This subsection focuses on educational stability for students in foster care, including collaborations with local school districts, school placement decisions, transportation planning, school transfers, and education record maintenance.

The Family Support Team (FST) shall discuss the child’s educational performance including special education needs and services, academic progress, truancy, absenteeism, behavior, and delinquency issues. The Family Support Team shall identify and ensure appropriate interventions are in place to address the child’s educational and behavioral needs in effort to improve the child’s academic performance and educational stability.

When necessary, the Family Support Team should invite appropriate school personnel to the FST meeting to determine the most appropriate interventions and/or alternative education options available to assist the child in maximizing his/her academic potential. All efforts shall be documented on the Child Assessment and Service Plan (CS-1), and the Adolescent FST Guide (CD-94).

When necessary, the Family Support Team should invite appropriate school personnel to the FST meeting to determine the most appropriate interventions and/or alternative education options available to assist the child in maximizing his/her academic potential.  Any new needs identified shall be documented in the Social Service Plan Child Section, along with the plan to address those needs, who will be involved to help meet those needs and next steps.  These needs and progress toward meeting those needs shall be continually reassessed through the life of the case. Efforts shall also be documented on the Child Assessment and Service Plan (CS-1), and if 14 or older, the Adolescent FST Guide (CD-94).

Educational stability should be a priority when assessing the child’s placement needs and making placement decisions. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 and the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (2011) require state child welfare agencies to coordinate with schools to improve educational stability for children in foster care.  The companion federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), requires educational agencies to collaborate with child welfare agencies to ensure the educational stability of children in foster care.  Child welfare and educational agencies now have shared responsibility to work together to ensure children in foster care remain in their school of origin, if remaining in the same educational setting is determined to be in the child’s best interest. 

NOTE: School of origin is defined as the specific school building within a district the child attended when he/she was placed in out-of-home care, or the child’s current school of enrollment at the time of any subsequent placement change.

Related Practice Alerts and Memos:

8-6-19 – PP19 CM-02 – Collaboration with Schools to Support Foster Care Students