September 2014

Foster Care Outcomes

  1. Purpose: The purpose of SHB 2254 (Foster Care – Education Success, 2012 Session) is to:.
  2. Improve the high school graduation outcomes of foster youth through coordinated P-20 and child welfare outreach, intervention, and planning; and provide improved postsecondary outcomes.
  3. Facilitate the on-time grade level progression and graduation of students who are dependent.
  4. Provide for our students in foster care: wraparound educational advocacy services; mandate the timely transmission of educational records; recognize the importance of maintaining a foster child in the school program he or she was in before entering the foster care system and minimizing the number of times a child has to change schools.
  5. Increase/improve dependent student access to and participation regarding post-secondary scholarship opportunities.
  6. Increase/improve cross-system collaboration between education, Children’s Administration and the Administrative Office of the Courts.
  1. Description of services provided:
  2. The K-12 data governance group established under RCW 28A.300.507 shall create a comprehensive needs requirement document detailing the specific information, technical capacity, and any federal and state statutory and regulatory changes needed by school districts, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the department of social and health services, or the higher education coordinating board or its successor.
  3. In complying with (a) of this subsection, the K-12 data governance group shall consult with: Educational support service organizations, with which the department of social and health services contracts or collaborates, having responsibility for educational support services and educational outcomes of dependent students; the passport to college advisory committee; the education support service organizations under contract to perform outreach for the passport to college promise program under chapter 28B.117 RCW; the department of social and health services; the office of the attorney general; the higher education coordinating board or its successor; and the office of the administrator for the courts.
  4. By December 1, 2012, the superintendent of public instruction shall submit a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature regarding: The analysis of needs by the K-12 data governance group; a timeline for addressing those needs for which no statutory changes are necessary and that can be implemented within existing resources; and recommended options for addressing identified needs for which statutory changes, additional funding, or both, are necessary.
  5. By December 1, 2012, and on an annual basis through December 1, 2015, the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the department of social and health services and the office of the administrator for the courts, shall submit a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature regarding the content and implementation status of the state's plan for cross-system collaboration to promote educational stability and improve educational outcomes for foster children pursuant to the requirements of the federal fostering connections to success and increasing adoptions act, P.L. 110-351. The annual report must include, but is not limited to, information regarding:
  6. A description of the process used to determine students' best interest in continued enrollment at the school the student was in at the time of initial placement or change of placement;

(2) The number of days, following initial placement or change of placement, to resume school at the school the student was in at the time of initial placement or change of placement or complete new school enrollment and attend at a new school;

(3) The number of days from request to delivery of school records from the sending school to the receiving school; and

(4) Documentation of a plan and use of federal title IV-E dollars to support transportation for educational continuity as envisioned in the federal fostering connections to success and increasing adoptions act, P.L. 110-351.

  1. Number of staff associated with this program/service (indicate where applicable):

Fiscal Year 2014

# of OSPI staff associated with this funding (FTEs): 1

# of contractors/other staff associated with this funding: 0

FY 14 Funding: State Appropriation: $123,000

4.Is continued funding needed in the next biennium? Yes

5. What is the current status of this program’s implementation?The program was started in SFY2013.

6.When will the project be completed? On-going

7.First year funded: 2013

8.State funding since inception:

Fiscal Year / Amount
FY14 / $123,000
FY13 / $128,000

9. Major challenges faced by the program: Continuation offunding is necessary for the program to continue.

10.Statutory and/or Budget language: Budget Proviso 3ESSB5034, Sec. 501 (1) (1) $123,000 of the general fund -- state appropriation for fiscal year 2014 and $123,000 of the general fund -- state appropriation for fiscal year 2015, areprovided solely for implementation of chapter 163, Laws of 2012 (Foster Care Outcomes). OSPI shall annually report each December on the implementation of the state’s plan of cross-system collaboration to promote educational stability and improve education outcomes of foster youth.