Resources for Youth in Foster Care

Supporting Students in Foster Care

School District Liaison Duties, Roles, and Responsibilities

Ohio Department of Education: Foster Care

Included on this webpage are state and federal guidance documents, resources from national and state organizations that support foster youth, access to contact information for local school district foster care liaisons and sample PowerPoint presentations that districts and schools can use to train local school district and building staff, as well as child welfare agency staff on the educational rights and supports available for students in foster care.

“Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care in Ohio”

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), contains key provisions to promote educational stability and success for students in foster care. It requires state and local education agencies to collaborate with custodial agencies (child welfare agencies and local Title IV-E courts) to effectively address the educational needs of children in foster care. This document details federal requirements and provides initial recommendations to facilitate joint implementation of this law at the local level. It will be amended periodically to share updated information about public policy recommendations and preferred practices.

Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services

The federal government has launched various efforts to increase educational stability and improve academic outcomes for youth in foster care. The requirements are designed to provide foster youth equitable opportunity for academic achievement and social development. They emphasize collaboration and shared decision-making among child welfare and educational agencies and make clear that child welfare agencies and school systems are jointly responsible for the educational stability of children in foster care. The following documents and resources are available on this website.

• Guidance

Ohio’s Joint Foster Care Guidance 

Ohio’s ESSA Foster Care Implementation Checklist 

Ohio’s Foster Care Student Checklist 

Ohio’s Foster Care Educational Stability Process  

Ohio’s Model Best Interest Determination Form  

Ohio’s Sample Transportation Procedure

• Foster Care Presentations

Foster Care Overview 

Educational Stability 

Local Point of Contact 

Transportation 

Collaboration

• Resources 

U.S. Department of Education Foster Care Guidance 

ESSA Foster Care Overview 

U.S. Department of Education Dear Colleague Letter 

Point of Contact Communication to Superintendents October 2016 

Public Children Services Association of Ohio 

American Bar Association 

U.S. Department of Education Educational Stability for Students in Foster Care 

Implementing Transportation Procedures – AASA/NAEHCY 

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth – NAEHCY 

Data Sharing Toolkit 

Chronic Absenteeism Toolkit 

U.S. Department of Education Foster Care Transition Toolkit

 Finding a Local School District Foster Care Liaison

A local school district foster care liaison is required in every district, and that staff member can collaborate with child welfare agencies to ensure the educational stability of youth in foster care. The Ohio Educational Directory System (OEDS) has the name, phone number and email of each local school district foster care liaison in Ohio. To access the information for a foster care liaison, follow these steps:

• Go to the OEDS Directory
• Search the school district name and then click on the district.
• Once on the district’s page, select “personnel” from the top search bar.
• In “Roles Available to this Organization,” search: Foster Care Contact – ESSA.

Ohio Bridges:

Bridges is a voluntary program available to young adults who left foster care in Ohio at ages 18, 19 or 20 and who are in school, working, participating in an employment program, or have a medical condition that prevents them from going to school or working. The program provides guidance and support as they transition to adulthood. Supportive Services address Housing, Education, Employment and Well-being

Ohio Reach

Ohio Reach is a network of professionals, advocates, and students across the State of Ohio determined to support former foster youth on their higher education journey. We provide resources to institutions of higher education, child welfare agencies, and foster care alumni enrolled in higher education to support their academic success.

Legal Center for Foster Care and Education: 

Three nationally respected advocates for the educational rights of children in foster care – the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, the Education Law Center and the Juvenile Law Center – formed the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education. It  provides:

• A strong voice at the national level for the education of children in foster care
• A central clearinghouse of information on foster care and education
• Training and technical assistance across the country