Promoting Educational Opportunities for Children and Youth in Care

Judy dropped out of school when she was 14 and didn’t go back until she entered foster care three years later. “My mother has been on welfare her whole life. I didn’t want that for me or my son. And I knew if I was going to get a job, I needed a diploma,” she explained.

Judy had not chosen an easy task. When she re-entered high school at 17, she was three years behind and her time in dependency was growing short. She also had a young son to care for. Social workers doubted she could do it.

“But my CASA and foster parent supported me. We went to court more than 13 times in eight months fighting to let me stay in care until I graduated.” Judy promised a February graduation date and Child Welfare Services agreed to let her remain a dependent while she attended a continuation high school. At 19, Judy became the first person in her family to earn a high school diploma. She now works full-time and supports herself and her son.

Like Judy, many children enter foster care already behind academically, often with undetected learning or other disabilities and the physical and emotional scars of the abuse and neglect that brought them into foster care.

Studies show that for many children, challenges in care continue. One study of youth exiting care revealed:

• 2/3 of 18 year olds had not completed high school or obtained a GED (the General Educational Development test measures how well someone has mastered the skills and general knowledge that are acquired in a four-year high school education)
   
• 61% had no job experience
   
• 38% had been diagnosed as emotionally disturbed
   
• 17% of the females were pregnant

The study also revealed that two to four years after leaving foster care only half had completed high school and less than 50% had jobs.

Falling through the Cracks of the Education System

Many children lack adult guidance and support identified as crucial to academic success. Some, like Judy (who moved every three months to stay with family members) had little stability, help or encouragement to attend or stay in school.

After entering dependency, sadness over separation from family members, concern for parents and siblings, worries about the future and difficulty adjusting to a new placement and school often distract children and interfere with their learning.

Many continue to miss school because of difficulties with school record transfer, medical appointments and mandated court appearances. Molly Herzog, director of Project People, observed that 35% of foster youth have experienced four or more school changes and studies show each school move results in a 4-6 months loss of educational progress.

The lingering affects of abuse and neglect often lead to behavior problems such as aggression and withdrawal which can further interfere with the child’s ability to learn. Many children surveyed in a study by the Vera Institute of Justice also said that they limited their social interaction with peers to hide their foster status and avoid the social stigma. Low expectations of educators can also affect the quality of education received while in care.

CASA Programs Tackle the Issue

Public awareness about the educational challenges for foster youth is growing and many organizations are working to increase their chances for educational and life success. Sue Burrus, a former elementary and special education teacher is now the Program Services Coordinator of the Washington State Association of CASA/GAL Programs. Burrus developed serious concerns about kids falling through the crack in the education system. “We found that decision makers in the education and social services systems didn’t understand how a lack of interaction was affecting children. For example, an educator asked, “You mean that children we’ve been counting as truant might have just entered foster care?” Although she found many CASA volunteers advocating for their CASA child’s education, she felt more could be done.

Washington CASA volunteers are now encouraged to share educational concerns with social workers and in court reports to provide the groundwork for future referrals. “Because both social workers and foster parents often change during the life of a case, the CASA volunteer is many times the only adult consistently seeing a child over time. The volunteer’s observations can provide crucial developmental information that can make a difference in early learning and educational services provided for that child,” Burrus added. She noted that CASA programs also gather information on local services, policies and procedures and help local agencies and service providers better coordinate efforts to serve each child.

CASA: Advocates for Children of New York State (CASANYS) has partnered with the Permanent Judicial Commission for Justice for Children to address educational issues for foster children. Special Education Attorney Judy Gerber has been working through the Commission and the NY state CASA office to provide workshops and trainings for CASA program and is developing guiding principles for meeting the educational needs of children in dependency. CASANYS also offers training, technical assistance, information and support to member programs in 33 counties across New York state.

“Many children in care have special education concerns,” noted CASANYS Deputy Director Anne Kuppinger, a conclusion supported by a recent study revealing that children in foster care receive special education services at three to five times the national rate for all children . “We want to provide information about basic education laws and offer CASA advocates a framework to think about or be sensitive to when considering educational issues for children in care.” The state program has already developed guidelines for addressing the health needs of children in care, such as ensuring proper immunizations, developmental screenings, etc. Kuppinger added, “We want to develop a similar document for educational advocacy.”

National CASA wants to expand how it addresses educational issues for children in care. “As an organization we are interested in educational outcomes for children in foster care and would like to provide more training for our advocates,” stated Tracy Flynn, Training Director for National CASA. Flynn said that National CASA is in the process of developing continuing education training curricula that addresses education as a critical component of a child’s life. “This training will be recommended as a topic of continuing education designed to improve the outcomes for children in foster care.” Flynn also notes that “Because state laws vary, the curriculum will offer general direction that can be adapted to address individual program policies, legal constraints and philosophies.”

