From Foster Care to College College Access Affinity Group May 8th, 2014 11- noon

Who is in the Foster Care System? 2014 National Working Group on Foster Care and Education 60% will return home 50% stay in care for less than a year^ ^ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services AFCARS report UPDATE CHART ON THIS PAGE FROM MOST RECENT NATIONAL DATASHEET The majority of children and youth in foster care are school age The percentage of child victims of a particular race/ethnicity varied among States. There are many States in which the percentage of minority race/ethnicity child victims was disproportionate to the percentage of these children in the State population. Overrepresentation is found for African American, Alaska Native/American Indian, and Hispanic children and youth. 2

Research Shows Poor Outcomes 2x more likely to be absent from school 17-18 year olds 2x more likely to have out-of-school suspension, 3x more likely to be expelled Average reading level of 17-18 year olds in foster care = 7th grade Likelihood of foster youth receiving special education 2.5 - 3.5x that of others 50 % complete high school by 18 2-9 % attain a bachelor’s degree

The Invisible Achievement Gap: 2013 Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning – WestEd Percentage proficient or above for CST mathematics results for students in foster care, other at risk subgroups, and all students, grades 2-7, 2009/10

The Invisible Achievement Gap, Continued Grade 12 graduation rate for students in foster care, other a- risk subgroups, and all students, 2009/10 www.cftl.org/The_Invisible_Achievement_Gap.htm

Barriers to Educational Achievement for Children in Care Lack of placement stability Delayed enrollment Children with special education needs do not access/receive services Over-representation in alternative education Confusion about legal rights

Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Children in Foster Care Goals for Youth Goal 1: Remain in the Same School Goal 2: Seamless Transitions Between Schools Goal 3: Young Children Are Ready to Learn Goal 4: Equal Access to the School Experience Goal 5: School Dropout, Truancy, and Disciplinary Actions Addressed Goal 6: Involving and Empowering Youth Goal 7: Supportive Adults as Advocates and Decision makers Goal 8: Obtaining Postsecondary Education www.fostercareandeducation.org/AreasofFocus/BlueprintforChange.aspx

Federal Legislation FEDERAL CHILD WELFARE LAW FEDERAL EDUCATION LAW Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act FEDERAL EDUCATION LAW Uninterrupted Scholars Act (FERPA Amendment)

Fostering Connections Act Every child’s case plan must include “assurances that the placement of the child in foster care takes into account the appropriateness of the current educational setting and the proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement.” Child welfare agency must coordinate with school to ensure child remains in the same school unless not in the child’s best interest. Child welfare agency may use federal funds to provide reasonable travel for children to remain in their school of origin. At first bullet, need to discuss how the “assurance” must be backed up with action: that we did consider these issues and make every effort to place the child in the same school district and school attendance zone as the prior placement. At second bullet, must discuss the deliberateness of this decision – support discussion with CLS in all removal staffings, beginning with removal into shelter care. At third bullet, need to stress that there are no additional funds to the CBCs. Rather, this is permission to use state contract dollars for this purpose. CBCs may want to consider fund-raising and grant writing to support these transportation costs.

Uninterrupted Scholars Act (U.S.A.) FERPA – New Provisions Information can be released without parental consent to: “an agency caseworker or other representative of a State or local child welfare agency, or tribal organization… who has the right to access a student's case plan when such agency or organization is legally responsible, in accordance with State or tribal law, for the care and protection of the student provided that the education records, or the personally identifiable information contained in such records, of the student will not be disclosed … except to an individual or entity engaged in addressing the student's education needs…. Also removes duplicative notice provision when the parent is a party to a dependency court proceeding

Education Agency Examples Education Curriculum and Training Casey Family Programs: Endless Dreams Educator Screen and Toolkit (Pennsylvania) School-based liaisons McKinney-Vento State law created education liaisons (Texas, Colorado, Missouri) Trauma-Informed Practices Compassionate Schools Initiative (Washington) Provides training, guidance, referral, and technical assistance. Not a program, but a process to cultivate a climate that benefits all students. Trauma Sensitive Schools (Massachusetts) http://www.massadvocates.org/documents/HTCL_9-09.pdf

