One of the things advocates at CASA who work as Education Decision Makers (EDM) for kids in foster care wish more lawyers, case workers, foster parents and all other agencies knew about is the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. It provides a myriad of supports for maximizing resources for all kids, but it has special protections for kids in foster care.
One of the hardest things for kids, prior to this policy, was that it was expected that kids going into foster care would not only move homes, but also change schools to accommodate their current placement. I always use the analogy for adults of, imagine someone says, tomorrow you’ll be moving to a new home, and also starting a new job, good luck! It’s a HUGE upheaval for kids whereby they end up leaving behind friends, teachers, services, and community that can, and should, be ongoing support for them as they transition to a new living arrangement. Transportation from their new home to their old school is also part of ESSA which can be barrier for foster parents without that support.
To decide if it’s actually better for a child to enroll in a new school, ESSA also sets up parameters for a Best Interest Determination (BID) meeting. This is where the old district or school and new district or school, along with the child’s child welfare team and placement folks all come together to discuss whether or not it would help the child to change schools depending on their own needs, not the location or wishes of their new foster home.
Foster care kids under ESSA also get immediate enrollment. While other PA students have five days of waiting, foster care kids should be able to enroll immediately, with vital identifying documents, like age verification and immunizations to follow. This is a huge win for kids in care, as they often have to wait for a week or more when they’re new to a school or district which can be hard on them and their new foster parents alike without the structure school can provide.
ESSA is a truly amazing federal education policy for kids in foster care, and something all advocates should have in their back pocket to help their kids in care!