This story is being co-published with The Imprint, a national nonprofit news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice.
Two years ago, amid growing scrutiny, Minnesota and states across the country reexamined a longstanding child welfare practice: When the parents of kids in state custody die or become disabled, their rightful survivor benefits are funneled into the cost of the foster care system that cares for them.
Youth advocates have decried the practice and want it stopped. They say the money should be set aside in individual accounts that can be tapped for children’s special needs, or to help young adults leaving foster care without family support or steady income…