Meeting the Education Requirements of Fostering Connections: Learning From the Field (2010)

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 created a new mandate for education enrollment and stability for children and youth in foster care. This brief aims to help agency leaders, policymakers, judges, and their partners understand and respond effectively to the education requirements of Fostering Connections by reflecting on lessons learned from a decade of initiatives to improve education outcomes for youth in and leaving foster care. This brief includes a framework for effective cross-system coordination and highlights actions that leaders of the child welfare system, education system, and courts can take to promote education success for youth in care. The brief also provides examples of existing state and local efforts to improve the education continuity and stability of older youth in foster care.