Graduation season is upon us. For so many high school seniors, graduation is a forgone conclusion, the expected culmination of four years in high school. But for kids in foster care, the path to high school graduation is often fraught with challenges and far from a sure thing. In Pennsylvania, foster youth have significantly lower high school graduation rates compared to their peers who are not in foster care. A recent report by The Education Law Center indicates that only 53% of children in foster care graduate on schedule, compared to 88% of students who are not in foster care. Additionally, foster youth are more likely to be suspended, experience chronic absenteeism, and have lower academic scores on standardized tests.
All CASA volunteers receive training in educational advocacy to help negate the impact of a child’s foster care status on their educational outcomes. By advocating for things like school stability, special education support, and appropriate therapies, our volunteers help more youth make it to graduation.
This year CASA Philadelphia is proud to have 9 youth receiving their high school diplomas. Among them is Zahara* who has been paired with her CASA volunteer, Janice, since the fall of 2023.
Janice has worked to guide her through her educational journey, as well as supporting the healing process necessary for all children who have suffered abuse and neglect. Janice says that she feels her most critical contribution was assisting Zahara in getting an internship at CHOP. “Zahara thought her school had arranged an internship after her junior year. When I followed up with the school in April, I found out they had done nothing. I discussed the issue with my supervisor right away and she was able to use CASA contacts at CHOP to get Zahara an internship.” This program provided her with almost daily support in pursuing a career in medical care and nursing and motivation to get her high school diploma.
Now that she has her diploma, Zahara hopes to work in the medical field. She would like to complete a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) program, but uncertainty around financing has so far prevented her from having a clear plan. Unfortunately, the struggles to get a high school diploma are magnified when kids try to pursue post-high school programs. Janice is trying to work with folks at the Community College of Philadelphia to find financing for Zahara. CCP participates in Fostering Caring Connections, a program that connects students who have been in the foster care system with needed resources, including a food pantry, scholarship assistance, shelter and housing resources, and on campus advising, counseling, tutoring and more.
Zahara signed a board extension so that she can continue to get services from DHS, and she can continue to work with Janice. Janice’s commitment to supporting Zahara post high school and helping to connect her to other needed resources will substantially impact her chances for success.
Another new graduate is Fatima* who has been supported by CASA volunteer Arkadiy for the past two years. Arkadiy says that the most challenging part of his work was finding a good support system for Fatima at school. He says “Schools are busy places with lots of kids, and your kid will slip through the cracks unless you’re a vocal advocate. That starts with having a good relationship with at least one person at your kid’s school: a counselor, an assistant principal, a social worker, or a special education case manager. The most challenging part is forming and nurturing that relationship so that everyone feels personally invested in your kid’s success.”
Arkadiy knows that Fatima did the hard part, getting herself to school and doing the work was her job – his job was to help get her to the finish line. “All kids, including foster kids, are part of our community and it’s our responsibility to look after them. At the end of the day, she’s the one who did all of the hard work (high school math, yuck!) and I was there as an additional support.”
Like Zahara, Fatima hopes to continue her education and is looking into cosmetology school. Like Janice, Arkadiy will continue to provide support as she works toward that goal.
But not all kids fair this well. Fatima has a twin brother who entered foster care with her more than a decade ago. He has had many personal and academic struggles and isn’t near his degree yet. Arkadiy works with him as well because, as he said, all kids are part of our community and need our support.
The Education Law Center’s report data clearly shows the need for multiple partners to work together to improve educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care. CASA is proud to be one of those partners. Training volunteers like Janice and Arkadiy to understand the myriad of issues that impact graduation rates empowers them to be a strong voice for children in foster care.
*a pseudonym has been used to protect the individual’s privacy.