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Foster Care

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Every Student Succeeds Act:  Provisions for Children in Foster Care Essentials

ESSA Requirements
  • ESSA only applies to students in child welfare and tribal foster care.
  • Allows youth in foster care to remain in their school district/school of origin school even when their foster home placements are changed, for duration of time in foster care.
  • Requires school districts to immediately enroll children in foster care after a school move.
  • Requires foster care points of contact in each school district.
  • Requires a school district/school of origin transportation plan for youth in foster care.
  • Tracks achievement data for youth in care.
School District/School of Origin Means:
  • The school district/school of origin is the school in which a child is enrolled at the time of placement into foster care. LEAs must ensure that a child in foster care remains in the school district/school of origin unless a determination is made by the Juvenile Court that it is not in the best interest of the student to continue attending the school of origin or any other school in the school district of origin.
  • If a child’s foster care placement changes, the school district/school of origin would then be considered the school district/school in which the child is enrolled at the time of the foster care placement change.
  • The student remains in the individual’s school district of origin and, if applicable, the individual’s school of origin for the duration of the individual’s time in foster care.
School District/School of Origin Transition Guidance based on Senate Bill 20

If a student was placed into DHS Child Welfare custody prior to or during the 2016-2017 school year, the school district/school of origin will be the last school district/school the student attended during the 2016-2017 school year. This school district/school will be the student’s school district/school of origin for the duration of the student’s time in DHS Child Welfare Foster Care. For students initially placed into foster care or if a change took place in a student’s foster care placement over the summer of 2017 and a Best Interest Determination was not obtained from the Juvenile Court because Senate Bill 20 was not yet in effect, the school district/school of origin will be the school district/school in which the student is enrolled at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.

School District of Origin Transportation Cost Reimbursement Process
  • Transportation costs are eligible for reimbursement from the State School Fund Transportation Grant per the rates 70%, 80%, or 90% based on guidelines established in OAR 581-023-0040.
  • School districts will be able to request reimbursement from ODE for the non-reimbursed cost of providing school district/school of origin transportation at a rate of 10%, 20%, or 30%.
  • ODE will be providing additional guidance soon.

Contact US

Vanessa Jones
Foster Care Point of Contact
Director of Special Services
(541) 474-5706

Casey Weinman 
Administrative Assistant
(541) 474-5706

Resources

Click here to go the Oregon Department of Education's Foster Care website.