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The Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson handles complaints from anyone, prioritizing concerns from young people about their rights, care, safety, and placement in Minnesota foster care, including youth in Extended Foster Care and those who have recently aged out of care.
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It’s September, and we’re already looking ahead to Foster Youth Voice Month in October, a time dedicated to uplifting the voices and leadership of young people with lived experience in foster care. At OOFY, youth voice is at the core of who we are: our agency exists because foster youth spoke up and demanded change. As we prepare for this important month, we’re proud to share our Annual Report and Sibling Issue Report, highlighting key accomplishments, youth-driven priorities, and the work ahead. We hope you’ll read, reflect, and stand with us in celebrating and strengthening youth voice this month, next month, and beyond. |
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2024-2025 OOFY Annual Report highlights the agency's foundational year as well as themes, trends, and key projects coming up.
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OOFY reviewed issues related to sibling relationships for foster youth. This report summarizes the concerns identified over one year of monitoring, and shares recommendations to better support sibling relationships.
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On October 15th, OOFY is excited to be offering a lived experience panel at the 2025 Permanency and Child Welfare Fall Conference hosted by CASCW. The panel will consist of folks with lived experience in Minnesota foster care, including the moderator, Ombudsperson Misty Coonce. This panel will discuss permanency, what it means, and what the future should look like for current and future Fosters to come.
Presentation: What Permanency Meant and What Was Missing
Description: In this keynote, people with lived experience in foster care will share their expertise and personal experiences with permanency—or the absence of it—while in care. Their honest reflections reveal what permanency looked like, where it fell short, and how system definitions sometimes miss the mark. This keynote invites child welfare professionals to listen deeply, remember the human impact of their work, and recommit to creating lasting connections that youth deserve.
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A Glimpse into the Future of Foster Care
By Izzy Wagner*, Founding OOFY Advisory Board Member
In the future's embrace, foster care shall bloom,
A sanctuary of hope, dispelling gloom.
Where every child finds solace, love's tender kiss,
In a world where no one's left to reminisce.
Gone are the days of neglect and despair,
In the arms of compassion, all burdens we share.
A tapestry woven with threads of care,
Each soul nurtured, each heart made aware.
For every child, a guiding light,
Through the darkest of hours, shining bright.
No longer adrift in the storms of fate,
But anchored in love, a destined state.
With voices heard and dreams unfurled,
In the embrace of a kinder world.
Foster care's future, a beacon's glow,
Guiding each child to flourish and grow.
With open arms and hearts so wide,
We'll walk beside them, side by side.
For in the future of foster care,
Lies a promise of love beyond compare.
*Denotes lived experience in foster care.
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