Each year the state agency shall gather data and make a determination about the status of the child welfare/child protection job market. After reviewing data, the State agency will issue instructions on how graduating stipend students shall proceed with their required job search.  The job search expectations announced each year apply until the next determination has been made.

After consulting with county agencies and university partners, the State agency has determined this year to be a low vacancy job market throughout the state of Minnesota.  As a result, a concurrent job search will be allowed. This means that graduate and undergraduate students may search concurrently for both tier one and tier two positions in their specified geographic search parameters (within 50 miles of their post-graduation home location) during their initial 3 month search period. Graduate students will be required to complete a total of six months documenting a rigorous concurrent search (unless eligible employment is secured prior to the end of the required search period).

**On-line Tool to determine a 50 mile radius county search: https://www.statsamerica.org/radius/big.aspx

Internship Placements 

Universities should first work to secure tier one internships for undergraduate and graduate IV-E students to complete in the 2026-27 academic year. In addition, we acknowledge that placing IV-E undergraduate and graduate students in tier one agencies for their required internship placements may be difficult in the coming year as agencies continue to rebuild their staffing capacity. If universities experience difficulty in finding placement options, please reach out to Child Welfare Education Partnership Coordinator, Melissa Mendez, to request exceptions or ask for assistance in seeking appropriate internship placement options.