FOSTER CARE PROVISIONS - EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA) - May 9, 2018

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Jake

Foster care provisions under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) outline state reporting and placement requirements to support children in foster care. ESSA transitions from ESEA and amends NCLB, emphasizing stability, immediate enrollment, and shared agency responsibility. It requires considering school appropriateness and proximity, coordinating with LEAs and child welfare agencies, transferring records promptly, and establishing clear procedures for transportation. Best-interest determinations guide staying in the school of origin or moving without required documentation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

ESSA and Foster Children

Reporting and agency responsibility

Placement, enrollment, and record transfer

ESSA: Statutory Context

Amendments to Title I and McKinney-Vento

ESSA: Key Provisions

School of origin and immediate enrollment

Collaboration and transportation

Best Interest Determination

Factors and process

Dispute resolution

FOSTER CARE PROVISIONS EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA) Division of Funding & Disbursements Illinois State Board of Education May 9, 2018 Whole Child ● Whole School ● Whole Community 1 EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( ESEA ) . ESSA builds upon the critical work States and local educational agencies (LEAs) have implemented over the last few years . The reauthorized law prioritizes excellence and equity for our students and supports educators . This is a transition from the ESEA and amends the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 ( NCLB ) . Whole Child ● Whole School ● Whole Community 2 ESSA and FOSTER CHILDREN • Requires States to report on achievement and graduation rates for children in foster care--Emphasizes shared agency responsibility and decision-making • Includes new foster care provisions that complement requirements in previous Acts--Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 --Uninterrupted Scholars Act of 2013 Whole Child ● Whole School ● Whole Community 3 ESSA and FOSTER CHILDREN Ensures: – The child’s placement takes into account the appropriateness of the current educational setting and the proximity to the school of origin ; – The agency has coordinated with LEAs to ensure that a child in foster care remains in his or her school of origin if it is in the child’s best interest; and – If remaining at the school of origin is not in the child’s best interest, the child is immediately enrolled in a new school and records are transferred to the new school. Whole Child ● Whole School ● Whole Community 4 ESSA: STATUTORY CONTEXT • ESSA included significant amendments to Title I, Part A designed to provide school stability and immediate enrollment to children in foster care . • Implementation of these provisions is not part of the McKinney-Vento Act and does not fall under the McKinney-Vento Coordinator’s responsibility. • ESSA also amended the McKinney-Vento Act to remove children and youth “awaiting foster careplacement” from the definition of homeless . • Effective December 10, 2016 Whole Child ● Whole School ● Whole Community 5 ESSA: STATUTORY CONTEXT • Youth “awaiting foster placement” are no longer covered under McKinney Vento However………… • Homeless children who are also in foster care (e.g., youth who have run away from child welfare placements) . • Children in foster care living in emergency or transitional shelters . Whole Child ● Whole School ● Whole Community 6 Whole Child ● Whole School ● Whole Community 7 ESSA: Key Provisions • Children in foster care remain in the school of origin unless there is a determination that it is not in his or her best interest. • If it is in the best interest of the child to leave the school of origin, the child must be immediately enrolled in the new school even if they don’t have the required documentation . The enrolling school shall immediately contact the school last attended to obtain the child’s records. • LEAs must collaborate with child welfare agencies to develop and implement clear written procedures for how transportation will be provided, arranged, and funded for the duration of a child’s time in foster care . Whole Child ● Whole School ● Whole Community 8 BEST INTEREST DETERMINATION • The best interest determinations must be based on all factors, including: – Appropriateness of the current educational setting,– Proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement. • LEAs and child welfare agencies should collaborate to develop a joint process for making best interest determinations . • Multiple student-centered factors should be considered though transportation should NOT be a factor. • The child should be consulted, if appropriate, as well as adults who have meaning

FAQs

What does ESSA require states and agencies to report for children in foster care?

States must report on achievement and graduation rates for children in foster care, emphasizing shared agency responsibility and decision-making.

When must a child remain in the school of origin under ESSA?

A child remains in the school of origin unless a determination finds it is not in the child’s best interest.

How are best-interest determinations and disputes handled?

Determinations must consider factors including the appropriateness of the educational setting and proximity to the school of origin, using a joint process between LEAs and child welfare agencies. If an agreement cannot be reached, the ultimate decision resides with DCFS.

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Jake