Ensuring Educational Stability for Students in Foster Care

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Foster Care Educational
Provisions
2018-2019
 
1
 
Why Educational Stability
 
Frequent school transitions may
have lasting academic, social,
and emotional impacts.
 
Maximizing educational stability
can
improve attendance
minimize educational gaps
help families stay
connected
 
2
 
Foster Care - Title I Part A Provisions
 
Ensures educational stability
 
Establishes 
specific educational rights
 
Requires a
 district foster care point of
contact
 
Requires a 
state foster care point of
contact 
at both DOE (
Amelia Lyons) 
and
DHHS (
Bobbi Johnson)
 
3
 
Definition of Students in Foster Care
 
Students in 24-hour out-of-home care
, placed
away from their parents or guardians, and for
whom
 DHHS has placement and care
responsibilities
 
Students previously identified as “awaiting
foster care” (in emergency, short term
placements) under McKinney-Vento
 
4
 
Educational Rights of Students in Foster
Care
 
1.
School of Origin and
Transportation
2.
Best Interest
Determination
3.
Immediate
Enrollment
 
5
 
School of Origin
 
School the student was attending when
placed in foster care, or at the time of a
subsequent change in foster care placement.
Students should remain enrolled in their
school of origin
, unless, after a best
interest determination, it is decided to be in
their best interest not to.
 
6
 
Best Interest Determination (BID)
 
Decisions about which school a student will
attend should be made 
collaboratively
, and
consider a wide variety of factors
 
Should include those in the best position to
understand the 
student’s unique needs
 
Student should 
remain in their school of
origin until the BID
 is complete
 
7
 
Chat: 
Who should be involved in the Best
Interest Determination?
 
8
 
9
 
Chat: 
What should we consider when
making a best interest determination
for school placement?
 
10
 
Consider the 
unique needs of the
student
, including but not limited to:
student’s 
age
 and 
grade
 level;
student’s 
preference
, when age
appropriate;
student’s 
attachment
 to the school,
including meaningful 
relationships
with staff and peers;
placement of the student’s 
sibling
(s);
distance/length 
of time to travel
to/from school
 
11
 
time of academic year
, academic
performance, and skills;
anticipated 
length of time 
in
placement, and whether reunification
is the family goal;
number of placements 
to date;
ability to 
maintain family
relationships 
and engagement
(including in extracurricular activities,
where appropriate)
 
12
 
clinical/
behavioral
 issues;
influence of the 
school climate 
on
the student, including safety issues;
availability
 and 
quality of the
services 
in the school to meet the
student’s educational and social
emotional needs; and
availability of special education/504
services, if applicable
 
13
 
Other Considerations for BID
 
Is the school of origin in the best interest 
for a
limited duration of time?
 (e.g., until the end of
the school year, the end of a testing or grading
period, or the end of a particular grade).
 
14
 
Other Considerations (cont’d)
 
Transportation costs should
NOT 
be a factor in
determining the best interest.
 
 
15
 
Transportation
 
Districts and DHHS must collaborate to establish
policies to ensure students who need
transportation 
to remain in their school of
origin
 can.
Absent another agreement, 
districts of origin
are responsible for providing transportation
 to
and from the school of origin.
Districts should document all costs associated
with this transportation.
 
16
 
Chat: 
What strategies 
can 
schools use
to provide transportation for highly
mobile students?
 
17
 
Transportation Strategies
 
Liaise with
 school and transportation staff,
shelter workers
School 
buses
 (including special education
)
F
ormal/informal 
agreements
 with districts
where homeless children cross district lines
P
ublic transit
, including supporting parents
to travel with younger children
A
pproved 
carpools
, 
van
 or 
taxi
 services
V
ouchers
 for 
families 
with access to car
s
Pursue 
inter-agency
 solutions
 
18
 
Immediate Enrollment
 
If BID supports attending school locally (where
placed in foster care), districts 
must enroll
immediately
, 
with or without documentation,
including academic, health, discipline and/or
special education records.
Notice to LEA (from DHHS), includes emergency
contact, residence, social worker, record
release, transportation needs, etc.
 
19
 
School Selection Disputes
 
After the BID, 
DHHS has the
authority to make final decisions
about the best interest, but a
school district may dispute.
During the dispute resolution
process,
 the student must attend
the school selected by DHHS
.
Transportation must be provided if
needed.
 
20
 
Role of District Foster Care POC
 
Ensure that 
students in foster care are
:
identified 
and 
supported 
through
coordination between Districts and DHHS
are 
enrolled 
in and regularly attending
school
 
21
 
District Foster Care POC
 
Participate 
in making and
documenting 
BIDs
 with DHHS
representatives
Ensure school enrollment 
of
students and timely transfer
of records
 
22
 
District Foster Care POC
 
Develop procedures
 for coordinating
cost-effective 
transportation
Facilitate professional development
for district staff
 
23
 
Questions?
 
