FosterEd

Foster children are our children. We have a collective responsibility to ensure they succeed in school. FosterEd improves the educational outcomes of children and youth in foster care by ensuring each is supported by an educational champion and strengthened by an education team.

Controlling for factors such as socioeconomic status, parent education level, and race, studies repeatedly find that students with active educational champions have higher GPAs and test scores, better attendance, and improved behavior at home and school. More specifically, students supported by educational champions with the following characteristics are most likely to be successful in school:

• Expectations and aspirations

• Discussion of school and education at home

• Facilitation of learning at home

• Communication with school staff

• Basic understanding of the education system

• Capacity and confidence to advocate on behalf of the child

Research also suggests that students, at-risk students in particular, benefit greatly from education teams supporting their academic success. This is particularly true of foster children, where a multitude of agencies and stakeholders are jointly responsible for ensuring they succeed in school.