MN Human Services Commissioner Says Boy's Death Sheds Light On Need For Improvement
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The tragic death of a 4-year-old Pope County Minn. boy is prompting state officials to rethink a law that's designed to protect children.
Lucinda Jesson is the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
"Well I think the tragedy of the death of this 4-year-old boy is a tragedy that never should have happened. [It] has really made a lot of us step back and ask for a reexamination of the system," she said.
Jesson said there are parts of the system that work well, and there's room for improvement.
"And that's commitment I plan to make. I want to work with counties and the legislature to do that," she said.
The law prohibits social workers from considering past abuse allegations when deciding whether or not to investigate a case of child abuse.
In Pope County social workers received 15 reports about the boy before he died last year. His step mother was charged with murder.
Becky Dale is with Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota.
"When there are real reports in the background, like in the case of this child, that could be pointing toward something that needs to be done. If we can't look at those reports, that's hard too," Dale said
The law was passed last May and is expected to come up for review during the next session.
A Very Complicated And Difficult Situation
