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Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care :

Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care :. An Overview of the ED/HHS Joint Guidance. August 2016. Eve Carney Executive Director Consolidated Planning and Monitoring Eve.Carney@tn.gov (615) 532-1245.

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Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care :

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  1. Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care: An Overview of the ED/HHS Joint Guidance August 2016

  2. Eve CarneyExecutive DirectorConsolidated Planning and MonitoringEve.Carney@tn.gov(615) 532-1245

  3. Ensuring Educational Stabilityfor Children inFoster Care: An Overview ofthe ED/HHS Joint Guidance August 11, 2016

  4. Introduction

  5. Children in Foster Care: Educational Outcomes • Children in foster care are often a vulnerable and highly mobile student population. • Children in foster care typically make more unscheduled school changes than their peers in a given school year. • Compared to their peers, students in foster care experience: • LOWER high school graduation rates; • LOWER scores on academic assessments; and • HIGHER rates of grade retention, chronic absenteeism, suspensions, and expulsions.

  6. Legislative Framework

  7. Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 As required by Title IV, Parts B and E of the Social Security Act, the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) must make assurances that: • the child’s placement takes into account the appropriateness of the current educational setting and the proximity to the school of origin; • the agency has coordinated with local education agencies (LEAs) to ensure that a child in foster care remains in his or her school of origin if it is in the child’s best interest; and • if remaining at the school of origin is not in the child’s best interest, the child is immediately enrolled in a new school and records are transferred to the new school.

  8. Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 • Reauthorizes and amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) • Requires states to report on achievement and graduation rates for children in foster care • Includes new foster care provisions that complement requirements in the Fostering Connections Act • Emphasizes shared agency responsibility/decision- making • All education stability provisions must be implemented by December 10, 2016 • Removed “awaiting foster care placement” from the definition of a homeless child or youth under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

  9. Timeline Considerations December 2016: ESSAFoster Care ProvisionsTake Effect June 2016: ED/HHS Foster Care Guidance Released Aug./Sept.2016: ED/HHSFoster CareTAWebinar Series

  10. Education StabilityJoint Guidance

  11. Joint Guidance: An Overview Access the joint guidance here: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/edhhsfostercarenonregulatorguide.pdf

  12. Who is a Child in Foster Care? (cont’d) • The Title I foster care provisions apply to all children in foster care enrolled in public schools. • “Foster care” means 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom DCS has placement and care responsibility. • This includes placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, child care institutions, and pre-adoptive homes.

  13. Who is a Child in Foster Care? • A child is in foster care regardless of whether the foster care facility is licensed and payments are made by the state, tribal, or local agency for the care of the child, whether adoption subsidy payments are being made prior to the finalization of an adoption, or whether there is federal matching of any payments that are made. (45 C.F.R. § 1355.20(a))

  14. Best Interest Determinations: ESSA Requirements TDOE must provide assurances that : • Children in foster care enroll or remain in the school of origin unless there is a determination that it is not in his or her best interest to attend the school of origin. • The best interest determination must be based on all factors, including: • appropriateness of the current educational setting and • proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement.

  15. Best Interest Determinations: Guidance Provisions • TDOE and DCS should establish uniform guidelines for local agencies. • LEAs and regional DCS offices should collaborate to develop a joint process for making best interest determinations. • Should consider multiple student-centered factors • Transportation costs should not be a factor • Should consult child, if appropriate, and adults who have meaningful relationships with child

  16. Best Interest Determinations: Guidance Provisions • If they can’t come to agreement, the ultimate decision should reside with DCS. • TDOE and LEAs should coordinate with DCS to develop a dispute resolution process. • To the extent feasible and appropriate, a child must remain in his or her school of origin while awaiting a decision to reduce the number of school moves.

  17. Transportation Procedures: ESSA Requirements • LEAs must provide assurances that they will collaborate with DCS to: • develop and implement clear written procedures for how transportation will be provided, arranged, and funded for the duration of the time in foster care. • Procedures must ensure that children will promptly receive transportation in a cost-effective manner in accordance with the Fostering Connections Act.

  18. Transportation Procedures: ESSA Requirements • LEAs must provide assurances that they will collaborate with DCS to: • ensure that, if there are additional costs incurred in providing transportation to the school of origin, LEAs will provide transportation if: • DCS agrees to reimburse the LEA; • the LEA agrees to pay the cost; or • the LEA and DCS agree to share the cost.

