In 1981, California started Foster Youth Services (FYS), a program that put the state way ahead of the curve in the critical area of providing educational opportunity for children in foster care. Since, the program has expanded to every County Office of Education in the state, with liaisons helping improve the educational success of students in foster care. In fact, Foster Youth Services is seen as a national model and has been a large piece in national reform efforts. But, Gov. Jerry Brown‘s budget would move FYS funding from its historic “categorical” designation in the County Office of Education into the “weighted pupil formula” applied in the state’s 1,000 school districts. You will be trading 30 years of experience and support on the state level just to leave foster children to face the chaos and capriciousness of individual school districts. Right now the advocates are rising up. Read this post from Amy Lemley of the John Burton Foundation on why this proposal sounds as if it will be anything but successful.
Where are you and your organization on this issue and what do you think should be done?
-Daniel Heimpel
Fostering Media Connections (FMC) is a project of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). FMC harnesses the power of journalism and media to drive public and political will behind policy and practice that improve the well-being of children in foster care.
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