Educational Stability for Pennsylvania's Children and Youth in Foster Care

May 2023

May is National Foster Care Month!

Access Our Pennsylvania National Foster Care Month Campaign Toolkit

Each May, we honor and recognize National Foster Care Month. We have created an online toolkit to assist you in raising awareness about students experiencing foster care in your schools, agencies, and communities and supports needed for their success. The toolkit includes digital graphics, sample social media posts, key facts and statistics, printable flyers, and other resources. 

Wear Blue on Friday, May 12, 2023, to Recognize Foster Care Day!

Wear blue and gather your colleagues, students, friends, and family for a photo on Friday, May, 12 to #WearBlueForFosterCare! Please post to your professional and personal social accounts. Email your photos to pafostercare@csc.csiu.org or tag us on Twitter and LinkedIn @Center_Schools. Use the hashtags #FosterCareMonth, #FosterCareMonthPA, and #WearBlueForFosterCare in your posts!

Get involved!

Honor and recognize National Foster Care Month by getting involved! Here are a few ideas for taking action.

1. Organize a supply drive within your school community or agency to collect comfort items, essentials, and school supplies for a child’s first night in care. Coordinate your donations with your local Education Liaison. 
2. Be intentional about checking in with students experiencing foster care this May. Ensure they are on track and have resources to finish the current school year strong, have a contact and emergency contact for support during summer break, and will be ready to begin school on time next fall. 
3. Organize or participate in a Foster Walk with the Foster Care Alumni of America.
4. Show support by wearing blue on Friday, May 12 for Foster Care Day #WearBlueForFosterCare. Post to social media to keep the needs of children experiencing foster care in the minds of the public. Tag us on Twitter or LinkedIn @Center_Schools and email your photos to pafostercare@csc.csiu.org. Post: “I’m wearing blue to honor and recognize the needs of children and youth experiencing foster care. #FosterCareMonth #FosterCareMonthPA #WearBlueForFosterCare.”

Download and print our celebration flyers to show support and take action in your community.

• Invite educators and colleagues to join in the celebration (flyer for colleagues)
• Celebrate National Foster Care Month! (flyer for children and families)

TAKE ACTION

Working Towards School Stability and School Success for Students in Foster Care

Annually, School Foster Care Points of Contact (POCs) are asked to complete an annual survey regarding their experience working with child welfare agency partners to provide school stability. The following are some highlights from the 2021-2022 school year survey:

• 382 local education agencies (LEAs) participated in the 2021-2022 survey.
• Most survey participants (80 percent) participated in a best interest determination (BID) during the school year. Sixty-two percent participate every few months, 30 percent every month, 6 percent participate weekly, and 2 percent participate daily.
• Fifty-eight percent of LEAs participated in fewer than 10 BIDs; 13 percent participated in 10-20 BIDs; and 8 percent participated in more than 20 BIDs in school year 2021-2022.  
• Eighty percent of LEAs participated in providing, arranging, or funding transportation. Fifty-one percent of respondents indicated distance or proximity to the school of origin was the most frequent reason students changed school entities.
• Almost 90 percent of respondents indicated they collaborated with child welfare agencies during the school year.
• Over 40 percent of respondents completed intentional outreach to students in foster care or to their foster family.
• Eighty-three percent reviewed academic progress and credits; 66 percent offered tutoring support or other academic remediation; and 59 percent offered access to out-of-school time programs (before, after, summer school).

School POCs are asked to complete the 2022-2023 school year survey by July 1, 2023. The survey will be issued later this month. 

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING/ TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Exiting Foster Care: A Successful Transition to Adulthood

Friday, May 19, 2023, 10AM–11AM ET | Virtual

Over 30 percent of Pennsylvania’s foster care population are transition age youth (ages 14-21). The transition to adulthood for youth experiencing foster care is a pivotal time that can greatly impact their trajectory in school and life. Young people in foster care uniquely face many obstacles to a successful transition to adulthood, including the effects of trauma and the availability of services and supports. This session will highlight strategies for how educators, child welfare professionals, and community stakeholders can make a critical difference in the lives and futures of transition aged youth in and leaving foster care by understanding the challenges they face, the services and resources available to them, and strategies to effectively engage young people. Participants will learn about important resources and programs in Pennsylvania that can support young people in and leaving foster care, as well as tips you can use in your daily work. Act 48 and NASW credits available for participants. 

Presenter: Jennifer Pokempner, Policy Director, Youth Law Center, and Idelia Robinson-Confer, Youth Policy Consultant, Western Pennsylvania Youth Action Board  

Save the Dates!

2023 Paving the Way to Educational Success Conference

October 11-13, 2023 | Cranberry, Pennsylvania

We are pleased to announce that the 2023 Paving the Way to Educational Success conference will be held in person at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh - Cranberry, October 11-13, 2023. The conference is a unique opportunity for professionals to deepen their knowledge, enhance best practices, and hear innovative solutions for working with students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care.

Registration for the conference is free but attendees are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and most meal expenses. Lunch will be provided daily. A discounted room rate will be available to make your lodging reservation soon. 

NEWS AND UPDATES

Transition age youth—age 14 to 21—are older youth in the foster care system transitioning to permanency with a caregiver or aging out of the system to adulthood. Transition age youth often struggle with this life transition due to unique circumstances with being a child in foster care. Read this blog post from the Annie E. Casey Foundation highlighting changes to Pennsylvania law that expands efforts to find supportive families and caregivers for teens in foster care.

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Comprehensive Center recently launched a new blog series featuring students in foster care. The first blog post in this series is titled “The Power of Being Understood for Children and Youth in Foster Care.” The second blog post is titled “How to Help Our Children in Foster Care Create, Navigate, and Maintain Relationships.” The Department also wrote about the importance of strong partnerships between child welfare and education systems in “Academic Success for Students in Foster Care Begins with Strong Partnerships Between Child Welfare and Education Systems.”

Act 1 of 2022 (Act 1) promotes timely high school graduation and facilitates equal access to academics and extracurricular activities and the removal of systemic barriers for students who experience education instability as defined by the legislation. School entities must identify eligible students who experience “education instability.” A student experiencing “educational instability” is a student who has one or more changes in school entity enrollment during a single school year. A student experiencing foster care who has changes in school entity enrollment must be identified by school entities to receive the supports provided by Act 1. Read PDE’s Basic Education Circular on Act 1. 

RESOURCES

Featured New Resource

Statewide Foster Care Resource and Support Map 

Many community-based organizations across Pennsylvania provide resources and support to children and youth experiencing foster care. We are building a new resource map to raise awareness about available resources and supports in your area.

Help us grow our map! Do you know of an organization providing resources and support that is not listed? Please submit the name of the organization to us to create a network of resources for children and youth experiencing foster care. 

Other Resources

Quick Guide for Schools: Meeting the Needs of Students in Foster Care

The American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law developed a quick guide for schools to ensure they are meeting the needs of their students in foster care. The guide includes a school stability checklist as well as a checklist for students in foster care entering a new school. Best practice trauma-informed and equity-focused tips for teachers and administrators are also included in the guide. 

One-page Flyer About Providing School Stability in Pennsylvania 

Share this one-page flyer about providing school stability for students in foster care within your schools and communities. The flyer reviews key protections for students and a QR code to access statewide directories. 

National Data Sheet 2022

The Legal Center for Foster Care and Education compiled and summarized national, state, and local data across various studies focused on education outcomes for children and youth in foster care. Review these resources to learn about more recent findings and trends that evaluate how students in foster care are performing educationally.