CGI announced a partnership with the State of Minnesota on a US$4 million, grant-funded research project, the “Advancing Equity in Child Support” initiative. The State’s project will examine data to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in child support programs across Minnesota, Michigan, and California, as part of a federal initiative to generate measurable information regarding program effectiveness and impact.
“The project will result in much-needed research on the impact of child support on historically disadvantaged and marginalized individuals,” according to Shaneen Moore, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Services. “Armed with this knowledge, programs will be able to critically look at policies and practices that are perpetuating systemic barriers to opportunities or causing harm disproportionately to persons of color and other underserved groups. The overall project goal is to provide states with a sustainable blueprint on how to measure current performance and infuse DEI principles into a child support program in order for every state, local, and tribal program to gain insight into how it is impacting the families that are being or could be served.”
Led by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS),the project will gather qualitative data regarding experiences in Minnesota from program participants and parents who could benefit from child support services, including members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons; people with disabilities; people who live in rural areas; and those otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. The initiative will also seek to build knowledge and cultural competency for child support professionals through DEI training and assessments.
“This is an exciting opportunity to not only use data toward the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but to give families and beneficiaries a voice in the future of these programs,” said Diane Potts, Director, U.S. State and Local Government National Strategy Team, CGI. “The result will be a blueprint for states to follow that can empower their leaders and human services professionals to deliver the best possible outcomes through modern, effective programs.”
The project will culminate in the creation of a “DEI in Action Playbook” that will be shared nationally and among participating states and tribes – including Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and the White Earth Nation of Minnesota – to use in conducting their own equity assessments for child support programs.
Originally announced on April 10, 2024, by CGI in the U.S.
