The impact of school instability on children in out-of-home care
A former Wisconsin foster youth talks about the challenges of changing schools:
"Listened to me and believed."
Transcript
“I had to transfer in between my sophomore and junior year of high school. I had to change foster homes from one school district to another. It was really hard because it was during the finals, and some of the credits didn’t transfer over to the new school. So I had to take the classes over.”
44% of children in out-of-home care in Wisconsin attended more than one school in a single school year.
School mobility jeopardizes academic success for children in out-of-home care. Adjusting to a new environment is challenging and emotionally taxing for any individual. Children in out-of-home care may have few skills to cope with change and other significant worries that distract them.
To support educational stability case plans for children in out-of-home care are required to take into account:
- The appropriateness of the current educational setting.
- Whether the current school is not in the best interests of the child.
- Coordination with local educational agencies to ensure the child remains in the school they are enrolled in.
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