Improving Educational Outcomes for Children in Foster Care

1
Improving Educational Outcomesfor Children in
Foster Care

• Presentation to the State Board of Education
• January 24, 2005
• Tracy L. Wareing
• Policy Advisor for Human Services
• Office of Governor Janet Napolitano
• Ruth Solomon
• Assistant Superintendent for Policy
• Arizona Department of Education

2
Arizona Children in Foster Care

• Arizona Department of Economic Security, Child
  Protective Services reports (as of Sept. 2004)
• About 8900 kids in out of home care
• 60 of those children are age 6 yrs and up
• 1,377 children live in group homes
• 574 children are currently living in a shelter
• There are 2,671 licensed foster homes
• Children move placements an average of over two
  and a half times while in out of home care

3
Recent Steps Taken in Arizona

• CPS Reform Efforts
• 2003 Advisory Commission on CPS Reform
• 7 Subcommittees Reports, Records, Juvenile
  Justice, Health, Community, Structure, and
  EDUCATION
• Governors Action Plan for CPS Reform
• Special Session on CPS
• 28 Action Teams Implementing Action Plan and
  HB2024

4
Studies Show Education Outcomes are Often Grim
for Foster Youth

• 83 of children in foster care are held back in
  school by 3rd grade, 46 do not complete high
  school and 75 are working below grade level1
• Children in foster care are more likely to attend
  a low achieving school than other children (78
  vs. 43)2
• 35 of foster youth have experienced four or more
  school changes and each school move results in a
  six month loss of educational progress3, 4

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And The Outcomes Dont Get Better Later in Life

• A Snapshot of Former Foster Youth
• 1/3 are receiving public assistance within 2
  years of leaving foster care5
• 51 are unemployed at age 226
• Without intervention, foster youth experience
  greater frequency of homelessness, addiction,
  early pregnancy, incarceration and future
  involvement with CPS than other youth
• 3 in 10 of the nations adult homeless are former
  foster youth7

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Challenges Faced by Foster Youth When Changing
Schools

• All youth face challenges in adjusting to
  different curricula, teachers, peers, and
  expectations, yet
• Foster Youth face additional challenges
• Missed school days due to enrollment delays
  because of lack of information/records (some
  students may initially be denied enrollment)
• Missed school days due to appointments for social
  or medical services or even court
• Lack of consistent advocacy for education needs,
  including special education
• Simultaneously dealing with significant personal
  and familial issues

7
The Voice of the Youth

• From focus group by Youth Law Center in
  California
• I was in 8th grade for two months, doing well,
  but then I was moved 11 times in nine months. It
  was almost impossible to go to school.
• I needed more support in school. I was by
  myself. No one came and asked how I was. I went
  off into the cracks.

8
Why?

• Perhaps the single most important thing that
  each of us can do to improve the educational
  outcomes for foster children is to ensure that
  their school placement remains stable.
  Historically, change of placement of the child
  has meant an almost automatic change of school.
  Yet for every school change, a child experiences
  serious loss and suffers academically.8

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Critical Issues

• Provide School Placement Stability
• Allow youth placed in out of home care to attend
  their home school when it is safe to do so and
  in the students best interest

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Critical Issues

• Records and School Enrollment
• Ensure youth in out of home care are not denied
  school enrollment because their records are not
  immediately available (inc. immunization records
  and birth certificates)
• Ensure that records and information are promptly
  obtained/exchanged between CPS and the schools,
  whether case is still under investigation or
  child is already receiving CPS services

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Critical Issues

• Special Education for Foster Youth
• Give clear direction (policy and practice)
  regarding the provision of educational services,
  including special ed, to students in out of home
  care
• Consistent with federal law, clarify who is a
  parent for purposes of the Individuals with
  Disabilities Education Act when a child is in CPS
  custody

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Working Toward . . .

• Uninterrupted Educational Access and Stability
  for Youth in Foster Care

13
Where Are We Now?

• Casey Family Programs Sponsored A Road Map for
  Learning, Education Summit, August 2004,
  Seattle, WA
• Participants included 6 states and key national
  organizations
• Arizona attendees Casey Family Programs, Arizona
  Department of Education, DES (Child Protective
  Services), Attorney Generals Office, Governors
  Office
• Work Product from Summit Draft Advocacy Plan for
  Arizona

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Where Are We Now?

• Expansion of Core Action Team Members
• DES/Child Protective Services
• Casey Family Programs (inc. Education Specialist)
• Arizona Department of Education
• Governors Office
• Attorney Generals Office
• Childrens Action Alliance
• School Psychologist
• Representatives from Pima County Education/Foster
  Children Committee

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Where Are We Now?

• Casey Family Program Resources
• A Road Map for Learning Improving Educational
  Outcomes in Foster Care
• Critical Questions and Strategies for Meeting the
  Education Needs of Children and Youth in Juvenile
  and Family Court (Judicial Checklist)
• The Challenge of Educating the Non-Traditional
  Student, Teachers Edition

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Key Partners for Collaboration

• School employees - teachers, principals, social
  workers, nurses, etc
• CPS case workers
• Foster parents
• Relative caregivers
• Attorneys, guardians ad litem, CASAs
• Surrogate parents
• Juvenile judges and court personnel
• Post secondary educators and other administrators

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Taking Action Next Steps

• Presentations of this PowerPoint to Key
  Stakeholders Raising Awareness
• Dissemination of Core Team Resources Teachers,
  Social Workers, Judges, Advocates
• Finalize Make a Difference in a Childs Life A
  Manual for Helping Children and Youth Get What
  they Need in School
• Plan for Distribution of Manual and Development
  of Corresponding Training Program

18
Taking Action Next Steps

• Partners Work Together to Clarify Policy and
  Practice on Critical Issues
• Core Action Team to Evaluate San Diego Tutor
  Connection Program
• Identification of Benchmarks of Success
• Coordination with Other AZ Related Improvement
  Efforts
• Post-secondary education needs for foster youth
• Interagency Council on Homelessness, Youth
  Development
• Juvenile Justice Efforts (prevention and
  treatment)
• CPS Implementation of Family to Family program

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Resources

• 1Childrens Law Center of Los Angeles (a project
  of the LA Superior Court)
• 2Courtney, Mark. (2004). Educational Experiences
  of Children in Out of Home Care. Chapin Hall
  Center for Children at the University of Chicago.
• 3Molly Herzog, Director of Project People, cited
  in The Connection News and Information from the
  National Court Appointed Special Advocate
  Association, Summer 2004, Vol. 20 No. 2
• 4Temple, J. A., Reynolds, A. J. (1999). School
  mobility and achievement Longitudinal results
  from an urban cohort.  Journal of School
  Psychology, 37(4), 355-377.

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Resources (cont.)

• 5Robert Goerge et al., (2002) Employment Outcomes
  for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care. Chapin Hall
  Center for Children at the University of Chicago.
  
• 6Burley, M. Halpern, M. (2001) Educational
  Attainment of Foster Youth. Washington State
  Institute for Public Policy (Document
  01-11-3901)
• 7Molly Allen, Teens Aging Out of Foster Care in
  Oregon The Importance of Transition Planning,
  Juvenile Rights Project, p. 8, June 2004
• 8Heybach Winter (1999). Improving educational
  services for foster children An advocates
  guide. Chicago Law Project of the Chicago
  Coalition for the Homeless and the Legal
  Assistance Foundation of Chicago