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Meeting Educational Needs of Children & Youth in Out-of-Home Care

Resources to help meet the educational needs of children and youth in out-of-home care, including State and local examples.

Educating Children "At-Risk": A Handbook for Caseworkers, Probation Officers, and Families (PDF - 345 KB)
Education Law Center (2004)
Outlines the educational rights of children living away from home.

Educating Children in Foster Care (PDF - 494 KB)
National Conference of State Legislatures (2003)
Provides background about the academic performance of children in foster care and describes what researchers have identified as major systemic obstacles to these children's academic success.

Foster Children and Education: How You Can Create a Positive Educational Experience for the Foster Child (PDF - 775 KB)
Vera Institute of Justice (2004)
Outlines challenges and offers simple, inexpensive lessons and tools that can enhance the educational experience of children in foster care.

Improving Educational Outcomes for Youth in Care: A National Collaboration
Child Welfare League of America (2002)
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Summarizes research findings about the academic achievement of youth in the custody of the child welfare system and the role of education in successful transitions to independence.

Improving Educational Outcomes for Youth in Care: Symposium Summary Report
Child Welfare League of America (2002)
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Report from a symposium convened to initiate dialogue among the child welfare, judicial, and educational fields on how to support positive educational outcomes for youth in care.

Learning Curves: Education Advocacy for Children in Foster Care
American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law (2004)
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Explains Federal laws that support education rights and describes the role of lawyers, judges, parents, and educators in ensuring foster and adopted children receive necessary school services.

Questions to Ensure That the Educational Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care Are Being Addressed (PDF - 36 KB)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (2005)
A list of questions to ensure the educational needs of foster children and youth are being addressed.

A University Program to Serve Youth in the School Setting: The Hunter College Liberty Partnership
Walsh (2005)
In Child Welfare for the Twenty-first Century: A Handbook of Practices, Policies, and Programs
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Describes the Hunter College Liberty Partnership program, a comprehensive educational and social service program created to confront issues that might interfere with the academic success of at-risk junior high students.

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State and local examples

2008 Report to the Legislature and the Governor for the Foster Youth Services Program (Word - 1150 KB)
California Department of Education (2008)
Reports on the services provided to foster children by school districts in California, including information on the effectiveness of services and data on the academic achievement and truancy rates of foster youths.

Advocates for Children's Project Achieve: A Model Project Providing Education Advocacy for Children in the Child Welfare System (MS Word - 240 KB)
Advocates for Children (2005)
Describes the activities and outcomes of Project Achieve, a program that provides education advocacy to children in, or at risk of, placement in foster care and trains parents, foster parents, and agency staff to identify and address the educational needs of children in their care.

Educational Experiences of Children in Out-of-Home Care
Chapin Hall Center for Children (2004)
Findings from a mixed-method study assessing the educational performance and experiences of youth in out-of-home care in Illinois.

Foster Care Education Fact Sheets (PDF - 238 KB)
California Foster Youth Education Task Force (2005)
Explains legal requirements relating to the education of foster children.

Fostering Student Success: Technical Assistance Manual for Foster Care Designees, 2003-2004 (PDF - 443 KB)
Broward County, Florida School Board (2003)
Information about the educational needs of students in foster care and supportive educational interventions.

Smooth Sailing on System Seas: A Guide to the Education and Mental Health Systems in Arizona for Adoptive and Guardianship Families
Arizona's Children Association (2001)
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Answers frequently asked questions about access to services within the mental health and educational systems for adoptive parents and guardians in Arizona.

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	Related Information Gateway Topics Out-of-home-care: Educational issues and services in out-of-home care

Updated on March 1, 2010