Foster Care and Education Data Guide: A Process and Tools for Collection, Analysis, and Collaboration

Children in foster care often face poorer educational outcomes compared to their peers, making collaboration between education, child welfare systems, and those with lived experience essential. Effective data practices are key to identifying successes and addressing areas in need of improvement. This Guide supports child welfare agencies, education systems, and third-party partners in improving educational outcomes for youth in foster care through effective data collection, sharing, and reporting. It provides actionable steps to assess data capacity, address gaps, and foster cross-system collaboration, offering practical tools, examples, and strategies tailored to diverse contexts and goals.