Who is in foster care?

To comply with reporting requirements, educational agencies are required to report on students in foster care on their State and local report cards. To ensure this data is accurate, they must collaborate with child welfare agencies to identify members of this student group. Identifying which students are in foster care also ensures that school districts can access any resources available to support students in foster care and ensures that students benefit from any programs and legal protections designed to support them, such as transportation and educational stability requirements.  

Child welfare agencies can also share information about the student’s foster placement and history of placement changes, contact information for key players in a child’s life, and the student’s eligibility for Title IV-E services and funds.