When foster kids decide to shepherd their own bills through legislation, great things can happen. We are Kathleen and Robert Raskin, and we are happy to be bringing you a bit of good news for foster children. The Foster Children’s Bill of Rights was co-sponsored by state representatives Jerry Relph and Ron Kresha, and this reform effort is going to be a game-changer for siblings who are caught in the system.

The Foster Children’s Bill of Rights states that foster siblings have a right to be together, and it will enable them to be placed together whenever possible, to visit each other, and to stay in contact. Being placed into the system can be frightening for children, and losing contact with their sibling group can make it especially traumatic. These children are innocent victims of the system and sometimes of their parents as well, and they deserve better than to be separated when they are at their most vulnerable.

Going forward, when a child or sibling group enters foster care in Minnesota they will be handed a copy of this Bill of Rights, but there is more to the bill than that. It also includes a review of the MAPCY program, which assesses parenting challenges in communities of color. It will also include training requirements for how fetal alcohol syndrome should be handled.

The new law is set to go into effect Wednesday, and we just couldn’t be more pleased about it. This is a huge step for foster children and for families. It is also a testament to what can be achieved when adults step in and help these kids to help themselves. The positive impact felt from this bill will be felt for generations to come, but it is just one of many steps that need to be taken in the right direction before the system is finally free from corruption. We can only hope more states decide to follow their example.