- Home
- » National Foster Care Month
- » Building Well-Being Through Support in School & Community
May Is National Foster Care Month
Building Well-Being Through Support in School & Community
Schools and communities play an important role in building well-being in children and youth in out-of-home care. This section provides information and strategies to support these children and youth in their communities and schools. Resources include State and local examples.
Communities
2-1-1 Information & Referral Search
Connects people with community services by providing free and confidential information and referral for help with food, housing, employment, health care, counseling, and more.
Family to Family
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Offers strategies that help public child welfare agencies build partnerships with neighborhoods and local communities to achieve positive outcomes for children in out-of-home care.
Findyouthinfo.gov
Provides interactive tools and other resources to help youth-serving organizations and community partnerships plan, implement, locate, and participate in effective programs for youth. The website includes information on positive youth development, mentoring, transitioning youth, evidence-based programs, and more.
Well-Being Checklist
(PDF - 259 KB)Corinne Wolfe Children's Law Center
Child Protection Best Practices Bulletin: Innovative Strategies to Achieve Safety, Permanence, and Well-Being, 2011
Discusses extending the responsibility for achieving well-being outcomes to the larger community of individuals and agencies involved in the child welfare system. Several checklists with questions pertaining to preserving connections, enhancing family capacity, and services are also included.
Schools
Children's Bureau Funding Opportunity Announcements
- Child Welfare – Education System Collaborations to Increase Educational Stability, HHS 2012-ACF-ACYF-CO-0270
- Child Welfare - Early Education Partnerships to Expand Protective Factors for Children with Child Welfare Involvement, HHS-2012-ACF-ACYF-CO-0315
Education Is the Lifeline for Youth in Foster Care
(PDF - 313 KB)National Working Group on Foster Care and Education (2011)
Shares research findings on the positive impact of education for foster youth and the negative impact of changing schools, delays in school enrollment, and inconsistent school attendance. Promising programs are also highlighted.
Legal Center for Foster Care & Education
Casey Family Programs, American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law, Education Law Center-PA, & Juvenile Law Center
Serves as a national technical assistance resource and information clearinghouse on legal and policy matters affecting the education of children in the foster care system.
When Working Together Works: Academic Success for Students in Out-of-Home Care
Legal Center for Foster Care and Education & National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE (2010)
Provides information to help educators and child welfare advocates work together to support the academic success of children and youth in out-of-home care. This brief offers practical, proven strategies for implementing two Federal laws collaboratively: the McKinney-Vento Act and the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act.
State and local examples
Advocating for the Educational Needs of Children in Out-of-Home Care: A Manual for Caseworkers and Supervisors
(PDF - 9820 KB)Colorado Department of Human Services (2010)
Provides child welfare caseworkers and their supervisors with an understanding of educational policies, methods for monitoring outcomes and services, and tools to enable them to advocate for the educational needs of children in the child welfare system. Training curricula for caseworkers and supervisors (PDF - 498 KB) and foster parents (PDF - 532 KB) are also available.
Ready to Succeed
California Education Collaborative for Children in Foster Care
Aims to identify and set forth a strategic framework designed to improve educational outcomes for California's children and youth in foster care. The framework includes partnerships among the child welfare, education, and court systems, and caregivers.
Rescuing Forgotten Futures: An Action Guide to the Improvements Everyone Can Make to Help Foster Youth Succeed in School
(PDF - 8684 KB)Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute & Fostering Media Connections (2011)
Discusses the academic challenges children in foster care face and proposes strategies that can be implemented at the national, State, and local levels to ensure their academic achievement. Examples of how Massachusetts, Washington, and California are addressing the educational needs of students in foster care are provided to illustrate promising efforts.
Everybody's a Teacher: How to Help Children and Youth in Foster Care Get the Best Education Possible
Florida Department of Children and Families (2010)
Encourages individuals and communities to become involved in the education of children and youth in foster care and addresses educational challenges they may face.