  19. Transportation Requirements: Guidance Provisions • Transportation must be provided in a “cost-effective” manner, so low-cost/no-cost options should be explored. • Even if an LEA doesn’t transport other students, it must ensure that transportation is provided to children in foster care consistent with procedures developed in collaboration with DCS. • Transportation is an allowable use of federal funds, both under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act and Title I of the ESEA. • All funding sources should be maximized to ensure costs are not unduly burdensome on one agency.

  20. Transportation Requirements: Guidance Provisions • LEAs and regional DCS offices should work together to agree on costs. • Transportation procedures should include a dispute resolution process if parties can’t come to agreement. • TDOE and DCS should develop uniform statewide guidelines and procedures. • A child must remain in his or her school of origin while any disputes regarding transportation costs are being resolved.

  21. Transportation Requirements: Examples from the Field Example: • A child welfare agency, LEA, and court system developed these joint protocols: • If the child’s new placement is located within a 1.5 mile radius of the school, the foster parent or group home staff person is responsible for transportation. • If the child is placed outside of the 1.5 miles radius, the LEA implements an expedited process to address the transportation needs of children in foster care so that they do not experience disruptions in their education.

  22. Transportation Requirements: Examples from the Field Example: • In an emergency, overnight, respite, or temporary placement, the child will continue attending the school of origin and transportation arrangements will be made by the LEA if the location of the emergency, overnight, respite, or temporary placement is outside the 1.5 mile radius.

  23. Transportation Requirements: Examples from the Field Example: • One state passed legislation that requires the child welfare system and the school to collaborate on developing and implementing transportation plans. • The child welfare agency is responsible for any additional or extraordinary costs of the transportation and must maximize federal reimbursements under Title IV-E. • The child welfare agency and school consider cost-effective, reliable, and safe transportation options.

  24. Immediate Enrollment: ESSA Requirements TDOE must provide assurances that: • If it’s not in the child’s best interest to stay in his or her school of origin, the student must be immediately enrolled in the new school,even if the child is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment. • The enrolling school shall immediately contact the school last attended to obtain relevant academic and other records.

  25. Immediate Enrollment: Guidance Provisions • A child can’t be denied enrollment because they don’t have proper documentation. • The child should also be attending classes and receiving appropriate academic services. • TDOE and LEAs should review policies to remove barriers to immediate enrollment.

  26. Point of Contact (POC): Guidance Provisions • TDOE and LEA POCs should have the capacity and resources to guide the implementation of the ESSA provisions. • TDOE POCs should be designated as soon as possible. Responsibilities should include monitoring LEAs and coordinating with the DCS to issue state guidelines. • LEA POCs should be designated as soon as possible—even if DCS hasn’t notified LEAs in writing. Responsibilities should include coordinating with regional DCS offices to develop a process for implementation of ESSA provisions.

  27. Points of Contact • TDOE – Jonathan Bolding – Title I, part D Project Director • DCS – list provided • LEAs • For the 2016-17 school year, POC will be submitted to TDOE no later than September 30, 2016. • Jonathan Bolding will send additional information.

  28. Point of Contact (POC): Guidance Provisions DCS POCs • DCS is not required to designate POCs but are highly encouraged to do so. • Regional DCS offices should send a letter to relevant LEAs as soon as possible identifying their POC. • Responsibilities of DCS include coordinating with TDOE and LEAs to develop a process for implementation. • DCS should serve as the primary POC between schools, families, and other service providers.

  29. Effective Collaboration: Guidance Provisions • To facilitate effective collaboration, TDOE, LEAs, and DCS should: • establish a structure for collaboration at the local level; • collaborate, as appropriate, across district, region, and state lines; • cross-train staff on the complex needs of children in foster care and the importance of educational stability; • establish formal mechanisms to ensure LEAs are notified when child enters care; and • build capacity to collect and use data to support outcomes for children in foster care.

  30. Technical Assistance

  31. Joint ED-HHS Webinar Series All webinars will be held from 2 – 3 PM ET

  32. Questions

  33. FRAUD, WASTE, or ABUSE Citizens and agencies are encouraged to report fraud, waste, or abuse in State and Local government. NOTICE: This agency is a recipient of taxpayer funding. If you observe an agency director or employee engaging in any activity which you consider to be illegal, improper or wasteful, please call the state Comptroller’s toll-free Hotline: 1-800-232-5454 Notifications can also be submitted electronically at: http://www.comptroller.tn.gov/hotline

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