“At a minimum we should at least make sure each child has someone promoting his or her educational interests. This can be the foster parent, CASA volunteer, attorney, social worker or someone else involved in the child’s case.” She also noted that CASA volunteers can make sure children are enrolled and attending school. Flynn pointed out that in some states, the CASA volunteer is the only person who can access a child’s full medical, social services and educational records. “This creates a unique opportunity to spot indications of need; our advocates can then keep asking questions until concerns are addressed.”

Many programs already address this topic as part of their core training. CASA of Humboldt County (CA) created a manual on educational advocacy and includes the topic as a regular part of their training. “We created the manual after we learned that the most important role after permanence or placement stability for a child’s long term success was education,” explained Executive Director Steve Volow. Statistics show that many children who age out of the system end up homeless, pregnant, on drugs or in jail and Volow feels the number one way to prevent those outcomes was to receive a high school diploma and therefore more options for their future. He added, “We wanted to do everything we could to make that happen.”

The manual serves as a technical reference and referral source and was developed using grant funds from the Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Trust of Humboldt County. Using input from educators and other professionals, the guide empowers advocates to be comfortable and confident when meeting with educators or when searching for appropriate educational resources. Volow summarized the tool by noting, “In those cases where the child’s educational needs don’t appear to be adequately addressed, we want advocates to work together with others to make life better for the individual child.”

A lack of interagency communication and coordination has also been identified as a barrier to educational success for children in dependency. Tom Rector, a long-time CASA volunteer, found he could best support his CASA child by addressing this issue. Rector worked to get the child’s teachers, social worker, foster parents and biological parents together to address the child’s educational needs. “It was an absolute success. We didn’t always agree 100 percent, but we did walk away with agreement about a game plan.” In Rector’s experience, the “team” agreed to implement small steps such as having the child’s teacher place homework in the child’s backpack and having the foster mother remove the homework when the child got home. Bringing the child’s foster mother and biological mother together also helped increase the comfort level of both. “We were also able to expand the teacher’s understanding of the child’s situation, so that teacher could better use her knowledge and expertise to adjust the class experience to better fit the child.”

Post-Secondary Education is Possible

Many organizations support foster youth who pursue post-secondary education. Orphan Foundation for America helps make dreams of higher education a reality for many foster youth.

Former foster youth Zack Kidwell started using drugs and alcohol when he was twelve years old and dropped out of school in the eighth grade. He eventually obtained his GED and was encouraged by his “surrogate mom” to consider college. With financial aid and help from scholarships specifically for former foster youth from the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA), Kidwell is now attending the University of Kansas. “We are looking to support young adults without a family,” Tina Raheem, OFA Scholarship Director explained. The organization serves about 320 students a year and maintains regular contact with scholarship recipients to stay updated on their progress and offer support and encouragement.

In a recent e-mail to Raheem, Kidwell wrote, “More good news! Since I am a first generation college student, I will be getting a free tutor for my History class. And I finally found a free place to print my papers and I found out about grants for summer school, so it looks like I will not have to pay $1,400 to stay in school!! Life is Good!”

In addition to private scholarships, many financial aid options are available to foster youth (see below).

With help and support from advocates, service providers and support organizations, more foster youth can hopefully share Kidwell’s good fortune.

1. Cook, R. 1990. A National Evaluation of Title IV-E Foster Care Independent Living Programs for Youth, Phase 1, 2. Rockville, MD. Westat.
    
2. Vera Institute of Justice. (2002).  What Keeps Children in Foster Care from Succeeding in School?: Views of Early Adolescents and the Adults in Their Lives.  New York, NY: Marni Finkelstein, Mark Wamsley and Doreen Miranda.
    
3. George, R., et al. (1992).  Special Education Experiences of Foster Children/

Additional Source:
Child Trends Research Brief, Publication #2002-59.

Lynette Mullen is a Northern California freelance writer, former CASA volunteer and has served on the CASA of Humboldt Board of Directors. She authored a manual on Educational Advocacy and conducted trainings on the topic for CASA volunteers. Visit www.humboldtcasa.org for more information on their educational advocacy initiative.
 

• Only 50% finish high school.
• 40% are receiving public assistance.
• 42% are homeless for at least one night within 12 months of exit.
• 51% are unemployed at age 22.
• Only 17% are completely self-supporting after emancipation.
• Foster youth without intervention experience greater frequency of homelessness, addiction, early pregnancy, incarceration, and future involvement with CPS than the general population.
• Nationally, three out of ten of the nation’s adult homeless are former foster youth.

Source: Casey Family Programs. (2001).  Educational Attainment of Foster Youth.  Washington State Institute for Public Policy.  (Document #01-11-3901).
Casey Family Programs. (2001). Foster Care and Homeless Youth citing Burt, 1999.

