Minnesota Statutes
Chapter 257 — Children; Custody, Legitimacy
Section 257.33 — Duties Of Commissioner Of Human Services; Minor Parents.

Subdivision 1. Services to pregnant women. It shall be the duty of the commissioner of human services to offer appropriate social services to any pregnant woman who is in need of social services under criteria prescribed by rule of the commissioner. The commissioner shall also offer appropriate social services to the woman and her child after the birth of the child.
Subd. 2. Minor parents and their children. (a) Every birth to a minor shall be reported by the hospital where the birth occurs, within three working days after the birth. The hospital shall make the report to the county social services agency in the county in which the minor mother resides and shall notify the minor that the report has been made. The county social services agency shall contact any minor mother who does not have a case manager who resides in the county and determine whether she has a plan for herself and her child. The plan must consider:
(1) the age of the minor parent;
(2) the involvement of the minor's parents or of other adults who provide active, ongoing guidance, support, and supervision;
(3) the involvement of the father of the minor's child, including steps being taken to establish paternity, if appropriate;
(4) a decision of the minor to keep and raise her child or place the child for adoption;
(5) completion of high school or a commissioner of education-selected high school equivalency program;
(6) current economic support of the minor parent and child and plans for economic self-sufficiency;
(7) parenting skills of the minor parent;
(8) living arrangement of the minor parent and child;
(9) child care and transportation needed for education, training, or employment;
(10) ongoing health care; and
(11) other services as needed to address personal or family problems or to facilitate the personal growth and development and economic self-sufficiency of the minor parent and child.
(b) If the minor parent does not have a plan for herself and child, the county social services agency shall work with her to develop a plan and shall provide case management services as needed to assure the resources and services are available to meet the plan requirements.
(c) If the minor parent refuses to plan for herself and her child or fails, without good cause, to follow through on an agreed-upon plan, the county social services agency may file a petition under section 260C.141 seeking an order for protective supervision under section 260C.201, subdivision 1, clause (a), on the grounds that the minor parent's child is dependent due to the state of immaturity of the minor parent. A contract with a minor parent under section 256J.54, subdivision 2, is an "agreed-upon plan" for purposes of this section.
(4455) 1917 c 194 s 2; 1980 c 589 s 31; 1981 c 257 s 1; 1984 c 654 art 5 s 58; 1987 c 403 art 3 s 44; 1999 c 139 art 4 s 2; 1999 c 159 s 107; 1Sp2017 c 5 art 10 s 7

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