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From Foster Care to College

From Foster Care to College. College Access Affinity Group May 8 th , 2014 11- noon. Who is in the Foster Care System?. 60% will return home 50% stay in care for less than a year^. 2014 National Working Group on Foster Care and Education.

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From Foster Care to College

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  1. From Foster Care to College College Access Affinity Group May 8th, 2014 11- noon

  2. Who is in the Foster Care System? • 60% will return home • 50% stay in care for less than a year^ 2014 National Working Group on Foster Care and Education ^ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services AFCARS report

  3. Research Shows Poor Outcomes • 2x more likely to be absent from school • 17-18 year olds 2x more likely to have out-of-school suspension, 3x more likely to be expelled • Average reading level of 17-18 year olds in foster care = 7th grade • Likelihood of foster youth receiving special education 2.5 - 3.5x that of others • 50 % complete high school by 18 • 2-9 % attain a bachelor’s degree

  4. The Invisible Achievement Gap:2013 Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning – WestEd Percentage proficient or above for CST mathematics results for students in foster care, other at risk subgroups, and all students, grades 2-7, 2009/10

  5. The Invisible Achievement Gap, Continued Grade 12 graduation rate for students in foster care, other a- risk subgroups, and all students, 2009/10 www.cftl.org/The_Invisible_Achievement_Gap.htm

  6. Barriers to Educational Achievement for Children in Care Lack of placement stability Delayed enrollment Children with special education needs do not access/receive services Over-representation in alternative education Confusion about legal rights

  7. Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Children in Foster Care Goals for Youth Goal 1: Remain in the Same School Goal 2: Seamless Transitions Between Schools Goal 3: Young Children Are Ready to Learn Goal 4: Equal Access to the School Experience Goal 5: School Dropout, Truancy, and Disciplinary Actions Addressed Goal 6: Involving and Empowering Youth Goal 7: Supportive Adults as Advocates and Decision makers Goal 8: Obtaining Postsecondary Education www.fostercareandeducation.org/AreasofFocus/BlueprintforChange.aspx

  8. Federal Legislation • FEDERAL CHILD WELFARE LAW • Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act • FEDERAL EDUCATION LAW • Uninterrupted Scholars Act (FERPA Amendment)

  9. Fostering Connections Act Every child’s case plan must include “assurances that the placement of the child in foster care takes into account the appropriateness of the current educational setting and the proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement.” Child welfare agency must coordinate with school to ensure child remains in the same school unless not in the child’s best interest. Child welfare agency may use federal funds to provide reasonable travel for children to remain in their school of origin.

  10. Uninterrupted Scholars Act (U.S.A.)FERPA – New Provisions Information can be released without parental consent to: • “an agency caseworker or other representative of a State or local child welfare agency, or tribal organization… who has the right to access a student's case plan • when such agency or organization is legally responsible, in accordance with State or tribal law, for the care and protection of the student • provided that the education records, or the personally identifiable information contained in such records, of the student will not be disclosed … except to an individual or entity engaged in addressing the student's education needs….

  11. Education Agency Examples Education Curriculum and Training • Casey Family Programs: Endless Dreams • Educator Screen and Toolkit (Pennsylvania) School-based liaisons • McKinney-Vento • State law created education liaisons (Texas, Colorado, Missouri) Trauma-Informed Practices • Compassionate Schools Initiative (Washington) • Provides training, guidance, referral, and technical assistance. Not a program, but a process to cultivate a climate that benefits all students. • Trauma Sensitive Schools (Massachusetts)http://www.massadvocates.org/documents/HTCL_9-09.pdf

  12. Interagency Collaboration • Cincinnati, Ohio (Kids in School Rule!) • School-based liaisons • Interagency team • Court oversight • Data collection and information-sharing • Texas • State-level, court-led collaborative • Changed legislation and policy • Data collection and information-sharing

  13. For every 100 youth in foster care who enter high school….. • Maybe 50will graduate from high school….. • For these graduates, only about 7will be ‘college ready’….. • 10 -15 may enroll in a higher education or career training program….. • Maybe 7 will earn an AA degree/certificate & 2 a bachelor’s degree…..

  14. K-12 Success Lack of educational and career advocacy Absenteeism/enrollment interruptions - instability Few engaged in college prep courses or programs (TRIO, GEAR UP, AVID, other) Records transfer and confidentiality issues Long terms educational impacts of abuse and neglect Higher Education Success On their own (‘Independent’) at a young age - survival mode dominates Few college programs are aware of their support needs Lack of role models, college advocates, mentors/coaches Health related needs unmet Lack of good college/program fit Common Barriers to College Access and Success

  15. Federal and State Postsecondary Policy Advances Federal: • Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) • College Cost Reductions Act • Chafee Foster Care Independence Act/ETV • Extended Medicaid coverage - ACA • Carl D. Perkins Career And Technical Education Act State: • College tuition waivers (21 states) • Passport to College (WA) • CA AB 194 – priority college registration • CA AB 12 & SB 1013 - Housing Placement Program (THPP)

  16. State Postsecondary Education Initiatives (CA, WA, MI, OH, TX, GA, VA & NC) • Increasing awareness of the opportunities available in postsecondary education programs and raising awareness of the unique circumstances of youth from foster care in relation to higher educational opportunities • Establishing effective collaboration between higher education, child welfare, and community agencies • Learning about practice and policy exemplars that are impacting improved college access and success for students from foster care • Introduction to a comprehensive framework for supporting college students from foster care - Supporting Success: Improving Higher Education Outcomes for Students from Foster Care • Identification of action plan to promote statewide support college approaches

