Educating Youth in Foster Care Shanna McBride and Angela Griffin, M.Ed.

The Facts Of the more than 500,000 children in foster care in the United States, approximately 30-40% are receiving special education services. (CASCW,2012) Most Common Disabilities For Youth with IEP or 504 Plan Specific Learning Disabilities 45% Emotional/Behavioral Disability 23% Health Impairment 15% Other disability categories: Multiple Disab. (8%), Cognitive Disab. (6%), Communication Disorders (2%), Autism (1%), Orthopedic Impairments (1%)

Integrating Service Across Systems In order to meet the needs of youth with disabilities in the foster care system, it is logical to focus on building connections between and among both public and private agencies and schools, in order to address their complex needs and to capitalize on the expertise of each service area in order to best support these young people.

MISSION Giving foster kids a childhood and a future GOAL Foster youth in King County will graduate high school at the same rate as their peers with a plan for their future.

GRADUATION SUCCESS MODEL

The Role of Treehouse The assignment of educational specialists and advocates are to: build a relationship of accountability provide personalized intervention building problem solving and self-advocacy skills proactively removing barriers to school success

The Role of Child Welfare The main goal of child welfare is to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, youth, and families.

What We Know Children and youth with disabilities in child welfare: Experience a higher number of placements and longer periods of time in out of home care Experience high rates of educational mobility Have lower rates of concurrent planning, as well as achieving permanency

Youth with disabilities are overrepresented in child welfare system Disruptions and dissolutions tend to occur more with behavioral issues related to child's special needs than the special needs themselves What We Know

Incidence of maltreatment of children with disabilities is 1.7 times greater than the incidence among children without disabilities Children with disabilities are 3.4 times more likely to be maltreated School-aged children with disabilities are 2.16 times more likely to be in out-of-home placement What We Know

Competencies for DSHS Social Workers In 1985, the Institute for Human Services (HIS) began development of competencies that delineate the array of knowledge and skills needed to provide effective child welfare services to children with special needs. ‐ Ability to identify indicators of specific developmental disorders in children and adolescents (12) ‐ Ability to provide case management and supportive services to families of children with developmental disorders (14) ‐ Ability to identify and assess mental health problems in children and adolescents (11) ‐ Ability to provide and monitor treatment for children and youth with mental illness, emotional, or behavioral disorders (10)

The Role of Schools The link between foster care and low academic performance has been documented nationwide. Studies that examined the educational progress of children and youth in care showed that many of these children and youth repeated a grade and were more than one grade level delayed. Youth in care generally have lower scores on standardized tests. Youth in care have higher absentee and tardy rates and are twice as likely as the rest of the population to drop out before finishing high school. Youth in care who are, or have been in foster care, are two or three times more likely than other students to have disabilities that affect their ability to learn.

Youth in foster care have experienced trauma that impact their self esteem, behavior, attachments and relationships, which affect their ability to learn. Many youth in care don’t participate in extracurricular activities. Usually, the longer a child is in foster care, the greater the number of placements. What We Know

It is often difficult to ensure that complete educational records follow the youth. Many youth in foster care are never identified as needing special education services. Special education referrals are made quickly without assessing the entire picture, and a youth may be inappropriately placed in special education. What We Know

Youth in foster care also may become frustrated and leave school before graduating. They may not have families who have been good role models, such as embracing education and valuing the completion of high school. Youth may just be too distracted by the instability in their family situation to focus on school. What We Know

School Social Workers Communicate with DSHS Social Workers ‐ Reach out first ‐ Keep them updated ‐ Be aware of shifts Engage Caregivers ‐ Do not assume they know roles and responsibilities ‐ Be clear about guardianship and sharing information Encourage Self-determination in Students ‐ Especially at the secondary level ‐ Involvement in IEP and Transition Plans

The Role of Caregivers If they believe that things are not going well, request a meeting. Share their knowledge about the youth with the school district. Become an active part of the IEP team. Invite people to the IEP team who can help advocate for the student. Involve the student in the process. Make suggestions for how the school can best serve the student. Scrutinize all aspects of the IEP to ensure that the program will really help the student. Ask for summer special education services if the student needs them. Make sure the transition services are part of the youth’s IEP beginning no later than the year the student turns 16. Create a file of the student’s education records.

Engaging Caregivers/Birth Parents Collaborate with DSHS Social Workers -Work with the social worker to ensure that the current school has the youth’s complete school record. -Provide all educational information to others making decisions about the youth when you attend reviews and court hearings. Collaborate with School Personnel - Establish a working relationship with teachers - Keep open communication and updated contact information - Check in on a regular basis

What have you learned today that is new? Who do you know or work with that could benefit from information you learned today? What are three steps that you can take to integrate this information to benefit yourself, your organization and/or the children and families with whom you work. Next Steps

Shanna McBride Senior Manager, Education Advocacy Angela Griffin, M.Ed. Senior Manager, Education Services Questions/Comments