In Minnesota, the Office of the Ombuds for Foster Youth released a troubling report this month: siblings in foster care are being separated and often not told of their right to stay connected.
The law is clear. Children in care are supposed to be notified that they have the right to maintain contact with their brothers and sisters. Yet, in case after case, that simple, sacred right is ignored — buried under bureaucracy, misplaced paperwork, or indifference.
Think about that. It’s not just another policy failure. It’s a human wound. When you strip a child of their siblings, you’re erasing the last shared witness to their story.
One young person told investigators she didn’t even know where her sister was placed. Another learned through social media that her brother had been moved across the state. Their files say “permanency pending,” but nothing about the ache of growing up alone when your sibling is just a phone call away.
Every foster youth deserves more than safety; they deserve connection. Every separated sibling deserves the right to know and be known. A system that can’t keep brothers and sisters in each other’s lives isn’t child welfare — it’s managed loneliness.
