Children and youth in foster care are one of the most vulnerable populations in the country. The barriers they experience to stability and equitable education are multifaceted. This set of curated resources focuses on legislative changes, interagency collaboration, supporting state level points of contact, and data related to educating students in foster care placements.
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Review non-regulatory guidance and Dear Colleague letters issued by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to learn more about implementing federal law. For additional resources and information, visit the ED website.
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Non-Regulatory Guidance: Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care
Joint non-regulatory guidance provides background information, FAQs, examples from the field, and a sample point of contact notification letter. (June 23, 2016)
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Dear Colleague Letter on Implementation of Educational Stability Requirements
This letter responds to changes made to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and describes collaboration requirements for state and local educational agencies and child welfare agencies. (December 5, 2016)
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Dear Colleague Letter on Foster Care Guidance
A joint letter from ED and HHS shares the provisions in Title I of the ESEA that promote educational stability for children in foster care. (June 23, 2016)
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Dear Colleague Letter on Foster Care Timelines
A joint letter details the amended definition of homelessness in the McKinney-Vento Act and clarifies important timelines within ESEA that impact transportation of children in foster care and designating points of contact. (June 23, 2016)
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Review this series of presentations created by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for information on ensuring educational stability for children in foster care and lesson from the field.
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An Overview of the ED/HHS Joint Guidance
Includes lessons learned from the Center on Children and the Law, Juvenile Law Center, and Education Law Center. (July 27, 2016)
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Education and Child Welfare Points of Contact
Includes early implementation lessons from Colorado and Pennsylvania. (August 17, 2016)
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Best Interest Determinations and Immediate Enrollment
Includes lessons learned by Vermont, Virginia, and the Legal Aid Justice Center. (August 24, 2016)
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Includes early implementation lessons learned from the District of Columbia and California. (August 31, 2016)
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Includes lessons learned from Texas and the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education. (September 7, 2016)
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Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, now requires each state educational agency to identify a foster care point of contact (POC), who is responsible for overseeing the educational stability of students in foster care. The Foster Care Exchange provides the opportunity for POCs to share questions and knowledge in chats or topical discussion threads, host conference calls, store files, and share resources.
To join the Foster Care Exchange contact cendres@serve.org or FosterCare@ed.gov. To sign in, visit the Foster Care Exchange.
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The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires states to gather data on the academic achievement and graduation rates of students placed in foster care. States submit this information to EDFacts, a U.S. Department of Education initiative to collect, analyze, and promote the use of high-quality data. Learn more about EDFacts and the data it collects.
The ESEA also requires states to provide information about students in foster care as a part of their state report cards. As a result, information about academic achievement, graduation rates, and other state-adopted academic indicators can be found on state educational websites in easily understandable formats.
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