The educational outcomes of youth in foster care are far worse than those of other students, in part because transitions into or out of the foster care system and placement changes can lead to frequent school transfers, which are associated with a host of problems.

In this report, the authors explore the implications of fragmentation and misalignment for cross-system collaboration between public education and child welfare systems. They draw on interviews with education and welfare system representatives and adults who have experience in foster care, as well as case studies of four states' efforts to implement cross-system collaboration. The authors find common challenges to collaboration, including high staff turnover, limited preservice training on educational stability, and geographical dispersion. The authors offer suggestions for how policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels could encourage better cross-system collaboration.

Key Findings

  • Federal legislation shapes efforts at the state and local levels to support special student populations (e.g., youth in foster care) served by education and child welfare systems.
  • States differ in terms of how they govern their education and child welfare systems.
  • Case data suggest several factors that contribute to or inhibit collaboration.
  • Adults who have experienced foster care noted the importance of student and caregiver involvement in best interest determination, a caring point of contact at school, and assistance in identifying and accessing resources.
  • Most interagency and interpersonal communication helped to develop consistent understanding of existing policy and managing special cases.
  • Formalization through legislation and routines forged shared understanding and allowed for meaningful information-sharing.
  • Case study states used unique methods to promote collaboration, including the creation of meaningful liaison roles, opportunities for district liaisons and social workers to develop social connections, integration of best-interest-determination guidance on school notification forms, and accountability-linked data-sharing.
  • Common challenges to cross-system collaboration include high staff turnover, limited preservice training on educational stability for youth in foster care, and geographical dispersion.

Read the full article about educational outcomes for youth in foster care by Susan Bush-Mecenas, Heather Gomez-Bendaña, Dionne Barnes-Proby, and Susan M. Gates at RAND Corporation.