This brief describes how Minnesota has been working to strengthen families with particular attention to the role of culture in this effort. Minnesota???s new family strengthening initiative seeks to identify culture as a protective factor in child abuse prevention. The initiative is working from the ground-up by way of grants to community-based agencies that agree to use protective factors knowledge in their work to strengthen families and improve child welfare. The brief also describes Minnesota???s effort in building parent partnerships, enriching professional development and implementing family-strengthening child welfare practice across the state.
