Look Back, Forge Ahead

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The sun is out & ADE’s Foster Care Education Program is in full bloom!

In early February, ADE, First Star ASU, Advocacy 31Nine, Voices for CASA Children, ACDL, & CASA Maricopa, provided a foster care & education training day for court appointed special advocates (CASAs), foster parents, and school staff. With close to 200 participants, it was an amazing day centered around helping those who support our students in foster care with the tools they need to better advocate for their youth.

ADE’s Foster Care Education Program was also fortunate enough to participate in the annual Spring Blitz, an all-day training event for foster parents to receive their required continuing education hours. The nearly 600 participants had a full slate of training on their plate, including a rousing session provided by ADE and AZ Department of Child Safety focusing on the collaboration needed to maintain school stability for our youth in foster care. Foster parents, CASAs, and school staff left both days empowered to tackle the daunting challenges of school stability for children in foster care.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) states that children in foster care should remain in the school they attended before entering foster care or the school they attended before a placement change (school of origin). So, children in foster care, have the right to stay at one school, regardless of whatever is going on in their personal life. The transportation of a child in foster care, to their school of origin, is a shared responsibility between the LEA (public school district or public charter) & the child welfare agency (most often, the Department of Child Safety (DCS)). The only reason a child in foster care would have to change schools is that it is in their best interest to go to a new school. If it is in the best interest of a child in foster care to go to a new school, the new school would need to immediately enroll that child, even without relevant paperwork. Children in foster care are statistically among the lowest performing demographics within education. This law helps to curb that trend by maintaining the school stability of children in foster care.

There are two remaining Spring trainings & spots are filling up!

Please register on the ADE Event Management System at:

https://ems.azed.gov/

(Registration closes 1 business day prior to the training)

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