 
24
 
Closing
 
For more information, see additional
m
aterials posted at
tinyurl.com/mainedoe2019
Or contact:
Amelia Lyons, Consultant for Highly
Mobile and Migratory Students
Maine De
partment of Education
Amelia.lyons@maine.gov
(207) 624-6722
 
25
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Educational stability is crucial for students in foster care to prevent lasting impacts on their academic, social, and emotional well-being. The provisions outlined in Title I Part A ensure specific educational rights and establish points of contact to support these vulnerable students. It is essential to prioritize the school of origin, conduct best interest determinations collaboratively, and involve key stakeholders in decision-making processes. Maximizing educational stability can enhance attendance, minimize gaps in education, and strengthen family connections for students in foster care.


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  1. Foster Care Educational Provisions 2018-2019 1

  2. Why Educational Stability Frequent school transitions may have lasting academic, social, and emotional impacts. Maximizing educational stability can improve attendance minimize educational gaps help families stay connected 2

  3. Foster Care - Title I Part A Provisions Ensures educational stability Establishes specific educational rights Requires a district foster care point of contact Requires a state foster care point of contact at both DOE (Amelia Lyons) and DHHS (Bobbi Johnson) 3

  4. Definition of Students in Foster Care Students in 24-hour out-of-home care, placed away from their parents or guardians, and for whom DHHS has placement and care responsibilities Students previously identified as awaiting foster care (in emergency, short term placements) under McKinney-Vento 4

  5. Educational Rights of Students in Foster Care School of Origin and Transportation Best Interest Determination Immediate Enrollment 1. 2. 3. 5

  6. School of Origin School the student was attending when placed in foster care, or at the time of a subsequent change in foster care placement. Students should remain enrolled in their school of origin, unless, after a best interest determination, it is decided to be in their best interest not to. 6

  7. Best Interest Determination (BID) Decisions about which school a student will attend should be made collaboratively, and consider a wide variety of factors Should include those in the best position to understand the student s unique needs Student should remain in their school of origin until the BID is complete 7

  8. Chat: Who should be involved in the Best Interest Determination? 8

  9. Student, parent/guardian, foster parent Educational decision maker, legal representative District POC, special education, guidance counselor, teacher Social worker, education coordinator District POC from district of foster placement 9

  10. Chat: What should we consider when making a best interest determination for school placement? 10

  11. Consider the unique needs of the student, including but not limited to: student s age and grade level; student s preference, when age appropriate; student s attachment to the school, including meaningful relationships with staff and peers; placement of the student s sibling(s); distance/length of time to travel to/from school 11

  12. time of academic year, academic performance, and skills; anticipated length of time in placement, and whether reunification is the family goal; number of placements to date; ability to maintain family relationships and engagement (including in extracurricular activities, where appropriate) 12

  13. clinical/behavioral issues; influence of the school climate on the student, including safety issues; availability and quality of the services in the school to meet the student s educational and social emotional needs; and availability of special education/504 services, if applicable 13

  14. Other Considerations for BID Is the school of origin in the best interest for a limited duration of time? (e.g., until the end of the school year, the end of a testing or grading period, or the end of a particular grade). 14

  15. Other Considerations (contd) Transportation costs should NOT be a factor in determining the best interest. 15

  16. Transportation Districts and DHHS must collaborate to establish policies to ensure students who need transportation to remain in their school of origin can. Absent another agreement, districts of origin are responsible for providing transportation to and from the school of origin. Districts should document all costs associated with this transportation. 16

  17. Chat: What strategies can schools use to provide transportation for highly mobile students? 17

  18. Transportation Strategies Liaise with school and transportation staff, shelter workers School buses (including special education) Formal/informal agreements with districts where homeless children cross district lines Public transit, including supporting parents to travel with younger children Approved carpools, van or taxi services Vouchers for families with access to cars Pursue inter-agency solutions 18

  19. Immediate Enrollment If BID supports attending school locally (where placed in foster care), districts must enroll immediately, with or without documentation, including academic, health, discipline and/or special education records. Notice to LEA (from DHHS), includes emergency contact, residence, social worker, record release, transportation needs, etc. 19

  20. School Selection Disputes After the BID, DHHS has the authority to make final decisions about the best interest, but a school district may dispute. During the dispute resolution process, the student must attend the school selected by DHHS. Transportation must be provided if needed. 20

  21. Role of District Foster Care POC Ensure that students in foster care are: identified and supported through coordination between Districts and DHHS are enrolled in and regularly attending school 21

  22. District Foster Care POC Participate in making and documenting BIDs with DHHS representatives Ensure school enrollment of students and timely transfer of records 22

  23. District Foster Care POC Develop procedures for coordinating cost-effective transportation Facilitate professional development for district staff 23

  24. Questions? 24

  25. Closing For more information, see additional materials posted at tinyurl.com/mainedoe2019 Or contact: Amelia Lyons, Consultant for Highly Mobile and Migratory Students Maine Department of Education Amelia.lyons@maine.gov (207) 624-6722 25

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