Training Portal profile, visit here to learn how to request. The next trainings are on Tuesday, June 24 (8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.). If you have questions, contact the Training Academy at info@mnchildwelfaretraining.com. |
Our Work |
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The mission of the Training Academy is to "train, develop, and support the skills, expertise, and well-being of Minnesota’s child welfare workforce while nurturing a commitment to equitable child welfare practice." One of the top values within the Academy is to develop and promote cultural responsiveness for new and existing child welfare workers within Minnesota.
Intercultural understanding is a key part of the first step to achieving cultural responsiveness. Once an individual can recognize the differences and similarities between their own culture and the culture of others, then they can move into the second step, which is acceptance of those differences and similarities.
Over the past year, we have developed and shared a number of stories about our work:
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Highlight for the Month |
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Cultural responsiveness helps reduce disparity and disproportionality within the Minnesota child welfare system by increasing communication, understanding bias, and enhancing the relevance of diverse services and resources. Cultural competency can also lead to more equitable treatment and better outcomes for children and families from diverse backgrounds.
As many Minnesota child welfare workers prepare to recognize and/or celebrate Juneteenth this year, let us take time to not only acknowledge the correlation between Juneteenth and the U.S. child welfare system, but also consider how we can utilize this correlation to be culturally responsive when attempting to support youth and families within Minnesota.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and recognized as a Minnesota state holiday in 2022. The celebration of Juneteenth is understanding the history and recognizing the symbolism. This date commemorates the recognized ending of slavery in Galveston, Texas after Union troops arrived with the news of the Emancipation Proclamation. Though the proclamation was originally issued in 1863, many enslaved people were not actually released by their owners or recognized as free individuals until 1865.
Built on paternalistic views and values of the White nuclear family, the legacy of slavery created a devastating and long-lasting effect on African American families that is still evident today. The establishment of dominant cultural norms and practices, over time, has shifted a system that (has) protected many White children to one that separates many Black children from their families and communities (Navigating Racism in the Child Welfare System: The Impact on Black Children, Families, and Practitioners).
Juneteenth and the legacy of slavery hold significant impacts on African American families today. This includes the Black family systems and the representation of Black families within the child welfare system today.
The African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act was designed to address the disproportionate outcomes for African American families and other disproportionately affected families within the child welfare system. The Act seeks to prevent the unnecessary removal of children and ensure that families receive the support and resources they need to stay together.
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Podcast Recommendations |
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Code Switch
This NPR podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor while exploring race and how it affects every part of society.
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1619
Hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, this podcast examines the long shadow of American slavery.
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Book Recommendations |
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Juneteenth (Ralph Ellison)
Explores themes of race, identity, and memory through the lens of Juneteenth and African American history.
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On Juneteenth (Annette Gordon-Reed)
A concise but deeply personal and historical account by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian. It blends memoir and history to trace the significance of Juneteenth in Texas and across the U.S.
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Freedom’s Gifts: A Juneteenth Story (Valerie Wesley)
A great option for younger readers, this book introduces the meaning of Juneteenth through the eyes of a child visiting her family in Texas.
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Books on the Broader Context of Emancipation and African American Freedom |
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Been in the Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery (Leon F. Litwack)
A classic work exploring what freedom looked like for newly emancipated Black Americans following the Civil War.
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The Warmth of Other Suns (Isabel Wilkerson)
Chronicles the Great Migration and how freedom after emancipation was often delayed or undermined in different parts of the country.
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Slavery by Another Name (Douglas A. Blackmon)
Investigates how systems of forced labor and oppression continued long after emancipation, showing why Juneteenth's promise was only partially fulfilled.
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Forever Free: The Story of Emancipation and Reconstruction (Eric Foner) A leading historian on Reconstruction examines what freedom meant in practice, linking to the broader significance of Juneteenth.
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Books for Young Readers and Families |
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All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom (Angela Johnson)
A beautifully illustrated picture book that captures the emotional impact of learning about freedom.
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Juneteenth for Mazie (Floyd Cooper)
Another children's book that introduces Juneteenth through a family’s story and reflections on African American heritage.
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Conferences and Trainings |
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MSSA Region 9 Virtual Summer Conference
June 5, 12, 18 and 26 | MSSA Registration
MSSA regional conferences offer an opportunity for health and human service professionals, agencies, and students to connect on a local level. Some regions hold other educational and networking events such as lunch-and-learns, virtual training, award ceremonies, and legislative listening sessions.
InstruMENtal: Recognizing the Importance of the Male Role in Child Welfare
June 23 and 26: | InstruMENtal Training Registration
Two-part virtual training will highlight the important role men in child welfare play in the recruitment, assessment, and engagement of the children and families they support.
17th Annual Community Empowerment Through Black Men Healing Conference
June 26 and 27 | Community Empowerment Through Black Men Healing Conference Registration
at St. Paul College! This year’s theme is "Black Fathers." The event will focus on the challenges that fathers face in being involved in their children's lives, from prenatal care and beyond, while exploring culturally sensitive approaches that celebrate and uplift Black fathers. |
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Update your info | Forward to a colleague | Unsubscribe
Minnesota State Statute 260.69 under the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act requires cultural competency training for all individuals working with African American and disproportionately represented children in the child welfare system. The Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy will be providing a monthly curated selection of resources and trainings that can be utilized to satisfy this training requirement while the statewide training is being developed.
Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy (MNCWTA), 1711 County Road B West Suite 200N, Roseville, MN 55113, United States | The Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy (MNCWTA) is a collaboration between the Child Safety and Permanency (CSP) Division at the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and the Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Welfare (MICW) at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
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