Federal lawmakers from the House foster-youth caucus are proposing a bill that would give social workers better access to school records.
The bill, introduced last week, is part of a national push to improve the educational outcomes of foster youths.
A federal law, designed to protect children’s privacy, requires social workers to get a court order to access a foster child’s school records. Foster youths change homes and schools frequently, and their records typically don’t catch up. Without school records, some end up taking the same classes over because credits are lost or don’t transfer.
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., sponsored the bill. She has been traveling the country to discuss foster-care issues with major stakeholders.
