Our legislation

We are still technically a four-year-old organization, so I can say that our track record for bills being signed into state law is four for four in four years (lots of alliteration and even more change)! I am most proud of the connections and relationships we have been able to build with Fosters because that also allowed us to make systems change. By collectively organizing with other Fosters, we have brought true systems to a state that desperately needs them. The laws we have been able to pass are:

• Keep Fosters in School Act
  (Chief Authors Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn and Sen. Karin Housley)
  
  This was our  first-ever bill! It made it clear in state law that  Fosters are to be enrolled in school and cannot be disenrolled for more than seven school days.  
  

• Fostering Education Act
  (Chief Authors Rep. Khaoly Her and Sen. Jason Rarick)
  
  I was repeatedly told that this would be impossible, but our Foster leaders disagreed. Personally, it was a lifelong dream to pass this bill. It was the topic of my first policy memo when I was a first-year student in college, and I got a C on it because “it wasn’t realistic.” I’m happy to say that we’ve shown that when Fosters show up, they get things done. The law established the Fostering Independence Grants, making it so eligible Fosters get full Cost-of-Attendance Grants to pay for their post-secondary dreams. 
  

• Maya's Law
  (Chief Authors Rep. Becker-Finn and Sen. Rosen)
  
  This bill closed  a loophole in Minnesota that didn’t grant children the right to be interviewed separately from their abuser when making an allegation of abuse. It also made it so Fosters are to be interviewed separately whenever a child welfare agency is doing a check-up or visit. 
  

• Creation of the Office of the Ombudsperson for Foster Youth
  (Chief Authors Rep. Jessica Hanson and Sen. Karin Housley)
  
  Before the existence of this bill, there  was no one that Fosters could reach out to when facing abuses or challenges within the foster care system. With the creation of the Ombudsperson Office, Fosters will have an entity with structural power to hold the county child welfare agencies and the Department of Human Services accountable. 
  
  I’m so proud of these systems changing laws and I can’t help thinking about what more we can still achieve. I’ll just say that what we’ve done so far, is a good start! 

  Onward,
  Hoang