2025-26 CASCW Legislative Preview
Thank you to CASCW for highlighting Foster Advocates as one of the partners leading child welfare legislative projects for Minnesota’s 2025-26 legislative session! See the interview with Ariana Chamoun below:
What is your role and organization affiliation?
I serve as the Interim Executive Director of Foster Advocates, an organization directed by and for Fosters, working to improve the foster care landscape in Minnesota. We envision a Minnesota where everyone involved in the foster care system has the same access to opportunities and outcomes as their peers and Foster voices are respected and community expertise is sought in every aspect of the child welfare system.
What are you bringing to the legislature this session?
This legislative session, Foster Advocates is hoping to bring more stories from the Foster community into the conversation, because their voices are so important. We will focus on opportunities where our state is investing more in the Foster community, and on prevention efforts for both Fosters and families in our state.
What will you be most focused on in this session?
At Foster Advocates, we are working to shift the narrative and conversations around the Foster community. We have to remember that Fosters are our children, and they look to us for protection. The state becomes their parent the moment we remove them from their families, and collectively we promise them we will do better. And when we look at the outcomes, we know that is just not true.
For the past 2 years, our organization has been working on the Minnesota Promise campaign. We traveled throughout the state and held listening sessions where we asked Fosters what it would look like if Minnesota fulfilled this promise it makes to young people. The results are powerful. We will release our formal report this spring, lifting up Foster expertise and the opportunities Fosters identified for our state to do better by them, their peers, and for future Fosters.
Are there specific bills you/your organization are currently working on or advocating for?
This session, Foster Advocates will be working to create a special revenue fund for the Fostering Independence Grants (FIG) to ensure its ongoing sustainability. This past session, advocates in our community moved swiftly upon learning the FIG program was facing a $5 million budget shortfall. Many Fosters courageously stepped up and shared their stories with legislators, and on the impact FIG has had on their lives. It was a beautiful win, and highlighted the need for additional attention for the longevity of FIG. We are excited to bring this forward, and ensure MN continues to fulfill the promise we made to young people back in 2021.
We are also supporting the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson's advancement of a Foster Bill of Rights, and look forward to contributing to those conversations and the need for this resource in our state.
What do you think child welfare professionals should pay close attention to during this session?
In addition to our lead bill, we encourage stakeholders to consider how little we are investing in Fosters and their futures while they are in care. Knowing the predictably poor outcomes, we must get uncomfortable and ask ourselves, where are we missing the mark? How can we do better? A few opportunities to pay attention to this upcoming session:
Increased investment for the Successful Transitions to Adulthood for Youth (STAY) Program. This is the only state program that offers designated funds to counties and nonprofits to provide independent living services and financial support to eligible youth ages 14 up to age 23 in their transition to adulthood. As a state we have not increased our investment in nearly 20 years. This creates a significant gap and need for our community.
Changing the Extended Foster Care (EFC) Program to opt-out. This program allows eligible Fosters to receive additional county support and financial assistance up to age 21. The proposed change would provide more clarity and agency for young people, and ensure all eligible Fosters are able to tap into this much needed benefit.
