Foster Care Youth

Members of the Supreme Court pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021.
Members of the Supreme Court pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021.
Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP
Law & Courts Some Takeaways for Educators in Supreme Court Rulings on Obamacare, Religious Liberties
The justices rejected a challenge to Obamacare on standing grounds while ruling narrowly in a case involving foster care in Philadelphia.
Mark Walsh, June 17, 2021
•
6 min read
Education Supreme Court Leans Toward Support for Catholic Agency in Foster-Care Case
The case from Philadelphia about the tension between religious liberty interests and anti-discrimination laws has potential implications in education.
Mark Walsh, November 4, 2020
•
7 min read
Education Supreme Court to Revisit Key Church-State Precedent in Foster-Care Case
The justices agreed to hear a challenge by a Roman Catholic agency to Philadelphia's refusal to refer foster children because the agency would not place such children with same-sex couples.
Mark Walsh, February 24, 2020
•
3 min read
Student Well-Being School Changes Can Help Keep Students in Class, Out of Foster System
Schools need to address more than physical mobility to improve attendance among foster students, finds new research at the American Educational Research Association meeting.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 6, 2019
•
3 min read
Assessment Report Roundup Foster Students in Schools
Schools may be the only lifeline for many teenagers leaving foster care before graduating from high school.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 27, 2018
•
1 min read
Student Well-Being Three Ways Schools Can Help Students Leaving Foster Care Land on Their Feet
Senior year transitions can be tough: finalizing credits, applying for colleges, considering jobs—and, if students are in the foster care system, it can mean becoming suddenly homeless and without family support. Here's how schools can keep the transition from derailing students' education.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 14, 2018
•
3 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act What's New for Children in Foster Care Under ESSA?
ESSA made some key changes for this group of students, but it's unclear if states are following through with a new transportation requirement.
Alyson Klein, September 3, 2018
•
2 min read
School & District Management Foster Care, Prison, Homelessness: A Hard Look at Teaching Vulnerable Students
In this special series, Education Week reporters explore how teachers work to overcome the challenges of teaching the country's most vulnerable students.
Hannah Sarisohn, March 13, 2018
•
2 min read
Merissa Humes, left, an education specialist with Treehouse, an advocacy group focused on getting foster students on a college-bound track, counsels student Jordon Marshelle Barrett at the group’s Seattle office. Humes has weekly meetings with students to help them set goals, apply to colleges and for scholarships, and plan for life after both high school and the foster-care system.
Merissa Humes, left, an education specialist with Treehouse, an advocacy group focused on getting foster students on a college-bound track, counsels student Jordon Marshelle Barrett at the group’s Seattle office. Humes has weekly meetings with students to help them set goals, apply to colleges and for scholarships, and plan for life after both high school and the foster-care system.
Ian Bates/Education Week
Equity & Diversity The Gifted Child in Foster Care: Lost in the Shuffle
George Garcia, a former foster-care child now mentoring foster students in college, found his way into academically challenging classes through friends. Many bright foster-care students aren't so lucky.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 6, 2018
•
10 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act Report: States Struggle With ESSA's Requirements for Foster Children
It is unclear if all states have implemented ESSA's requirement to provide transportation as needed for students in foster care, a report from the Chronicle of Social Change found.
Alyson Klein, January 18, 2018
•
1 min read
Equity & Diversity Video Amid Opioid Crisis, Schools Help Students Heal
The U.S. is facing an opioid crisis. Deaths have nearly quadrupled in the last 15 years — the latest figures show 91 Americans dying from opioid overdoses every day. In hard-hit states like West Virginia, parents' addiction to pain pills, fentanyl, or heroin has torn many families apart. With 5,000 children now in foster care, a 24% increase over the past five years, the state's schools are grappling with ways to support children affected by drug abuse. In this report for the PBS NewsHour, Education Week Correspondent Lisa Stark traveled to rural Jackson County, W.Va, to see how one school district is responding. This video aired on PBS NewsHour on December 27, 2016.
January 5, 2017
•
8:56
Every Student Succeeds Act Fight Brewing Over How the Draft ESSA Rules Handle Students in Foster Care
The disagreement relates to how the law tries to create more stability for foster care students by emphasizing their "school of origin."
Andrew Ujifusa, June 2, 2016
•
3 min read
School & District Management Financial Aid Rules Put College Further From Homeless, Foster Students' Reach
Why don't more homeless and foster students get through college? Financial aid rules hurt, rather than help, vulnerable students get a fresh start, finds a new federal report.
Carmen Constantinescu, May 23, 2016
•
3 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act How Does the Every Student Succeeds Act Handle Foster Children?
The Every Student Succeeds Act makes it easier for children in foster care to stay in their original schools, but different groups have different ideas about how the costs should be covered.
Alyson Klein, May 10, 2016
•
3 min read
Load More ▼