Sponsor: Social Services
Title
title
Amendment to the Agreement with Alia Innovations for Implementation of Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act
end
Recommendation
recommendation
1. Approve an amendment to the agreement with Alia Innovations for professional services to implement Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act to increase the not to exceed amount of the contract to $560,750.
2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the amendment.
3. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreement and execute amendments to agreements with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of grant funding.
end
Background and Rationale
body
Ramsey County is a Phase-In County for the implementation of the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act of (MAAFPCWDA). This statute requires active efforts in child protection cases involving African American families as defined by the act. By January 2027, it is projected that approximately 85% of families entering the child protection system will meet the criteria requiring these enhanced efforts. Current workforce challenges, including high staff turnover, inadequate training, and erosion of core child welfare practices, pose significant barriers to compliance and effective implementation. Children and Family Services is need of project management leadership and workforce capacity-building support to Ramsey County Children and Family Services, ensuring full and sustainable implementation of MAAFPCWDA. The project manager will play a critical role in: strengthening foundational child welfare practices (particularly safety assessments), supporting leadership and staff mindset shifts, ensuring robust training and onboarding, developing infrastructure to sustain Active Efforts practice, and co-designing with community the rollout of MAAFPCWDA.
Ramsey County Children & Family Services (CFS) has been partnering with Alia Innovations as part of its ongoing efforts to align with the values and requirements of MAAFPCWDA. This collaboration is focused on strengthening organizational culture, enhancing leadership capacity, and promoting staff wellness. Through a series of facilitated sessions with supervisors and leaders, Alia is supporting the department in creating a more equitable, reflective, and supportive workplace-grounded in the principles of family preservation and racial equity.
The partnership with Alia on this project began in December 2024, when Ramsey County Social Services and the Children & Family Services Team initiated this work to begin preparing for MAAFPCWDA implementation. Initial contract funding supported a comprehensive needs assessment and the early stages of implementation planning.
This current request seeks approval to operationalize the next phase of that work and continue building the infrastructure necessary to fully implement the MAAFPCWDA framework.
end
County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☐ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
This partnership with Ramsey County Children & Family Services and Alia Innovations directly supports the implementation of the MAAFPCWDA. Alia has and will continue to provide project management services and organizational alignment across CFS and with community partners. This foundational work is essential to creating the conditions for MAAFPCWDA to succeed. MAAFPCWDA is designed to address the long-standing overrepresentation of African American, American Indian, and other marginalized children in the child protection system. For this transformative legislation to be effective, internal systems must shift to support equity-driven practice. Alia's partnership helps Ramsey County move away from punitive, compliance-driven structures and toward a more collaborative, community-centered approach. By aligning organizational culture with the intent of MAAFPCWDA, this work supports more equitable decision-making, reduces bias in system responses, and strengths outcomes for families who have been historically harmed by child welfare intervention.
Community Participation Level and Impact
MAAFPCWDA implementation in Ramsey County is being shaped in partnership with MAAFPCWDA Advisory Committee, which includes individuals with lived experience and representatives from the community. The Advisory Committee helps guide planning, elevate community voice, and ensure accountability to the law’s intent. Alia Innovations facilitates the Advisory Committee, creating space for honest dialogue, mutual accountability, and collaborative problem-solving. This structure ensures that community voice remains central throughout implementation. Alia’s dual role, supporting both internal readiness and external engagement, helps bridge the gap between system change and community trust, strengthening the long-term impact of MAAFPCWDA for African American families and other disproportionately impacted communities.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Ramsey County is statutorily required to implement MAAFPCWDA. Ramsey County will utilize both the Child Protection Project grant funding (70%) and levy funded employee developmental dollars (30%) to support this contract as it will support staff in the MAAFPCWDA requirements. This contract will support all 200 Children and Family Service staff from front line staff to the deputy director at varying levels. These costs are accounted for in the proposed 2026-2027 operating budget.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
1. Agreement