Missouri notes tasks and timelines such as CW notifying LEA/SOO by email within 1 school day upon a child’s placement in foster care or move; SOO immediately updates child’s foster care status; B.I.D. within 3-10 school days; SOO transportation plan within 5 school days of B.I.D.; immediate enrollment in new school, if needed, student records requested by new school within 2 school days and SOO sends within 3 school days.

The WI Dept. of Children & Families and WI Dept. of Public Instruction’s jointly issued guidance notes these top factors to consider: “preferences of the student, the parent, and any educational decision-maker; safety of the students, availability and quality of the services in the school to meet the student’s educational needs; and educational needs and strengths (specialized language services, individual education plan [sic] (IEP), advanced placement (AP) courses).” It is comprehensive with both education and child welfare factors.  

In addition to NC’s highlights, AZ provides more guidance regarding options for the student’s transportation plan. 

In addition to OH’s highlights, NC incorporates youth and parent perspectives, including school preference and desires, as well as the youth’s feelings. The youth’s participation is identified as essential as well as “other significant person(s) the student wishes to attend.” Also, this form contains a "next steps/educational services needed" section, which asks what, who is responsible, and by when.

In addition to DE’s highlights, OH also incorporates next steps into the process such as identifying how transportation to the school or origin will be provided and who is responsible for the costs. Moreover, if a school change is needed, the specific school, date of enrollment, and who is responsible for enrolling the student in the new school are noted.

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. 

Website with information and resources for caregivers related to special education. While it’s focused on Virginia, much of it is applicable nationally. Resources include sample letters & emails, fact sheets, and a digital portfolio resource.

A Legal Center for Foster Care & Education issue brief explaining early intervention services available for infants and toddlers with disabilities in the child welfare system, and listing tips for child welfare advocates for young children to help them access those services. 

A guide for attorneys to understand the early childhood education supports that are available for young children involved in the child welfare system.

A National Association of Education for Young Children resource that provides information and outlines strategies for early childhood educators to understand and address the unique needs of foster care families.  

This program connects CPS-involved families in Washington to early learning programs and integrates early learning referrals into child safety workflows and systems. The program has two dedicated service navigator positions who proactively reach out to eligible families, identify early learning needs, and match them to early learning programs. The program has led to more CPS-involved families being connected to early learning opportunities.

The BUILD Initiative has a resource collection featuring written resources and webinars related to cross-system collaboration between child welfare and early childhood to improve outcomes for young children and their families. 

This Child Welfare Information Gateway factsheet is designed for young people who have experienced foster care to learn why campus support programs are important, the types of supports they offer, and how to find them. It was developed in partnership with young people with lived experience in foster care who have used campus support programs.  

For information on how state policies can support postsecondary education for students with foster care experience, see JBAY & FAAN's Building Bridges report. 

For advocates looking to support youth in foster care plan for and pursue postsecondary education and training, see these tips from Journey to Success and Youth Law Center.