Interagency Collaboration Cincinnati, Ohio (Kids in School Rule!) School-based liaisons Interagency team Court oversight Data collection and information-sharing Texas State-level, court-led collaborative Changed legislation and policy

For every 100 youth in foster care who enter high school….. Maybe 50 will graduate from high school….. For these graduates, only about 7 will be ‘college ready’….. 10 -15 may enroll in a higher education or career training program….. Maybe 7 will earn an AA degree/certificate & 2 a bachelor’s degree….. If foster youth completed high school and attended postsecondary education at the same rate as their peers, nearly 100,000 additional foster youth in the 18 to 25-year-old age group would be attending higher education. Wolanin, T. R. (2005). Higher education opportunities for foster youth: A primer for policymakers. The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), December. General Population Students in Foster Care High school graduation 70% <50% College ready/prep 30% 10/15% ??? College going from h.s. 65% 10%-15% cc vs. 4-year college 40%/38% - 70%/30% College completion rate 56% ??? U.S. adults w/ bachelor’s degree or above 28% 2% Bachelor & 7% w/ AA/certificate

Common Barriers to College Access and Success K-12 Success Lack of educational and career advocacy Absenteeism/enrollment interruptions - instability Few engaged in college prep courses or programs (TRIO, GEAR UP, AVID, other) Records transfer and confidentiality issues Long terms educational impacts of abuse and neglect Higher Education Success On their own (‘Independent’) at a young age - survival mode dominates Few college programs are aware of their support needs Lack of role models, college advocates, mentors/coaches Health related needs unmet Lack of good college/program fit Rainer Scholars and National Advising College Corps (Seattle Times 4/13/14) Upward Bound increased postsecondary enrollment or completion rates for some subgroups of students. For the subgroup of students with lower educational expectations at baseline—that is, the students who did not expect to complete a bachelor’s degree—Upward Bound increased the rate of postsecondary enrollment by 6 percentage points and postsecondary completion by 12 percentage points. GA TRIO = Tri State conference DATE: April 6-9, 2014 LOCATION: Atlanta Airport Sheraton Gateway GASPP President William Troy Curry Tel: (404) 756-4789 Fax: (404) 756-2738 wcurry@atlm.edu ​ Atlanta Metropolitan State College 1630 Metropolitan Parkway SW Atlanta, GA 30310 NCAN National Program Directory (http://www.collegeaccess.org/accessprogramdirectory/search.aspx?s=GA) 45 program(s) have been found that match your criteria. Original Search Criteria: State: GA

