Foster Care/Substitute and Grandparent Care

UNDERSTANDING YOUTH RIGHTS: Helping Providers Navigate the Laws and Policies Affecting Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

The laws about runaway, homeless, or unaccompanied youth can seem to be confusing and vague. While physically apart from their parent or guardian, homeless youth lack certain rights that can lead to confusion about legal issues of consent, eligibility for emancipation, parents’ rights, accessing shelter, public education, health care, and public benefits. Recognizing these challenges,… Read more »

Youth Engagement Toolkit

Youth engagement is a strategy to value and include the insights of youth in service planning and delivery. Often youth and their families know best what they need and how to make services work for them. This toolkit, developed by the Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS) addresses the following topics: What is Youth Engagement?… Read more »

Considerations for Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in Developing Transportation Procedures for Students in Foster Care Under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015

ESSA amended Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to require that LEAs receiving Title IA funds collaborate with state or local child welfare agencies on local procedures for transportation for students in foster care. ESSA also amended the McKinney-Vento Act to remove the phrase “awaiting foster care placement” from the… Read more »

The Services To At Risk Youth “STAR” Program

This document describes the State of Texas STAR Program. STAR originated in 1983 when the Texas Legislature approved a demonstration project for serving runaway and truant youth called the Services to Truants and Runaways project. By 1984 the first 15 programs were funded under grants from the Texas Department of Human Resources’ Protective Services Branch…. Read more »

Non-Regulatory Guidance on Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/edhhsfostercarenonregulatorguide.pdf The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services has released Non-Regulatory Guidance on Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care. In December 2015, Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), and built on the many recent legislative successes and… Read more »

Foster Care Transition Toolkit

The U.S. Department of Education has released its Foster Care Transition Toolkit, a resource aimed at providing useful supports for foster youth pursuing college and career opportunities. While geared towards foster youth, many of the resources are equally appropriate for homeless youth, as foster and homeless youth often face similar challenges when transitioning to college… Read more »

HIGHER EDUCATION: Actions Needed to Improve Access to Federal Financial Assistance for Homeless and Foster Youth

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report on the challenges and barriers affecting the ability of homeless and foster youth to pursue a college education. GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the “congressional watchdog,” GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. GAO reports often… Read more »

CPPP, Grandparents Without Support

Keeping Kids with Family:  How Texas Can Better Support Kinship Care

Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)

Across Texas, family members and friends have stepped up to provide homes for children whose parents cannot care for them. These “kinship care” arrangements include all children who receive care from grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins and close family friends for a given period of time.

Understanding Texas’ Child Protection Services System

Child Protective Services (CPS) in Texas

The goal of Child Protective Services (CPS) is to protect children from abuse and neglect by working with families to ensure safety, permanency, and well-being for children. Nevertheless, the rate of child maltreatment in Texas – and across the nation – remains high. Last year in Texas, 66,398 children were confirmed as being abused or neglected, and 156 children died from this maltreatment. Clearly more is needed to protect our most vulnerable population from harm.

Students Living with Caregivers: Tips for Local Liaisons and School Personnel

Each year, thousands of students stay with someone who serves as a caregiver, instead of living with a parent or legal guardian. The caregiver may be a relative, friend, school employee, or other individual. Some caregivers provide little to no support for youth staying with them, while others, especially with younger children, often assume more responsibility – even obtaining legal guardianship in some cases.

New Help for Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives

New Help for Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives: Questions and Answers About the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, is intended to help ensure full and prompt implementation of the improvements in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act for children being raised by grandparents and other relatives. It was prepared by the organizations listed below, many of whom have been working individually and together for a number of years to support children being raised by grandparents and other relatives.

 

TEA Foster Care and Student Success Site

Foster Care & Student Success, housed in Texas Education Agency’s Division of Federal and State Education Policy, maintains resources and information to advance the education of students impacted by foster care. The resources and materials provide guidance related to the unique circumstances surrounding students who are in the foster care system and attend Texas public schools. Click on the title above to access the site.