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Children in Foster Care

A logo featuring the outline of the state of Texas with the text 'Children in Foster Care' in red.Currently there are 17,000 school-aged students in Texas schools who are in foster care. Most children and youth in the foster care system face unique challenges that greatly impact success in the school environment and require specialized support, interventions, and cross-system collaboration. Many foster care students may have lived  in a chaotic home environment, experienced physical and/or emotional trauma, attended school sporadically, or had parents or family members who were unable to meet their physical and emotional needs. 

Research shows that frequent school moves have a negative impact on academic achievement for students.  In some instances, highly mobile children may lose four to six months of emotional and academic growth and educational progress for each school move.  Students who change schools frequently suffer the loss of important emotional and social connections. 

Despite these challenges, many students formerly in foster care report that school provided much needed consistency in their lives. Students often recall a caring teacher or school staff member who truly made a difference. 

 

Foster Children and Youth in Diboll Independent School District
DISD District Foster Care Liaison is here to provide supporting services for foster children and youth enrolled in
DISD to ensure and promote successful school transitions for students in DFPS Conservatorship. 
DISD District Foster Care Liaison works collaboratively with campus counselors and staff and other departments
to ensure student access to services:

⦁ Free Pre-K Eligibility
⦁ Transportation Assistance (School of Origin)
⦁ Immediate School Enrollment
⦁ Transition Assistance
⦁ Nutrition Services
⦁ Student Case Management

 

Documentation required for enrolling Students who are in DFPS Conservatorship

⦁ 2085 (2085E, 2085FC, 2085KO) or Court Order showing students who are in the care 
and custody of DFPS and has been placed in care with the person (foster care/relative/fictive kin, etc.) completing the enrollment
⦁ Students in foster care must be enrolled in school immediately even if they lack the
required documents (immunization record, school record, etc.)

 

Diboll ISD District Foster Care Liasion – Shawna Neal 
936-829-3100

FOSTER CARE RESOURCES

FOSTER FAMILY RESOURCES

COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR FOSTER YOUTH

Education Laws and Guidance

STATE LAW

The following laws are identified in the Texas Education Code addressing students in foster care:

  • Data sharing and data collection requirements in PEIMS - TEC § 7.029 (Chapter 1 (PDF), p. 16; Chapter 5 (PDF), pgs. 45-46)
  • Immediate school enrollment without records - TEC § 25.002(g) (Chapter 7 (PDF), p. 56)
  • Attendance in the school the student was enrolled immediately before entering conservatorship, even when placed outside of the district attendance zone, until the student successfully completes the highest grade level offered by the school - TEC § 25.001(g) (Chapter 8 (PDF), p. 62)
  • Excused absences for court-ordered appointments - TEC § 25.087 (Chapter 10 (PDF), p. 75)
  • 11th or 12th grade student who transfers to a new school district and does not meet the graduation requirements of the new school district may request a diploma from the former school district, when on-track to graduate at the previous school - TEC § 28.025 (Chapter 9 (PDF), p. 92)
  • Free eligibility for PRE-K - TEC § 29.153(b)(6) (Chapter 10 (PDF), p. 74)
  • Accelerated instruction (at-risk indicators and compensatory education) - TEC § 29.081(d)(11) (Chapter 6 (PDF), p. 51; Chapter 11 (PDF), pgs. 82-83)
  • Free lifetime college tuition and fees waiver. The waiver is activated when a student enrolls in dual credit or another course where a student may earn college credit- TEC § 54.366 – (Chapter 13 (PDF), pgs. 104-106)
  • School districts and open enrollment charter schools are required to appoint a Foster Care Liaison and notify TEA of their Foster Care Liaison appointment - TEC § 33.904 (Chapter 5 (PDF), p. 44)
  • Transition Assistance from one school to another of students in foster care - TEC § 25.007 (Chapter 11 (PDF), pgs. 84-91).

FEDERAL LAW

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, Public Law 110-351

This law requires state child welfare agencies to collaborate with their state and local education agencies to promote school stability and improve educational outcomes for children in foster care (Chapter 1 (PDF), pgs. 14-15).

Education provisions in Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 include:

  • Emphasis on the importance of school stability, maintaining the school in which the child was enrolled at the time of placement
  • The need for coordination between state and regional child welfare and state and local education agencies
  • Assurance that the placements take into account the appropriateness of the current education setting and proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement in foster care
  • Ensure immediate and appropriate enrollment by child welfare and local education agencies, and provide ALL of the child’s education records to the new school, if remaining in the same school is not in the child’s best interest



 

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