Federal and State Postsecondary Policy Advances Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) College Cost Reductions Act Chafee Foster Care Independence Act/ETV Extended Medicaid coverage - ACA Carl D. Perkins Career And Technical Education Act State: College tuition waivers (21 states) Passport to College (WA) CA AB 194 – priority college registration CA AB 12 & SB 1013 - Housing Placement Program (THPP) Special Populations as Defined by the Perkins Act In this webcast, we will give you more information about Special Populations as they are defined in the Perkins Act. As we know, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act which was reauthorized in 2006 has continued and strengthened its commitment to preparing women and men for occupations that are non-traditional and to ensuring access to CTE programs for Special Populations who face unique challenges as well as to prepare all students for careers that lead to self-sufficiency. Now through this webcast we hope to help you, the CTE teachers reach these goals by increasing your knowledge regarding the Perkins defined Special Populations. In the current text of the Act, six groups have been identified as Special Populations. These include: 1. Individuals with disabilities: These are those individuals who meet the disability eligibility criteria under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2005. For a detailed account of this group, please access our Disability Awareness module on our website. 2. The second group is the individuals from economically disadvantaged families including foster children. Any individual or member of a family who receives need based financial assistance, or whose income is at or below the poverty level as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is considered an individual who is from an economically disadvantaged background. Foster children are children that are in the legal guardianship or custody of a state, county, or a private adoption or foster care agency, yet are cared for by foster parents under a short-term or a long-term foster care arrangement with the custodial agency. 3. AB 12 (CA) AB 12 allows California to take advantage of several components of the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (P.L. 110‐351) to: Convert California's kinship guardian assistance program (Kin‐GAP) into a federally subsided program. By doing so, the federal government will now pay a 50% share of cost for federally‐eligible participants, saving the state tens of millions of dollars of state general funds (GF); and Extend foster care for eligible youth beyond age 18 and, at full implementation, up until the age of 21; and Provide extended Kin‐GAP assistance or Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) assistance to eligible youth up until age 21, provided the youth has a mental or physical handicap that warrants continuation of assistance OR entered guardianship or adoption at age 16 or later per federal law; and THP‐Plus Foster Care is a new foster care placement, modeled after the existing THP‐Plus program. It is one of seven placements available for youth ages 18 to 21 who elect to participate in extended foster care. Additional information about the specifics of this placement option is provided throughout this document. THP‐Plus Foster Care; Home of a relative or NREFM (approved); Foster family home (licensed); Foster Family Agency certified home (licensed); Home of a non‐related legal guardian (approved by the juvenile court);2 Group home (licensed), subject to new limitations discussed further below; Supervised Independent Living setting (approved). Kansas Tuition Waiver in 2006

State Postsecondary Education Initiatives (CA, WA, MI, OH, TX, GA, VA & NC) Increasing awareness of the opportunities available in postsecondary education programs and raising awareness of the unique circumstances of youth from foster care in relation to higher educational opportunities Establishing effective collaboration between higher education, child welfare, and community agencies Learning about practice and policy exemplars that are impacting improved college access and success for students from foster care Introduction to a comprehensive framework for supporting college students from foster care - Supporting Success: Improving Higher Education Outcomes for Students from Foster Care  Identification of action plan to promote statewide support college approaches

The Fostering Success Michigan Initiative… …Is building a statewide collective-impact strategy that strives to prepare young people in foster care between the ages of 12 to 25 across the state of Michigan. Fostering Success Michigan will increase awareness, access and success in higher education and post-college careers for youth and alumni of foster care. Goals: To increase the number of students from foster care who obtain high-quality degrees and credentials to 60% by the year 2025 To increase the successful career transitions among Michigan's youth and alumni of care by building a network to support college campuses and local community organizations to aid youth in foster care. To increase the knowledge and skills of network members so that they may optimally respond to the needs of youth and alumni of foster care The ultimate goal of this initiative is to increase college-going rates and successful career transitions among Michigan's youth and alumni of care by building a network to support college campuses and local community organizations to aid youth in foster care. Using a Collective Impact Framework, we will increase knowledge and skills of network members so that they may optimally respond to the needs of youth and alumni of foster care ages 12 to 25 in ways that not only promote access and success in post-secondary education, but also in transitioning successfully to the career of their choice.

The Education Reach for Texans Initiative… Education Reach for Texans seeks to eliminate barriers to success and build support programs for alumni of care attending public colleges and universities in the state of Texas. Historically, our main means for achieving this goal has been to hold state-wide convenings of postsecondary and child welfare professionals in order to facilitate sharing of ideas and spurring the implementation of campus-based support programs. While the convenings remain our core focus, we continue to expand our communication efforts in sharing both resources and information statewide. 5th Annual Education Reach for Texans Convening May 30, 2014, Austin Community Colleges Campus Connections: Securing Campus Housing & Other Supports for Youth Who Were in Foster Care

