Minnesota Children's Justice Act Task Force

If not you, who?

Are you passionate about child welfare? 

Chisago, Hennepin, and Ramsey Counties are seeking volunteer citizens to join our Citizen Review Panels. Established under federal law and state statute, Citizen Review Panels are an important way community members can improve our child welfare system. In partnership with local counties and the Minnesota Department of Human Services, panel members examine child welfare policies, practices and procedures, then make recommendations for positive systems change. Members may include foster care alumni (21+ years of age), parents, attorneys, law enforcement, school personnel, Tribal workers, business representatives, folks with lived experience as a survivor of child abuse or neglect, faith community leaders, child welfare professionals, etc. We strive to include diverse perspectives and experiences. Applicants should live or work in the county of the CRP. Members are unpaid for their time at meetings but per diem stipends are available. Find more details or apply on the MN Secretary of State website.

Panel members help improve child welfare practices and policies by:

• Examining specific child welfare cases, including active or closed cases, maltreatment reconsiderations, child fatality and near fatality cases; and providing independent insight for improvement
• Providing feedback to key leaders on the internal workings of the child protection system
• Participating in educational events, including a national conference for Citizen Review Panel members
• Receiving ongoing support, training and organizational updates from county and state staff.

For more information contact Laura Gapske at laura.gapske@state.mn.us.

Child abuse is everyone’s responsibility. The Minnesota Children's Justice Act Task Force (CJATF) serves a dual role as both a CAPTA citizen review panel and a multi-disciplinary task force on children's justice. It is also charged with the review and evaluation of the investigative, administrative and judicial handling of child maltreatment-related cases and with making policy and training recommendations for improvement. Its membership is composed of professionals with knowledge and experience relating to the criminal justice system and the issues of child physical abuse, child neglect, child sexual abuse and exploitation, and child maltreatment-related fatalities. The following seats are vacant and competitive for the following categories:

• Law enforcement representative: 1 seat
• Prosecuting attorney: 1 seat
• Defense attorney: 1 seat
• Attorney for children: 1 seat
• Guardian ad litem (i.e. court-appointed special advocate representative): 1 seat
• Child protective service agency representative: up to 2 seats
• Individual experienced working with homeless children and youths: 1 seat
• Parent/representative of a parent group: 1 seat
• Foster care adult survivor: 1 seat
• Adult former victims of child abuse and neglect: 1 seat

Per diem stipends are available for members unpaid for their time at meetings. The task force also provides technical support in the administration of the Children's Justice Act grant, including funding recommendations and administrative oversight to promote CJA grant-supported activities/projects that:

• Reform State systems and improve the process by which states respond to cases of abuse and neglect
• Monitor implementation of task force recommendations and supporting inter-agency collaboration
• Focus on front-end investigative, administrative and judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect.

Find more details or apply on the MN Secretary of State website. Contact Laura Gapske for more information at laura.gapske@state.mn.us.