OHIO YAB Statement about Foster Youth Rights in Ohio Administrative Code

The Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board is a statewide organization of young people (aged 14-24) who have experienced foster care. The OHIO YAB exists to be the knowledgeable statewide voice that influences policies and practices that impact youth who have or will experience out of home care.

As an OHIO YAB Youth Ambassador, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with ODJFS and my fellow foster youth on the wording of the Foster Youth Bill of Rights in Ohio Administrative Code. We appreciate ODJFS incorporating our feedback, including ordering youth rights by triage by putting the most vital rights first. We also thank ODJFS for agreeing to require that these rights be clearly posted in congregate care facilities such as group homes and residential facilities.

My fellow Officers and I are proud to stand by our work to ensure that these rights are clear to youth and everyone caring for them. We want to make sure that every youth gets a copy and understands their rights, and that these rights are followed. This is the first step in the right direction on our ultimate path to create a Youth Ombudsman Office to give youth a safe place to report and make the system a safer environment for those who have to navigate it.

A quote stands out to me by American author Alfie Khon: "Children, after all, are not just adults in-the-making. They are people whose current needs and rights and experiences must be taken seriously." This is what we are doing here, and I am glad to be a part of it. Thank you again for this opportunity. This is a win for both ODJFS and for those in the foster system, because it will give not only youth, but also caseworkers an opportunity to make the system better.

~ Raven Grice, pictured below with her fiancé