Policy & Practice | Summer 2026

communication, active listening, and shared understanding. These con nections, often described as “social capital,” are seen as essential supports that current systems do not consis tently provide. Based on these insights, the project has identified three key priorities to guide the next phase of work: strong relationships with caseworkers— relationships built on clear communication, active listening, and shared understanding. Creating a statewide learning system to better track outcomes and under stand what supports are most effective for young caregivers BUILDING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS Expanding opportunities for peer engagement and community building, co-designed with teen parents ENHANCING SERVICES Improving frontline support through training, stronger coordination across agencies, and relationship-based approaches grounded in dignity and cultural responsiveness What’s Next The project team will publish a full Summary of Learning report, which will be available on the Engagement HQ page. Looking ahead, DCYF plans Teen parents want peer communities, emotional support, and welcoming, nonjudgmental spaces. They stressed the importance of STRENGTHENING DATA AND LEARNING

to release an RFP in 2026 to bring on key partners: n A measurement and data partner to support pilot implementation and learning n A social capital partner to build sustainable peer networks and engagement infrastructure Together, this work will support a multiyear pilot aimed at creating a more connected, responsive, and effec tive system—one where teen parents across Minnesota have the support they need to thrive. Want to learn more? Visit MFIP Teen Parent Project EngagementHQ at https://min nesotadcyf.us.engagementhq.com/ mfip-teen-parent-project/. You can also learn more at the Economic Mobility & Well-Being (EMWB) Conference during our session, “Transforming Stories into Systems Change: The MFIP Teen Parent Project,” on Monday, August 24, at 11:30 a.m. Reference Notes 1. https://dcyf.mn.gov/ whole-family-approach 2. https://www.nationalequityproject.org/ frameworks/liberatory-design 3. https://dcyf.mn.gov/sites/ default/files/2025-12/eaesd.wfs_. humancentereddesign.12.1.2025.pdf 4. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/ files/2022-03/2000510-data-walks an-innovative-way-to-share-data-with communities.pdf 5. https://acf.gov/opre/report/walking participants-shoes-customer-journey mapping-tool-identify-barriers-program 6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/ PMC12934378 7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/ PMC12968274 8. https://www.evalacademy.com/articles/ what-you-need-to-know-about-member checking Dr. Katie Boone is the Engagement and Qualitative Research Coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Children,Youth, and Families. Johanna Ramussen is the MFIP Policy Analyst at the Minnesota Department of Children,Youth, and Families.

The engagement sessions used a variety of methodologies to engage participants, including a data walk, 4 journey mapping 5 through narra tive inquiry, 6 and sensemaking 7 to determine strategic priority recom mendations for phase two. Following the engagement sessions, virtual loopback sessions were convened to complete the learning cycle. Loopback sessions are a member-checking 8 qualitative research methodology, important for fostering trust. These 90-minute gatherings brought participants back together for collective sensemaking and learning, providing space and time for participants to review emerging findings, ensuring their voices were accurately represented, and that the resulting insights reflected the collec tive intent of the group. Participants revisited key themes, including the role of caseworkers, access to child care, communication barriers, and opportunities to build community among teen parents. They examined how the synthesized findings aligned with their lived realities and provided feedback to refine language, framing, and priorities. What We Learned Through this work, teen parents shared powerful insights about their goals and experiences. They expressed a strong commitment to their chil dren’s well-being and to building stable, successful futures. Many high lighted the importance of access to reliable child care, meaningful career pathways, and education—including financial literacy, life skills, and oppor tunities to explore entrepreneurship. The parents demonstrated strength in difficult situations, initiative in navigating a program and system that often presented barriers to the parents’ goals, and the foresight to access and form a supportive community of other parents that fostered opportunities for mentorship and entrepreneurship. Participants also emphasized the value of connection. Teen parents want peer communities, emotional support, and welcoming, nonjudgmental spaces. They stressed the importance of strong relationships with case workers—relationships built on clear

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Summer 2026 Policy & Practice