  17. The Fostering Success Michigan Initiative… …Is building a statewide collective-impact strategy that strives to prepare young people in foster care between the ages of 12 to 25 across the state of Michigan. Fostering Success Michigan will increase awareness, access and success in higher education and post-college careers for youth and alumni of foster care. Goals: • To increase the number of students from foster care who obtain high-quality degrees and credentials to 60% by the year 2025 • To increase the successful career transitions among Michigan's youth and alumni of care by building a network to support college campuses and local community organizations to aid youth in foster care. • To increase the knowledge and skills of network members so that they may optimally respond to the needs of youth and alumni of foster care

  18. The Education Reach for Texans Initiative… Education Reach for Texans seeks to eliminate barriers to success and build support programs for alumni of care attending public colleges and universities in the state of Texas. Historically, our main means for achieving this goal has been to hold state-wide convenings of postsecondary and child welfare professionals in order to facilitate sharing of ideas and spurring the implementation of campus-based support programs. While the convenings remain our core focus, we continue to expand our communication efforts in sharing both resources and information statewide. 5th Annual Education Reach for Texans Convening May 30, 2014, Austin Community Colleges • Campus Connections: Securing Campus Housing & Other Supports for Youth Who Were in Foster Care

  19. 5/5/14 Foster Care and Postsecondary Education Policy,Practice and Collaboration Scan WA WA NH ME ND MT VT MT MN OR NY \ ID MA WI SD MI RI WY CT PA IA NE NJ OH IN IL NV DE NV UT WV MD KS MO VA CO CA KY NC DC TN OK AR SC AZ AZ NM GA AL MS TX AK LA HI FL State Higher Education/Child Welfare Collaborations (8) Potential for systems collaboration (5) State Tuition Waiver Legislation (23) Passport to College Promise (WA) Foster Care to Success ETV Administered States AL, AZ, CO, MA, MD, NC, NY, OH (8) Some college based support program(s) (11) Statewide Gear Up Program (KS) Unknown (26)

  20. “What kept me on track was not my intelligence, but my ability to connect with people on my journey from foster care to successful college student. Essentially, I overcame my educational and trust issues as I found people who were willing to support meand invest in my vision to be an asset to society. Ultimately, in many different ways I was able to find success in higher education because of my quest to become successful and my support system. They have helped me so much reach towards a better life.” William – recent college graduate from foster care

  21. Improving Education Outcomes for Students in Foster Care The role of College Access Providers

  22. Misconceptions about Students in Foster Care • Kids are in foster care because they done something “bad” or committed a crime. • Children in foster care are like orphans • Children in foster care act “bad” because they don’t have parents to discipline them • Birth parents don’t want their children • Foster children are often not grateful, or glad to have caring foster parents, no matter how good their foster parents are.

  23. Common Barriers • Frequent changing of foster or residential homes • Lack of basic clothing and supplies • Impacts of abuse, neglect, and trauma • Educational gaps

  24. Model Support Approaches Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP (KKGU) – a U.S. Department of Education federally funded grant hosted by Wichita State University. • Student Identification • College Access Plan • College and career exploration • KKGU scholarship program

  25. Outcomes GOOD: • Student high school and GED completion rates have increased • A larger number of students in foster care are enrolling in college • The number of students believing they cannot afford to attend college has decreased (as shown by our pre/post surveys) BAD: • The number of students placed in foster care has increased • Students are moved more frequently (one student – up to 15 times in one year) • The necessity for therapy and life skill training for children in foster care continues as the population of children in foster care increases.

  26. Perspectives from the field Student stories

  27. PK-12 Education Resources A national technical assistance resource and information clearinghouse on legal and policy matters affecting the education of children and youth in foster care.www.fostercareandeducation.org http://www.casey.org/resources/publications/directory/subject/Education_k12.htm

  28. Postsecondary Education Resources • Foster Care and Student Success: Texas Systems Working Together to Transform Education Outcomes of Students in Foster Care (2013). Texas Education Agency and the Supreme Court of Texas, Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families (Children’s Commission), October 18. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/news_release.aspx?id=25769807807 • Foster Youth Campus Support Programs: A Leadership Guide (2013). California College Pathways, June. www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/training_event_files/13-7-25_fostercampus_final.pdf • Foster Youth: Supporting Educational Success – Trainers Guide (2014), California College Pathways www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/campus_foster_youth_training_manual_0.pdf • It’s my life: Postsecondary education and training and financial aid excerpt (2006). Casey Family Programs, Seattle, WA. http://nyccollegeline.org/resources/it-s-my-life-postsecondary-education-and-training-guide • Providing Effective Financial Aid Assistance to Students from Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: A Key to Higher Education Access and Success (2009). Tracy Fried & Associates. http://www.nasfaa.org/counselors/Resources_for_Counselors.aspx • Supporting success: Improving higher education outcomes for students from foster care – A Framework for Program Enhancement - Version 2.0 (2010).Casey Family Programs, Seattle, WA. www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/SupportingSuccess.htm

  29. Contact Information Kathleen McNaught, Assistant Staff Director of Child Welfare, American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law kathleen.mcnaught@americanbar.org John Emerson, Postsecondary Education Advisor, Casey Family Programs JEmerson@casey.org Corinne Nilsen, Executive Director,Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP Wichita State UniversityCorinne.Nilsen@wichita.edu

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