To amend sections 2151.011, 2151.411, 2151.412, 2151.416, 2151.417, 2151.4122, 2151.424, and 5103.161; to enact new sections 2151.4115, 2151.4116, 2151.4117, 2151.4118, 2151.4119, and 2151.4120 and section 2151.317; and to repeal sections 2151.4115, 2151.4116, 2151.4117, 2151.4118, 2151.4119, 2151.4120, and 2151.4121 of the Revised Code to enact the "Fostering Sibling Success Act" regarding the rights of sibling youths in foster care and to provide for continuation of a child's placement and limit kinship preference in foster care.
HB902, the “Fostering Sibling Success Act,” would expand and formalize rights for children in foster care who have siblings. The bill creates a new statutory section listing sibling-focused rights, including the right to be placed together when possible, to live near siblings when joint placement is not possible, to have regular contact and shared family time, to receive notice of sibling placement changes and major events, and to be informed of those rights in age-appropriate form. It also directs agencies to train caseworkers on sibling relationships and to involve siblings in permanency planning when appropriate.
The bill also changes foster-care case planning and placement procedures. It requires public children services agencies and private child placing agencies to conduct a diligent search for adult relatives and adult nonrelatives with significant relationships to the child when a child is removed from the home, to notify those individuals of placement options and assistance, and to continue searching until a placement is found, a permanency plan is approved, or a court orders the search stopped. In addition, the bill adds a new rule allowing courts to excuse agencies from considering certain relatives or nonrelatives if they do not show interest within six months, and it revises existing law on foster caregiver and kinship caregiver notice and participation in hearings.
HB902 would affect several sections of Ohio’s juvenile and child welfare code, especially provisions governing custody, case plans, administrative reviews, review hearings, and placement preferences. It would require courts, when reviewing permanency plans, to consider whether agencies complied with the new diligent-search and sibling-contact provisions. It also modifies the kinship preference framework by limiting when agencies must consider adult relatives or nonrelatives and by clarifying that the new sibling rights do not create a private right of action. The bill further updates notice requirements for foster caregivers, kinship caregivers, and prospective adoptive parents, and it preserves agency discretion to place a child based on best interests and child safety.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of sibling preservation and continuity in foster care. The measure is framed as a child-welfare reform intended to reduce sibling separation, improve communication, and make placement decisions more transparent and family-centered. Because the bill was only introduced and there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided materials, there is no documented public debate or formal vote history to indicate broader legislative support or opposition.
The main points of potential contention are the bill’s limits on kinship preference and the extent to which it constrains agency and court discretion. Some stakeholders may view the six-month cutoff for relatives or significant nonrelatives to express interest as too rigid, while others may support it as a way to avoid delays in permanency. Another possible issue is the bill’s requirement that sibling contact be prioritized unless contrary to best interests, which could create disputes in cases involving safety concerns, criminal proceedings, protection orders, or conflicting placement needs. The bill repeatedly preserves the child’s best interests as the controlling standard, but it also shifts the balance toward stronger enforceable expectations for sibling placement and contact.
The bill would amend Ohio’s juvenile and child welfare statutes to create new duties for public children services agencies and private child placing agencies when a child enters foster care, including mandatory diligent searches for adult relatives and significant nonrelatives, notice obligations, and ongoing documentation to the court. It would also revise case-plan and review-hearing procedures so courts must consider agency compliance with sibling-placement and kinship-search requirements when evaluating permanency plans. The bill would alter existing placement-preference practices by limiting kinship consideration in some circumstances and by clarifying caregiver notice and participation rights, while expressly stating that the new sibling rights do not create a civil cause of action.
The bill’s stated purpose and structure reflect a generally positive, child-centered sentiment focused on keeping siblings connected and improving permanency outcomes for foster youth. The proposal emphasizes family continuity, communication, and transparency, and it does so through detailed statutory rights and agency obligations. No committee testimony or vote record was provided, so there is no evidence in the supplied materials of organized support or opposition beyond the policy choices embedded in the bill itself.
The most likely areas of contention are the bill’s limits on kinship preference, the six-month deadline for relatives or significant nonrelatives to demonstrate interest, and the degree to which agencies and courts must prioritize sibling placement and contact over administrative flexibility. Child welfare advocates may support the stronger sibling protections, while others may argue that the bill could complicate placement decisions, increase administrative burdens, or reduce flexibility in urgent safety situations. The bill attempts to address these concerns by preserving the best-interests standard, allowing exceptions for safety, criminal proceedings, and protection orders, and denying a private right of action.