Foster Care and Postsecondary Education Policy, Practice and Collaboration Scan 5/5/14 State Higher Education/Child Welfare Collaborations (8) Potential for systems collaboration (5) Some college based support program(s) (11) SC MA VT NH MD NJ NY \ ME CT GA FL KS TN NC OH WV WI LA ND VA State Tuition Waiver Legislation (23) RI Foster Care to Success ETV Administered States AL, AZ, CO, MA, MD, NC, NY, OH (8) NM Passport to College Promise (WA) Unknown (26) NV AZ MT WA Statewide Gear Up Program (KS) WA MT MN OR ID SD WY MI IA PA NE IN IL NV UT DE MO CA CO KY DC OK AR AZ MS AL AK TX Top 10 states for youth in FC CA, TX, MI, FL, OH, IL, IN, NY, PA, AZ CA, TX, OH, WA, MI, GA, AL = 34% of all FCY in USA HI Sincerely, Becca Seul

“What kept me on track was not my intelligence, but my ability to connect with people on my journey from foster care to successful college student. Essentially, I overcame my educational and trust issues as I found people who were willing to support me and invest in my vision to be an asset to society. Ultimately, in many different ways I was able to find success in higher education because of my quest to become successful and my support system. They have helped me so much reach towards a better life.” William – recent college graduate from foster care

The role of College Access Providers Improving Education Outcomes for Students in Foster Care The role of College Access Providers

Misconceptions about Students in Foster Care Kids are in foster care because they done something “bad” or committed a crime. Children in foster care are like orphans Children in foster care act “bad” because they don’t have parents to discipline them Birth parents don’t want their children Foster children are often not grateful, or glad to have caring foster parents, no matter how good their foster parents are.

Common Barriers Frequent changing of foster or residential homes Lack of basic clothing and supplies Impacts of abuse, neglect, and trauma Educational gaps

Model Support Approaches Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP (KKGU) – a U.S. Department of Education federally funded grant hosted by Wichita State University. Student Identification College Access Plan College and career exploration KKGU scholarship program

Outcomes GOOD: Student high school and GED completion rates have increased A larger number of students in foster care are enrolling in college The number of students believing they cannot afford to attend college has decreased (as shown by our pre/post surveys) BAD: The number of students placed in foster care has increased Students are moved more frequently (one student – up to 15 times in one year) The necessity for therapy and life skill training for children in foster care continues as the population of children in foster care increases.

Perspectives from the field Student stories

PK-12 Education Resources A national technical assistance resource and information clearinghouse on legal and policy matters affecting the education of children and youth in foster care. www.fostercareandeducation.org http://www.casey.org/resources/publications/directory/subject/Education_k12.htm

Postsecondary Education Resources Foster Care and Student Success: Texas Systems Working Together to Transform Education Outcomes of Students in Foster Care (2013). Texas Education Agency and the Supreme Court of Texas, Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families (Children’s Commission), October 18. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/news_release.aspx?id=25769807807 Foster Youth Campus Support Programs: A Leadership Guide (2013). California College Pathways, June. www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/training_event_files/13-7-25_fostercampus_final.pdf Foster Youth: Supporting Educational Success – Trainers Guide (2014), California College Pathways www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/campus_foster_youth_training_manual_0.pdf It’s my life: Postsecondary education and training and financial aid excerpt (2006). Casey Family Programs, Seattle, WA. http://nyccollegeline.org/resources/it-s-my-life-postsecondary-education-and-training-guide Providing Effective Financial Aid Assistance to Students from Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: A Key to Higher Education Access and Success (2009). Tracy Fried & Associates. http://www.nasfaa.org/counselors/Resources_for_Counselors.aspx Supporting success: Improving higher education outcomes for students from foster care – A Framework for Program Enhancement - Version 2.0 (2010).Casey Family Programs, Seattle, WA. www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/SupportingSuccess.htm

Contact Information Kathleen McNaught, Assistant Staff Director of Child Welfare, American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law kathleen.mcnaught@americanbar.org John Emerson, Postsecondary Education Advisor, Casey Family Programs JEmerson@casey.org Corinne Nilsen, Executive Director, Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP Wichita State University Corinne.Nilsen@wichita.edu