Foster Youth Bill of Rights
In Ohio, all youth in foster care have basic rights and responsibilities. Read more to learn about Ohio's Foster Youth Bill of Rights.
Your rights in care
You have 15 basic rights in foster care:
1. Freedom from abuse and inhumane treatment
You should not be abused by your caregivers or others, and you should not harm yourself or others.
Your caregivers may discipline you. However, discipline should never include:
- Physical abuse or corporal punishment (like spanking or rough handling)
- Physical restraints (unless you are a danger to yourself or others and your caregivers have restraint training)
- Mechanical restraints
- Food restrictions
- Abuse
- Negative remarks about you, your family or foster children in general
- Threats of violence
- Threats to remove you from their home
- Threats of physical harm, neglect or denying opportunities to visit or communicate with your family
If someone bribes you to keep abuse secret, say no. If you feel unsafe, tell your caseworker, the police or the state’s child abuse hotline (855-OH-CHILD). Memorize local emergency numbers.
2. Protection from all forms of exploitation
You should be protected from all forms of sexual exploitation. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, tell your caregiver or caseworker. Do not allow disrespectful labels. If you hear disrespectful sexual talk, tell your caregiver or caseworker. Your caregiver and caseworker should listen to your concerns and help you stay safe.
If anyone tries to force, threaten or trick you to work without pay, that is called “labor trafficking.” If anyone tries to force, threaten or trick you to do sex acts for money, that is called “sex trafficking.”
If you or someone you know is being trafficked, tell your caregiver, parent, caseworker, police or the national anti-trafficking hotline by calling (888) 373-7888 or texting “BeFree” (233733).
3. Housing, food and clothing
You have the right to timely and consistent access to housing, food, and clothing. Your caregiver must meet your basic needs for food, clothing, housing and personal items like hygiene products.
If you have a child, your caseworker and caregiver should ensure you have the skills and supplies to care for your child.
You have the right to clean and safe surroundings. You should clean up your own mess and maintain good personal hygiene. You should help with household chores. If you need help using household cleaning supplies, ask your caregiver for instructions. No one should smoke in the home or around you.
If you believe your surroundings are unsafe or unclean, tell your caregiver or caseworker.
4. Privacy and personal belongings
You cannot expect complete privacy, but you have the right to a reasonable amount of privacy for yourself and others. You should tell people about your personal boundaries. If you do not want to discuss certain topics in front of your caregiver, ask your caseworker to talk privately. You may request privacy in your room. You should not be punished for requesting privacy. Your personal information should not be shared with others, unless it is case information required by agencies to help you and your family
5. Your own money and personal property
You have the right to your own money and personal property as described in your service or case plan. To learn more about applying for a job to earn money, visit OhioMeansJobs.com. If you are between 14 and 24 years old and want to earn money, a Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program (CCMEP) career coach can help you access free resources to get jobs, internships and supportive services like addiction recovery support, childcare and transportation. To contact CCMEP, email [email protected].
Most kids want to know if they have the right to have a phone. The county agency does not provide phones. It is up to each individual caregiver to make rules about allowing a child to have a cell phone.
6. Visitation and communication
You have the right to communicate with family, friends and significant others who live away from you. Your service or case plan has details about communication rights. Your caregiver should support your visitation plan so you can see your family. If you want more communication or visits with your siblings or other loved ones, tell your caseworker.
If your sibling has been adopted, it is up to your sibling's parents to decide what types of communication and visitation you can have.
7. Contact with professionals involved in your case
You have the right to contact professionals involved in your case like your caseworker.
Tell your caseworker you want to attend your initial case plan meeting. Your case plan says what changes must happen before you can live at home again (“reunification”). You may ask your caseworker to invite two other adult supporters (besides your caseworker or foster parent) to the meeting. Your caseworker decides if inviting those people is in your best interest.
After the first case plan meeting, there are case planning meetings at least every 90 days. Ask your case worker when the case planning meetings are so you can attend. If you are 14 or older, you are allowed to bring the two adult supporters identified in your independent living plan, subject to Children Services approval.
8. Being heard and considered
You have the right to contribute to decisions about your life. Your opinions should be heard and considered in decisions about your life whenever possible. Tell your caseworker if you need to talk about something.
9. Healthcare
You have the right to receive timely, adequate and appropriate medical care, dental services, vision care, mental health services, and daily prescriptions like birth control. Tell your caseworker and caregiver about your medical conditions or concerns. If you have prescribed medications, ask questions about why they are prescribed and what side effects they may cause. If your body does not feel right, tell your caseworker, caregiver or doctor.
Your caseworker and caregiver should ensure you have transportation to medical appointments. If possible, they should teach you to make medical appointments for yourself.
When you leave foster care, ask for a copy of your medical records.
10. Thought and religion.
You have the right to freedom of thought. You have the right to practice your chosen religion. You may choose not to practice religion. You cannot be forced to attend religious service. Your caseworker and caregiver cannot restrict your religion or punish you for your religious beliefs and practices.
11. Guidance, support and supervision.
You have the right to receive guidance, support, and supervision from adults in your life. With you, your caregiver should share and develop house rules and consequences for breaking house rules. Discipline should never violate your rights.
12. Education
You have the right to appropriate education. You should go to school every day and participate in your classes. Participate in available after-school educational activities and get your high school diploma or GED.
You can ask to stay in your original school, but your caseworker cannot guarantee it.
If you need an Individual Education Plan (IEP) because you have a disability, your caregiver and caseworker should make sure it is active and goes with you if you transfer schools.
13. Life skills preparation.
You should be taught skills to help you transition to independence and self-sufficiency. Life skills include:
- Academic and post-secondary education support
- Career preparation and financial management
- Health education and family support
- Post-emancipation services
- Any other training to help you prepare for independent life
14. Extracurricular, enrichment, and social activities.
You have the right to participate in age-appropriate extracurricular, enrichment and social activities. Your agency has “normalcy” policies that allow you to participate in normal and beneficial activities that may include activities like spending the night at a friend’s house or participating in school activities.
15. Protection from discrimination.
You have the right to protection from discrimination or harassment based on race, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, color or national origin.
Enforcing your rights
There are times when an agency can temporarily restrict your rights to protect people’s health and safety. Otherwise, your rights should always be protected.
If you feel your rights have been violated unfairly, you can:
- Tell a trusted adult you know. If your rights are violated, tell your foster parent, GAL, CASA or another trusted adult.
- If you live in a residential group home, the staff must give you a handbook that lists the complaint process. Follow the handbook’s instructions to report a violation of your rights.
- Contact the Children Services agency. If your rights are violated, tell your caseworker. If your caseworker does not fix your problem, talk to your caseworker’s supervisor. To find out who your caseworker's supervisor is, call the main phone number for Children Services in your county. You can find that information on this page under "Local Government and Community Resources." If the supervisor does not solve the problem, talk to their boss, and continue up the ladder until you get help.
- Report your problem to the Youth Ombudsman. If Children Services does not fix your problem or if you feel unsafe reporting to Children Services, contact the Youth Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is an official who helps with complaints. You can contact the Youth Ombudsman by calling 1-877-649-6884 (OH-YOUTH) or completing the online complaint form at youthombudsman.ohio.gov. The Youth Ombudsman cannot change court-ordered decisions, respond to emergencies, provide legal advice or investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect. The Youth Ombudsman will work with you to resolve complaints and advocate for your rights to be protected while in foster care.
- If you are experiencing an emergency where you need to talk to Children Services, call 855-O-H-CHILD (855-642-4453). This is the statewide Child Abuse Reporting Hotline, which will direct you to your county’s child welfare emergency line or law enforcement.