Get to Know Us

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Get to Know Us

• NCHE
• NCHE is the U.S. Department of Educations
  homeless education technical assistance and
  information center
• NCHE has
• A comprehensive website www.serve.org/nche
• A toll-free helpline Call 800-308-2145 or e-mail
  homeless_at_serve.org
• A listserv e-mail tlewis_at_serve.org to join
• Free resources (including The Local Liaison
  Toolkit) www.serve.org/nche/products.php

• The Legal Center
• The Legal Center for Foster Care and Education
  (LCFCE) is a technical assistance and information
  center on legal and policy matters affecting the
  education of children and youth in out-of-home
  care
• LCFCE is a collaboration between ABA and Casey
  Family Programs, in conjunction with the Juvenile
  Law Center and Education Law Center
• Visit LCFCEs website at www.abanet.org/child/educ
  ation

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Clearing the Pathto School Successfor Students
in Out-of-Home Care

• Legal Center for Foster Care and Education
• National Center for Homeless Education
• October 2009

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Hiding the Control Panel
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Showing the Control Panel
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VoIP or Telephone?
If you have not tested your computer microphone,
use the questions pane to ask questions or switch
to telephone now to use the raise hand feature
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Using the Questions Pane

• Presenters will either respond by typing a
  message in the questions pane or will answer your
  question over the phone during the next questions
  period

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Raising Your Hand

• Handraising will be enabled during question
  periods only
• Presenters will unmute your line for you to ask
  your question, remute your line when your
  question is answered, and lower your hand
• If using VoIP, please only raise your hand if you
  have tested your computer microphone

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Unanswered Questions

• If you have an unanswered question after the
  webinar, please e-mail the presenters with your
  question
• Presenter e-mails are shown on the final slide

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Todays Goals

• Share basic information and resources about the
  McKinney-Vento and Fostering Connections Acts
• Suggest a basic framework for schools and child
  welfare agencies to clear the path to school
  success for students dealing with abuse or
  neglect
• Wrestle with real-life situations

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The McKinney-Vento Act

• Applies to children and youth who are homeless
• Definition includes students awaiting foster
  care placement
• Students can remain in their school of origin,
  if in their best interest
• Schools must enroll students immediately
• Full participation and services

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The Fostering Connections Act

• Child welfare agencies must plan for the school
  stability of every child in care
• Must collaborate with schools to keep students
  stable (if in best interest)
• Agencies must consider appropriateness of school
  and proximity to school of origin when making
  foster placements.
• Child welfare agencies must work with schools to
  ensure immediate and appropriate school
  enrollment must provide school records.

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Clearing the Path

• Is the student awaiting foster care placement?
• Is it in the students best interest to remain in
  the school of origin?
• How can we ensure immediate enrollment?
• How can we ensure full participation?
• How can we support academic success?
• How will we ensure the students basic needs are
  met now and in the future?

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The Framework

• Home affects school school affects home
• Schools and child welfare agencies share
  responsibility for the school success of students
  in out-of-home care
• How do we clear the path?
• Leadership
• Support

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Is the Student Awaiting Foster Care Placement?

• Leadership
• School district McKinney-Vento liaison
• Based on state and/or local policy
• Support
• To make the decision, the local liaison will need
  the child welfare caseworker to provide basic
  information about the anticipated duration of
  placement
• Handraising is now enabled

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Which School is in the Students Best Interest?

• Leadership
• For McKinney- Vento students Local liaison
• For other students in care Caseworker and/or
  educational decision maker
• Support
• Child Welfare Provide input on best interest as
  relates to foster care placement and permanency
  plan
• School Provide input on educational best interest

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School of Origin Step 2Transportation

• Leadership
• For McKinney-Vento students Local liaison/school
  district
• For other students in care Child welfare
  caseworker and/or educational decision maker
• Support
• Child welfare Strive to place children close to
  their schools and keep placements stable
• Both Work together to develop cost-effective and
  appropriate transportation plans
• Handraising is now enabled

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Ensuring Immediate Enrollment

• Leadership
• School enrollment personnel
• Support
• Child welfare Be clear about who will enroll
  inform school who the educational decision maker
  is provide school records
• School Get records from previous school offer
  welcome activities to students local liaison may
  assist, as needed, for McKinney-Vento students

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Ensuring Full Participation

• Leadership
• School counselors, coaches, teachers
• Support
• Child welfare Strive for placement stability
  provide transportation be sure school knows who
  can sign permission slips assist with fees
• School Waive deadlines and residency
  requirements waive fees/use Title IA set-aside
  funds for fees
• Handraising is now enabled

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Supporting Academic Success

• Leadership
• School (but homes influence is profound!)
• Support
• Child Welfare Strive for placement stability
  ensure appropriate contact with siblings, other
  family members, and mentors provide needed
  health and mental health services
• School Award partial credits and provide for
  credit recovery involve students in Title I and
  other academic programs provide access to
  mentors and school counselors

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Meeting the Students Basic Needs

• Leadership
• Child welfare agency
• Support
• School Connect youth to free school meals
  assist youth in entering post-secondary education
  and obtaining employment participate in
  transition planning
• Child Welfare Start transition planning early
  ensure youth can meet basic needs support
  ongoing relationships with mentors
• Handraising is now enabled

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Wrestling with Real LifeApplying the Framework

• Download the School Selection for Students in
  Out-of-Home Care brief at www.serve.org/nche/brief
  s.php
• Ricky
• 14 years old and in foster care
• Emergency removal from foster home
• At Capital City Youth Center

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Is Ricky McKinney-Vento Eligible?

• Leadership
• Support
• What do you think?
• Handraising is now enabled

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What School Should Ricky Attend?

• Leadership
• Support
• What do you think?
• Handraising is now enabled

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How Will Ricky Get To and From School?

• Leadership
• Support
• What do you think?
• Handraising is now enabled

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How Can We Ensure Rickys Full Participation in
School?

• Leadership
• Support
• What do you think?
• Handraising is now enabled

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How Can We Support Rickys Academic Success?

• Leadership
• Support
• What do you think?
• Handraising is now enabled

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How Will We Ensure Rickys Basic Needs Are Met?

• Leadership
• Support
• What do you think?
• Handraising is now enabled

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Resources

• McKinney-Vento State Coordinators Visit
  www.serve.org/nche/states/state_resources.php
• McKinney-Vento liaisons Contact your State
  Coordinator, consult the school district website,
  or call the school districts central office
• Child welfare supervisors, caseworkers, and
  education specialists Contact your state or
  local child welfare office

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Resources (cont)

• Legal Center for Foster Care and Education
  www.abanet.org/child/education
• National Center for Homeless Education
  www.serve.org/nche
• National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youth www.naehcy.org
• Fostering Connections Resource Center
  www.fosteringconnections.org

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Thanks for Joining Us!

• You will receive a follow-up e-mail shortly
• Includes a link to download handouts and a link
  to complete a brief, anonymous online evaluation
• Once your evaluation is completed, youll be
  directed to a webpage to download a certificate
  of completion, if desired
• Presenters Contact Information
• Patricia Julianelle pjulianelle_at_naehcy.org
• Kathleen McNaught - mcnaughk_at_staff.abanet.org