Higher Education Funding Opportunities for Foster Youth

Foster youth are eligible for many types of financial aid. There are state financial aid programs, federal financial aid programs, college and university financial aid programs and scholarships from different sources. Foster youth may also be eligible for

• Federal Pell Grants: Federal grants of money for low-income students that do not need to be paid back.
   
• Federal loans: Money that must be paid back after students graduate from college.
   
• Fee waivers: Community College may offer programs that waive the cost of classes for low-income students.
   
• Scholarships: Grants of money from different sources that youth must find and apply for that don't need to be paid back.
   
• Institution Specific Monies: Some community colleges and public four year universities may offer financial aid program that provide grants and stipends that do not need to be paid back.

Federal Aid, US Department of Education

The Student Guide provides information on student financial aid programs offered by the U.S. Department of Education. Financial aid includes primarily grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. The Student Guide is available electronically (English and Spanish) at www.studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html. Contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

To apply for many federal and state student aid programs, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application is available electronically (English and Spanish) at fafsa.ed.gov or call the Federal Student Aid Information Center 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

Chafee Foster Care Independence Program

The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program funds state programs that provide independent living services to youth who have been or are in out-of-home care. Chafee Program funding may be applied to many kinds of education services. For high school students, these services may include tutoring, help with GED completion, computer classes and help with postsecondary planning. For students in postsecondary education and training, services may include tuition assistance, ancillary needs (books and fees) and room and board expenses as well as personal services needed to remain in a postsecondary program. Education and training vouchers (which provide funding of up to $5,000 for postsecondary education to youth who have aged out of care) are also administered under the Chafee Program. Youth who are currently in out-of-home care access Chafee program services through their social workers. Youth who have emancipated from care should contact their state Independent Living/Chafee program coordinator to access funds and vouchers. For a list of state Independent Living Coordinators and comprehensive information on Chafee programs, visit www.nrcys.ou.edu/NRCYD/state_home.htm or call (918) 660-3700.

Orphan Foundation of America

The Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) offers college and vocational scholarships. Recipients must have been in foster care for at least one year at the time of their 18th birthday or emancipation from foster care. Unadopted orphans also qualify. Scholarships are renewable and range from $1,000 to $7,000 per year. www.orphan.org also provides information on other scholarship opportunities.

National Foster Parent Association (NFPA)

The National Foster Parent Association offers scholarships for college or university studies, vocational/job training and correspondence courses, including the GED. Visit www.nfpainc.org/awards/youthScholarships.cfm?page=6

• Many colleges offer tuition waivers for former foster youth.

• Many states offer scholarships specifically for former foster youth.

Social workers, high school guidance counselor or a financial aid counselor at the applicable community college or university may have information on other funding opportunities.
 Go Back

The Vera Institute of Justice www.vera.org recently released What Keeps Children in Foster Care From Succeeding in School?: Views of Early Adolescents and the Adults in Their Lives examining how children in foster care struggle academically. Researchers interviewed 25 foster children and 54 of the adults in their lives to better understand how being in foster care affects a child's education, and how adults can help them succeed in school. Foster children faced unique roadblocks, among them concerns about their biological parents and siblings that distract from school, and court appearances and doctors' appointments that cause frequent absences. Behavior issues took attention off academics, and many foster children avoided friendships, fearing that their foster status would be discovered. Foster parents, caseworkers, and school staff each lacked a full picture of the children's needs. Making one adult responsible for children's educational progress would be useful. Giving caseworkers access to children's academic records and giving school staff information about a child's foster situation could also help. Finally, school staff could be trained on the demands the foster care system makes on children. Visit vera.org to download this publication.

The July/August 2002 issue of Represent magazine (written by and for youth in foster care) explores some of the difficulties foster youth experience in school. In their own words, youth share their views on how foster care has affected their education. Why do some youth in care focus more on their studies while others end their pursuit of an education? Visit www.youth.com/FCYU-Features/FCYU-2002-05-5.htm to learn what youth are saying.

Helping Children in Care to Succeed in School

Tips for Advocates:

• Inform the court when there is a need for an educational advocate; this may be the child’s biological parents, foster parents, social worker, CASA volunteer or another involved individual.
   
• Include concerns about the child’s education or development in court reports.
   
• Make sure the child is attending school on a regular basis. Make sure transportation and other basic needs are being addressed.
   
• Communicate with teachers (when permissible) to help facilitate the opportunity to make up missed school work due to court appearances, medical or other service provider appointments.
   
• Observe the child, document concerns and discuss them with the child’s teachers, social worker and service providers, when appropriate.
   
• Recommend tutoring or other academic help when needed.
   
• When possible, help facilitate timely school transfers.
   
• Identify the child’s strengths and recommend activities that support those strengths.

Some tips adapted from Christian, S., 2000. Educating Children in Foster Care, 2000 National Conference of State Legislatures.