The Riverside County Office of Education recently launched an initiative focused on partnerships and collaboration to address the myriad challenges that foster students throughout the county face both in and outside of the classroom.
Data show foster youth throughout the nation continue to face lower rates of academic achievement, attendance and post-secondary success while also having higher disciplinary rates compared to nearly all other student groups.
According to the California Department of Education (CDE), about 60 percent of foster youth statewide graduate from high school, compared to 86 percent of non-foster youth. These children, who move schools an average of eight times while in care, losing up to six months with each move.
A 2022 brief from the Learning Policy Institute noted that in addition to academic setbacks, changing schools so regularly can also disrupt supportive social relationships. “Moving school and home at the same time can involve cutting ties with peer and friend communities, including extracurricular activities or sports. These losses can reduce students’ sense of belonging and level of engagement at school,” according to the brief.
Additionally, students in foster care are more likely than their peers to have experienced trauma due to family separation and/or the circumstances that led to being placed in foster care. Experiencing trauma in one’s youth has been linked to difficulties with concentration, attention-seeking behavior and more which can severely impact a child’s ability to learn and behave appropriately in school.
Foster youth who do graduate enroll at college within a year of high school graduation nearly 20 percent less often than non-foster youth, CDE data shows, and less than 4 percent of foster youth in California complete a four-year degree, according to a 2021 California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study.
Riverside County is home to nearly 10 percent of California’s approximately 30,000 foster youth enrolled in public schools.
Riverside COE’s Foster Youth Success Initiative aims to boost collaboration between local schools, communities and government agencies to ensure that students receive the essential services and support they need to be successful.
“When all the data points are revealing that outcomes for foster youth are lower in almost every measurable category — from academics and attendance to graduation and social-emotional wellness — we have an obligation as educators to ask ourselves whether we are doing everything we can to support our foster students,” Edwin Gomez, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, said when the initiative was launched in October. “This initiative is an outgrowth of our Equity & Inclusive Practices Initiative that is re-shaping mindsets and removing barriers that stand in the way of student success. I look forward to working with educators, civic leaders, community organizations and government agencies to pave the way for a brighter future for foster youth in Riverside County.”
How it works
The initiative includes individual student support tools, foster parent resources, educator training tools and bridging programs to support a student’s transition to higher education. A new, dedicated Foster Youth Success website includes communications materials, foster youth panel discussions, documentary film screenings about foster youth, and space for intra-divisional collaboration within Riverside COE to identify strategic direction and partnerships.
Currently, the site outlines activities to improve outcomes for foster youth that span seven areas of focus:
- Assess data on outcomes in English language arts, literacy and mathematics.
- Identify scope of need for foster youth who may be English learners.
- Determine support needs for foster youth with disabilities.
Support for families
- Assess the process for determining and transferring educational rights for foster youth — specifically for students with an individualized educational program (IEP) or other accommodations.
- Identify gaps in knowledge for students and families as they navigate the educational and social services systems.
- Determine prevention and early intervention strategies for biological families that may avert initial engagement with foster care system.
- Assess data related to diminishing suspension and chronic absenteeism rates with foster youth.
- Identify best practices at school and district level that promote connectedness and student self-efficacy while addressing impact of trauma.
Interagency communication and collaboration
- Assess relationships with variety of organizations — from city government and law enforcement to social services and school districts — in order to minimize gaps in communication and maximize collaboration.
- Identify additional agencies and organizations in the community that can provide support to foster students and families.
District support and capacity building
- Inform staff on the realities of the foster youth experience to build awareness and empathy.
- Provide training and resources to educators on legal requirements, data monitoring and resources available for foster youth.
Stability and continuity
- Connect data tracking platforms between agencies to ensure communication during student transitions.
- Provide training to educators on enrollment practices to ensure student academic performance is not affected by student transitions.
- Connect students with resources during transitions between placements and upon aging out of the system.
- Assess graduation, dropout and college and career readiness data to improve post-secondary possibilities and opportunities.
- Create systems for transition between placements, between schools, and when aging out of system.
The Foster Youth Success Initiative will supplement and expand Riverside COE’s existing Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program that provides direct support to school districts and foster youth across Riverside County.