Education Advocacy  (return to Issue Areas)

FOSTER CARE KIDS NEED AN EDUCATION TOO!

     “Youth leaving foster care face enormous challenges in building successful lives.  They are less well prepared educationally, have a harder time embarking on a productive career, are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and are more likely to be involved with the legal system.”  Child Trends (December 2002).

      “Foster care children exhibit more educational difficulties and lower high school graduation rates.  Educational achievement has an impact on long-term outcomes.” Knowledge Words Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2001.

      Repeatedly changing schools disrupts the educational process and can hinder a child’s ability to learn and succeed academically.  Calvin estimates that “when students change schools they lose an average of four to six months of education progress.^[1]”  School records are often lost or are not transferred in a timely manner, which can result in a delay in student enrollment or difficulties in receiving needed services for special needs students.^[2]  Moreover, a lack of continuity exists as students adjust to different curriculum, standards, and teachers, possibility finding that they have to repeat material already covered at the previous school or that they have missed various credits and are behind the rest of the class.  Educational Attainment of Foster Youth, Washington State Institute for Public Policy (November 2001).

     Young people in foster care are consistently found to be ill-equipped to live independently.  One longitudinal study found that only 40% of the young people discharged from foster care were employed, compared to a national employment level for young people ages 16 to 24 of 65% (Westat, 1991).  Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, in a study of youth who had been out of care for 12 to 19 months, found that 37% had not finished high school and 32% were receiving public assistance (Courtney & Piliavin, 1998).  Foster Care Today, Casey Family Programs (2001).

---

	Statutes/Regulations
Florida Statute 39.0016 Education of Abused, Neglected or Abandoned Children McKinney-Vento Act IDEA  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ‘97

---

	Legislation
The proposed Bills address the systemic factors needing improvement and other items of DCF’s Program Improvement Plan (see Item 21 of DCF's own plan) Murman House Bill 0723:  Requires agreements between CFS Department and District School Board or other local educational entities

---

	Trainings This seminar instructed about how federal and state laws apply to children in foster care and how education advocacy can advance the well being of children.
Participants learned how to obtain educational records; navigate general education, special education and the disciplinary processes; and access early education programs for young children and transitional services for teens.  This program also addressed how Broward County, through its Interagency Agreement with the Department of Children and Families, addressed these issues.

---

Resources

School Registration Information for Foster Care Children July 2004 - FOSTERING STUDENT SUCCESS: 2004-2005 Technical Assistance Manual for Foster Care Designees - School Board of Broward County and the Department of Children and Families The intent of this document is to provide procedures, which create an awareness of these students' unique educational needs and provide supportive educational interventions. Working closely with the caseworker, the foster parent or guardian will increase the likelihood of these students becoming academically successful.  June 2004 - Fostering Student Success: 2004-2005 Child Welfare Caseworker Manual - School Board of Broward County and the Department of Children and Families Foster care students often experience difficulties as they move from their family' home to multiple foster homes and, consequently, from school to school. A formal interagency agreement between the school district and child welfare sets forth guidelines designed to promote and facilitate academic stabilization of foster care students. The intent of this document is to provide specific procedures, which create an awareness of these students' unique educational needs and provide supportive educational interventions. These procedures are intended for children who have been removed from their parent's or primary caregivers' custody by the court and placed by ChildNet in a licensed shelter, foster family, group home, or licensed residential facility. Education Law Primer for Child Welfare Professionals, written by Kathleen McNaught, published by the American Bar Association Laws can be powerful tools for you, as advocates, to meet the educational needs of children in foster care. However, like any tools, if you don’t know how to use them, they don’t provide much help. This article highlights federal laws and cases related to education, and provides practice tips for advocates in the child welfare system to better serve the educational needs of children and obtain access to needed school programs and services. (March 2003)      IdeaPractices National Litigation Log Web Site.  This is a national collection of legal cases that will help service providers and administrators make educational decisions.

---

     FCF Home