What does the Office of Ombudsperson for Foster Youth do with my complaint?

We review the information you give us and decide what action to take. We are an independent and impartial agency that doesn’t take sides.

Depending on your complaint, we may:

• Put you in contact with the right person or organization who can respond to your complaint. 
• Contact the other party about the problem and ask them for an explanation. 
• Help clear up miscommunications. 
• Help explain how you can appeal a decision that’s already been made. 
• Help you better understand your available rights and resources. 
• Seek further evidence from you or someone else. 
• Review records. 
• Research relevant laws, regulations, policies, and procedures. 
• Suggest improvements to fix an underlying issue. 
• Commence a formal investigation into your complaint. We do this only rarely when there is evidence of very serious and/or systemic problems.

We'll contact you within 2 business days of receiving your complaint and will provide you periodic updates as we work to address your complaint. 

Most communications with the Office staff may be conducted via virtual meetings and/or phone calls or emails. This allows our staff to serve more people across the State of Minnesota. However, there may be instances when the Office staff ask to speak with you in person. If you prefer an in-person meeting, please discuss this with us. 

We aim to finalize most complaints within 30 days. Complex complaints can take a lot longer. We will always give you reasons for our decisions and tell you what we decide to do with your complaint. 

If we conclude your complaint is justified, we will work with you and the other party to find a fair solution. We have no power to order changes in rules, regulations, policies, or procedures. We can make recommendations that are strongly valued by judges and agencies. If we are unable to work out a satisfactory solution, we can send a formal report of our findings and recommendations to the legislature, governor, and the public. 

If we conclude your complaint is not justified, we will take the time to explain our reasoning to you. We can also decline to investigate a case where our intervention would be inappropriate. If we can’t take up your case, we will tell you why.