Declan Alvar

Born February 4, 2020
Taken July 2, 2024

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This is me

My name is Declan.

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I am an outgoing kid. I’ve never been shy about walking up to other children — even teenagers — and asking if they want to play. I like being around people. I like laughing. I like joining in.

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I love my Matchbox cars and my tracks. I line them up in rows and build roads and stories around them. I like music, dancing, going for bike rides, hiking and watching movies with my family.

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Before I was taken, I spent all of my time with both of my parents.

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My life before July 2, 2024

Before July 2024, my dad had me and my sister Sloane all day, every day.

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My dad worked from home running his own business, and many days it was just the three of us. He took care of us, played with us, taught us, and was always there.

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For two winters before I was taken, we lived in the Florida Keys.

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Most of our days were spent:

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• At the beach

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• Napping together in hammocks

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• Riding bikes

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• Going for walks

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• Visiting the marina to look at fish

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• Collecting seashells

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We walked the streets of Key West and went to the nightly Sunset celebrations. I loved stopping to play the drums and xylophone at the market. We spent a lot of time at playgrounds, and I was always right in the middle of other kids playing.

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When we were back in Minnesota during the summer, our time together looked like:

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• Como Zoo

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• Minnehaha Park

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• Hiking the North Shore of Lake Superior

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• Camping

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• Playgrounds

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• At the racetrack cheering on my dad

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• Time with my older siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends

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I was surrounded by people who knew me and loved me.

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What happened to me

On July 2, 2024, my mother took me and has not returned me.

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That day, my mom was experiencing a serious mental health crisis. My dad was attacked and called 911 asking for help — not punishment — because our family needed help.

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Instead, false allegations were made.

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On October 23, 2024, those allegations were found to be false in a court of law.

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Even after that, I have remained separated from my dad for no lawful reason.

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Minnesota has laws meant to prevent this from happening. The State has allowed it anyway.

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What the law says — and what hasn’t happened

Under Minnesota law, children are supposed to have substantial and ongoing time with both parents. My dad and I should be together at least 50/50.

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That has been obstructed.

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My dad has repeatedly asked the court to:

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• Enforce lawful parenting time

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• Hold my mom accountable for not returning me

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• Grant temporary custody so she can receive the mental health help she needs

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All of this has been refused.

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Even though parenting time is ordered, the court has denied contempt and refused to require lawful parenting time to resume.

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When I last saw my dad

I was allowed to see my dad briefly in December 2024 and during the first week of January 2025.

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January 3, 2025, was the last day I saw him.

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During supervised visits:

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• Visitation center staff documented fear, confusion, and rejection toward my dad that had not existed before

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• The Guardian ad Litem documented the same concerns

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These are known signs of parental alienation — when a child is psychologically pressured to reject a parent without a legitimate reason. Learn more about parental alienation here: Parental Alienation

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No intervention has been required, even though the harm has been documented.

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What this has changed

I started Kindergarten this year.

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My dad is legally required to be involved in my education, but that has been obstructed too.

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I have been separated from:

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• My dad

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• My older siblings, Haven (22) and William (18)

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• My grandparents

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• My extended family

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• Many people who were part of my everyday life

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The one thing that helps is that I still have my sister Sloane. We had each other before this happened, and we still do.

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Why this page exists

This page exists because I am not a case number.

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What happened to me is happening to children across Minnesota and across the country. False allegations, ignored mental health crises, and unenforced laws are separating children from fit parents — often permanently.

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Because there has been no protection at the state level, my dad has been forced to seek accountability through a federal civil rights case and federal appeal.

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This should not be necessary.

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What you can do to help

Please contact your Minnesota State Senator and State Representative.

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Tell them to:

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• Meet with my dad - Ryan Alvar

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• Review my case as an example of systemic failure

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• Demand immediate family court reform so no other child goes through this

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Children cannot wait.

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Family court reform & legislator contact: Legislation (quick and easy copy / paste message you can send for me)
 

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Stay informed as reform moves forward

If you’d like to see how your outreach is driving real change, I invite you to subscribe for updates. My dad will be sharing progress on legislator engagement, reform efforts, and next steps as they happen.

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👉 Subscribe for updates here: Contact

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Support the work (optional, but deeply appreciated)

This advocacy work is ongoing and time-intensive. If you’re able, your support helps keep it moving forward.

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👉 Support advocacy and reform work through our GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/59323e16

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📝 Sign the petition urging the DOJ — the primary federal authority with jurisdiction to investigate systemic civil rights violations — to investigate family-court abuses: https://c.org/ScGXShwq98

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Follow for daily updates

My dad shares quicker, more frequent updates on Facebook — things that don’t always make it into blog posts but matter in understanding the full picture.

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👉 Follow my dad's Facebook Page for daily updates: Facebook Page

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Thank you​

 

Thank you for helping me and my family to make sure no other family goes through this.