Yesterday, the Nebraska Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving whether to place a child in foster care in Nebraska with her siblings in Minnesota. Appleseed filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in this case because we think it has the potential to set an important precedent regarding the right of children in foster care to be placed with their siblings when appropriate. Appleseed argued that the Constitution and the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 as well as state policy requires the state to prioritize the placement of children with their siblings and to start with a presumption that siblings should be placed together unless the state shows doing so would be contrary to the safety or well-being of the siblings. The Supreme Court’s decision in this case is expected this spring.
Read a Lincoln Journal Star article on the case
Read Appleseed’s amicus brief