Foster Care Information and Resources
Supporting the educational success of students in foster care begins with access to the right tools and information. Whether you're an educator, caseworker, caregiver, or advocate, there are many resources available to help you better understand the unique needs of these students and how to support them effectively. This section offers a curated collection of guidance documents, best practices, and helpful tools to get you started and deepen your impact. Return to the main Foster Care webpage at any time.
Foster Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Texas Foster Care & Student Success Resource Guide
This guide is the result of a collaborative effort between the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the Supreme Court of Texas, and the Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families (Children's Commission). Designed as both an e-guide and training manual, it covers a wide range of research-based topics and highlights critical issues related to the education of students in foster care. The guide promotes best practices and offers practical tips, tools, and resources—along with direct links to additional information—to support those working with this student population.
For expanded content and access, visit the Foster Care and Student Success Guide Webpage.
Fostering Connections Act and the Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA) require coordination among agencies at the state and local levels to ensure the educational stability of children in foster care. The School Systems and the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) should make every effort to reach an agreement regarding the appropriate school placement and transportation coordination of students in foster care. The dispute resolution process should be fair to all parties and reached in an expeditious manner.
Education and child welfare partners will gain a deeper understanding and a clear roadmap for effective collaboration in making education best-interest decisions. This shared approach will lead to more informed educational planning, increased school stability, and smoother transitions when school changes are necessary, ultimately driving better academic outcomes for students in foster care.
The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and TEA have released a video training on available resources that will help your School System to provide students in foster care educational stability and facilitate their transitions.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires designated points of contact for child welfare and education agencies to support school stability for students in foster care (i.e., education best interest, transportation coordination). The Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) Educational Specialist serves as the Child Welfare Point of Contact for ESSA purposes. Similarly, the School System Point of Contact for ESSA, in most instances, is the School System Foster Care Liaison.
A comprehensive overview of ESSA foster care provisions and the requirements for School Systems.
The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (Fostering Connections) is a federal law that includes important improvements for children and youth who are in foster care or are at risk of entering foster care. This document reviews the provisions designed to impact youth and young adults.
Released February 2021, this data and trends report is the first of its kind in Texas. It represents over two years of intensive collaborative work, cross-systems data sharing, joint learning, and discussion of key findings about the education outcomes and school experiences of Texas students in foster care.
Foster Care and Student Success: Texas Data and Trends for 2018
Clarifies expectations regarding the PEIMS foster care indicator code, identifying students in foster care, and acceptable documentation.
This document specifies the determination for students in foster care for the school of origin.
These forms provide educators with resources to support collaborative education decision-making and transportation coordination with child welfare organizations. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires education agencies to collaborate with child welfare agencies and to maintain school stability for students in foster care. Both forms are included in the single PDF: TASB Forms
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Educational Best-Interest Factors: DFPS, in collaboration with relevant school officials, is tasked with determining if it is in the best interest of a student in foster care to remain in their school of origin. This form walks school employees through a series of questions and steps to support collaborative education-decision making in the best interest determination.
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Individual Transportation Plan Template: This template helps school staff plan transportation for a student who will remain in their school of origin. With this template, schools can make decisions in a manner that is cost-effective, reliable, and manageable.
This guide clarifies the similarities and differences in the transition planning processes in the child welfare and special education systems. The information also includes best practices and recommendations for improved coordination between systems to better support youth in foster care with disabilities during the transition to adulthood.
Transition Planning Guide for Students in Foster Care Receiving Special Education Services
The November 2024 Non-Regulatory Guidance titled "Ensuring Educational Stability and Success for Students in Foster Care" was issued by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services to support the implementation of the foster care provisions in Title I, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This updated guidance replaces the 2016 version and aims to improve educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care by promoting stability, collaboration, and access to supportive services.
A central theme of the guidance is the importance of educational stability, which includes keeping students in their school of origin whenever possible. If a school change is necessary, the guidance emphasizes the need for immediate enrollment and timely transfer of records to minimize disruption. It also outlines the shared responsibility of educational and child welfare agencies to arrange transportation to the school of origin, ensuring that students can continue attending their preferred school without barriers.
The guidance calls for strong interagency collaboration, requiring both State and Local Educational Agencies (SEAs and LEAs) and child welfare agencies to designate points of contact to facilitate communication and decision-making. It also highlights the importance of supporting academic success, including strategies to improve attendance, promote inclusive learning environments, and ensure high school completion and postsecondary readiness.
Special attention is given to vulnerable subgroups within the foster care population, such as students with disabilities, English learners, homeless youth, juvenile justice-involved youth, American Indian and Alaska Native youth, and preschool-aged children. The guidance provides tailored strategies to meet the unique needs of these groups.
To support these efforts, the document outlines how various federal funding sources—including Title I, Part A; Title IV programs; 21st Century Community Learning Centers; Full-Service Community Schools; and Title IV-E of the Social Security Act—can be leveraged to provide services and supports for students in foster care.
Finally, the guidance addresses data collection and privacy, encouraging responsible data-sharing between agencies to monitor progress and inform policy decisions, while maintaining compliance with privacy laws.
Although non-binding, this guidance offers practical examples, resources, and best practices to help agencies fulfill their legal obligations and improve educational outcomes for students in foster care.
Ensuring Educational Stability and Success for Students in Foster Care
- Foster Care Education Contacts: District Foster Care Liaisons, Regional Foster Care Champions, and DFPS Education Specialists are available to support your child's education.
- Talking to Foster Youth about School: Sample Questions, developed by the Texas Foster Youth Justice Project and alumni of foster care, to help you elicit information from foster youth about their school experience.
Trauma
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Child Welfare Information Gateway: Free resources to help caregivers and professionals understand and address childhood traumatic experiences and approach relationship building from a different perspective.
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Recognizing and Treating Child Traumatic Stress: Learn about the signs of traumatic stress, its impact on children, treatment options, and how families and caregivers can help.
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Sesame Street: Provides videos and activities that address coping with traumatic experiences in a kid-friendly way.
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Establishing Secure Attachment with Your New Foster or Adopted Tween or Teen: Guidance for caregivers on regulating their own emotions and stress in order to be the healthy, nurturing, and safe adult that their foster or adopted children need.
Post-secondary Education
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TEA Graduation Information: Graduation requirements, Automatic college admissions, Foundation High School program, Graduation reports
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State College Tuition Waiver: Students who were in foster care are eligible to have college tuition and fees waived at Texas state-supported colleges or universities, medical schools, dental schools, junior colleges, and technical institutes.
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Texas Education and Training Voucher: A federally funded program designed to assist with the education and training needs of students formerly in DFPS Managing Conservatorship. Students can receive up to $5,000 a year to attend college or vocational programs.
Transition to Adulthood
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Guidance for Foster Parents: Helping Youth Transition to Adulthood
"The transition to adulthood and self-sufficiency can be challenging for any young person but can be particularly daunting for those who have been living in foster care. Foster parents can help youth in their care prepare for any upcoming challenges. This factsheet provides guidance on how foster parents can help youth build a foundation for a successful transition to adult life outside of foster care. It describes the challenges youth face, how the adolescent brain affects them during this time, and Federal laws and programs. It also provides concrete ways they can partner with youth." -
Preparation for Adult Living (PAL)
Provides support for students in DFPS Managing Conservatorship who are at least 16 years or older. PAL benefits can include a transitional living allowance, aftercare room and board assistance, and other support services for independent living.