This 2024 report, by Chantal Hinds, shares findings from a qualitative research study conducted with youth and parents experiencing the foster care system in New York. Recommendations include providing students in foster care with information about their rights and creating personalized education plans for students utilizing a collaborative team approach that involves students and is student-centered to help meet their “academic, vocational, behavioral, mental health, and social-emotional needs and goals.” (Pages 18-19)

The My Life Model (MLM) is an intervention program for students in foster care with positive results based on a 2012 randomized study and a 2020 report, which explains that MLM is adapted from the “TAKE CHARGE self-determination model” previously utilized for students with disabilities. For students in foster care, the target ages are 15-19, and the program is intended for youth who are able to go into the community with their program coach, including youth with disabilities and/or mental health conditions. It is designed to be a 9- or 12-month positive youth development intervention, which consists of youth-directed weekly coaching, provided at school, community, or home locations and at times convenient to the youth to help achieve stated academic and transition goals. Youth also participate in supportive workshops to connect with, and learn from, peers with foster care experience.

Utah utilizes Check & Connect (C&C) (Univ. of MN cited by Utah in the linked Roles and Responsibilities), a student engagement intervention, with youth in foster care to help students engage and thrive at school. C&C is anchored by a mentoring relationship between a student and an adult mentor who is supports the student via commitment –  long-term; connection – student and mentor meet weekly; check – mentor monitors student engagement and academic progress for encouragement and accountability; and family engagement – mentor partners with family to enhance educational opportunities and outcomes for students in foster care. 

This Michigan Educator Resource Guide for Understanding and Implementing LEA Stability for High School Youth Experiencing Foster Care is comprehensive. In addition to B.I.D.s, LEAs can “check in with youth to find out if they need support advocating with school staff, including teachers and coaches, to avoid unnecessary consequences” as a result of challenges due to foster care placement. (p. 5) There are also tips regarding attendance support, trauma-informed practices, and school discipline. Id. 

The Children’s Bureau (CB), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, released an Information Memorandum (IM) in 2023 regarding interagency collaboration between child welfare and educational agencies to support the academic success of children and youth in foster care, including federal law, state and local POCs, data sharing and reporting, school enrollment and  school stability, B.I.D.s, transportation, and social emotional well-being.

U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released updated Joint Guidance in November 2024 with critical new information about how federal laws support students in foster care, including ESSA, Fostering Connections, and disability rights law. The guidance covers a range of topics, including school stability (A-H), academic success (I-K), special populations (L-Q), funding (R-V) and data collection (W-Z)

In Colorado, the Fostering Opportunities program piloted in Jefferson County is an evidence-based intervention in which specialists hired by the school district check in weekly with students in foster care, ensure that caregivers and caseworkers have timely information about students’ educational progress, and consult with teachers on supporting students’ success in trauma-informed ways. Students participating in the program demonstrated statistically significant improvements- including improved attendance.  

U.S. Department of Education website with tools and resources about supporting student attendance, reducing chronic absenteeism, and formula grants to support attendance.

U.S. Department of Education webpage with links to webinars and other resources to encourage student engagement and attendance.

Fair Futures launched in December 2019 across 26 foster care agencies in New York City, helps young people in foster care reach their academic and life goals. It provides 1:1 coaching and individualized academic, career development, social/emotional, and life skill supports. A program for middle school students helps students in grades 6-8 transition to high school through targeted educational advocacy, assistance to students who have individualized education programs (IEPs), connections to afterschool programs, 1:1 tutoring, and 1:1 assistance for eighth graders transitioning to high school. A coaching program for high school students and young adults provides long-term academic and life support to students to help them succeed in school and transition to adulthood. A recent evaluation found that program participants were more likely to complete high school.

Attendance Works has various resources about increasing high school attendance, including template Success Plans and promising mentorship models.  

Kids In School Rule (KISR!) is a multi-system collaboration between Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services (JFS), Hamilton County Juvenile Court, Best Point Education & Behavioral Health, and the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati. KISR! provides a holistic web of supports to ensure the educational stability and success of students under JFS custody attending CPS using data-driven interventions. The partnership provides a host of supports to students in foster care including child welfare agency-based education specialists who liaison with caseworkers and school building based foster care liaisons. The education specialists use real-time data to track students’: attendance, discipline, grades, standardized test results, and graduation progress. The most recent data analyzed shows strong graduation rates, high rates of school stability, and increases in school attendance. 

Attendance Works has various resources on increasing high school attendance. - including template Success Plans and promising mentorship models.

The Treehouse - Graduation Success Program in Washington State supports foster youth high school students through high school graduation. In this program, Education Specialists and Treehouse-trained mentors each support a caseload of about 20 high school students. They meet weekly with youth to coach them in education planning, building self-advocacy and problem-solving skills, and to support each youth in setting and making progress towards personally meaningful goals. The Education Specialist also ensures that students have access to needed resources, guide youth as they explore career options and map out their plans through high school graduation and beyond.  

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