The educational outcomes of youth in foster care are far worse than those of other students, in part because of fragmentation within and misalignment between the education and child welfare systems. In this report, the authors examine these barriers, along with opportunities to promote cross-system collaboration. High staff turnover, limited preservice training on educational stability, and geographical dispersion were identified as common challenges.

Education and Child Welfare System Efforts to Improve Educational Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care

Identifying Opportunities to Enhance Cross-System Collaboration

Susan Bush-Mecenas, Heather Gomez-Bendaña, Dionne Barnes-Proby, Susan M. Gates

ResearchPublished Apr 4, 2023

The educational outcomes of youth in foster care are far worse than those of other students, in part because transitions into or out of the foster care system and placement changes can lead to frequent school transfers, which are associated with a host of problems.

Since the early 2000s, policymakers at the state and federal levels have passed legislation to promote collaboration between the education and child welfare systems, with the goal of improving educational stability for youth in foster care and, in turn, their educational outcomes. But two features of public-sector systems in the United States might pose barriers to cross-system collaboration: (1) fragmentation within systems and (2) jurisdictional misalignment across systems.

In this report, the authors explore the implications of fragmentation and misalignment for cross-system collaboration between public education and child welfare systems. They draw on interviews with education and welfare system representatives and adults who have experience in foster care, as well as case studies of four states' efforts to implement cross-system collaboration. The authors find common challenges to collaboration, including high staff turnover, limited preservice training on educational stability, and geographical dispersion. The authors offer suggestions for how policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels could encourage better cross-system collaboration.

Key Findings

  • Federal legislation shapes efforts at the state and local levels to support special student populations (e.g., youth in foster care) served by education and child welfare systems.
  • States differ in terms of how they govern their education and child welfare systems.
  • Case data suggest several factors that contribute to or inhibit collaboration.
  • Adults who have experienced foster care noted the importance of student and caregiver involvement in best interest determination, a caring point of contact at school, and assistance in identifying and accessing resources.
  • Most interagency and interpersonal communication helped to develop consistent understanding of existing policy and managing special cases.
  • Formalization through legislation and routines forged shared understanding and allowed for meaningful information-sharing.
  • Case study states used unique methods to promote collaboration, including the creation of meaningful liaison roles, opportunities for district liaisons and social workers to develop social connections, integration of best-interest-determination guidance on school notification forms, and accountability-linked data-sharing.
  • Common challenges to cross-system collaboration include high staff turnover, limited preservice training on educational stability for youth in foster care, and geographical dispersion.

Recommendations

  • At the local level, policymakers can encourage collaboration, information-sharing, and transparency to support those working most directly with youth in foster care by (1) removing barriers that restrict access to the information needed to support youth in foster care, (2) incentivizing and facilitating cross-system communication and social engagement, and (3) designating a contact or hotline for youth or caregivers who need assistance with school stability concerns.
  • At the state level, policymakers can promote standard operating procedures and create resources and templates that would facilitate effective collaboration between local actors and relieve them of the burden of creating such procedures from scratch by (1) requiring written dispute resolution for service provisions related to youth in foster care; (2) providing joint guidance defining and serving youth in foster care; (3) providing statewide standard tools, procedures, and definitions—especially with regard to data-sharing and placement decisions; (4) including educational outcomes for youth in foster care as school accountability indicators; (5) using youth-centered data metrics; and (6) integrating education stability training into basic caseworker preparation.
  • At the federal level, policymakers can further encourage collaboration by (1) allocating a designated funding mechanism for students in foster care and (2) using and encouraging best practices that have worked at the state level.

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Bush-Mecenas, Susan, Heather Gomez-Bendaña, Dionne Barnes-Proby, and Susan M. Gates, Education and Child Welfare System Efforts to Improve Educational Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care: Identifying Opportunities to Enhance Cross-System Collaboration. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2023. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2373-1.html.
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