Promoting Increased School Stability & Permanence

Michelle Lustig, Ed.D, MSW, PPSLaurie Campbell, LCSW, MPH

Melinda Verbon, MSWCindy Charron, MSW

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Foster Youth & Homeless Education ServicesSan Diego, CA

San Diego County Office of Education’s Foster Youth & Homeless Education Services Program responds to, assists, and empowers all systems that support foster youth in achieving academic success. FY&HES programs are designed to prepare foster youth to become successful, self-sufficient and develop independent skills.

Serving all of San Diego County, including 42 school districts and Juvenile Court and Community Schools

San Diego County Office of Education

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Target population

• Students in foster care, ages 10-17

• At least 30 middle and high school students will be matched with 30 CASAs

• 42 school districts will utilize FY-SIS ©

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Key collaborative partners

• San Diego County Office of Education, Foster Youth and Homeless Education Services

• County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, Child Welfare Services (HHSA, CWS)

• San Diego County school districts

• Voices for Children, a CASA organization

• San Diego State University Foundation - Child and Adolescent Research Center (CASRC)

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FY-SIS ©Goal: Increase the amount and quality of data

available in FY-SIS © to ensure that all stakeholders have access to high quality data that allows them to meet the educational needs of the target population Target population: 42 school districts will utilize FY-SIS © Collaborate with remaining ten schools that are not

uploading data to FY-SIS © to remove all barriers to data uploads - specifically to increase school district uploads to 100%.

Monitoring that all data uploading to FY-SIS © is being received in an automated and timely fashion

We have 8 remaining school districts to assist in uploading data to FY-SIS ©

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FY-SIS ©Expected Outcome: All school districts will

be participating which will increase the amount and quality of data contained in FY-SIS © to ensure that all necessary data is available to meet the educational needs of all students in foster care and those on probation

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TransportationGoal: Identify and ameliorate gaps of

transportation services to improve enrollment in school of origin when it is in the students’ best interest Survey CWS, Foster parents and school liaisons to

track gaps in transportation services Develop agreement with transportation provider to

help fill gaps. In Process Track number of youth provided with alternative

transportation assistance to their school of origin.

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TransportationExpected Outcome: Resources will be

developed and transportation options identified by the Year One Gap Analysis.

Students will remain in their school of origin 95% of the time when in their best interest when they experience a placement change.

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Voluntary Caseload with unmet Mental Health Needs

Goal: Identify and secure services for children carried on CWS Voluntary Caseloads that are in middle school and high school and require mental health services via the school system in order to prevent entry into foster care Track the number of students in foster care

requiring high level placements due to unmet mental health needs during the school day

Create list of resources available for mental health needs and coordinate with voluntary CWS workers to assist in identifying resources through schools for unmet mental health needs

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Voluntary Caseload with unmet Mental Health Needs Expected Outcome: Develop a methodology for

tracking children carried on CWS Voluntary Caseloads that are in middle school and high school due to a lack of appropriate mental health services and connect with available mental health resources

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Educational AdvocacyGoal: Improve the ability of CASAs to advocate

for and support the educational outcomes and stability of at least 25-30 foster students in San Diego County middle- and high-schools Develop and provide specialized educational

training to five veteran Voices for Children CASAs and 20 new CASAs in educational rights for foster youth (SDCOE, FY&HES)

Match 25 identified CASAs with 25 foster children in need of educational advocacy

Expected Outcome: Improved educational stability of at least 25-30 foster students in San Diego County middle- and high schools.

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List of key expected outcomesYouth in foster care will receive the following:

Reliable transportation to school of origin Appropriate mental health services Appropriate school based services Stable educational settings

San Diego Stakeholders will receive the following:

Access to real time reliable data and information

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Evaluation ApproachMethod/research design for evaluating short-

and long-term outcomesDescriptive; mixed-method evaluation designStaff interviews and focus groups to provide

qualitative insightsSurvey targeted groups for qualitative and

quantitative informationData collected from SDCOE Educational

Liaisons, Voices for Children and FY-SIS ©Longitudinal; possible non-equivalent

comparison group (quasi-experimental)

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Key Research Questions 1. Amount and quality of data in FY-SIS ©2. Understanding the barriers that prevented

youth in foster care from remaining in their school of origin at change of placement

3. Characteristics of CWS voluntary caseload in relationship to mental health needs and access to appropriate mental health services

4. Identification of barriers to and the value of educational stability of students in care in San Diego middle and high schools

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Expected Opportunities• Increase school stability and academic

achievement through supportive focus in school of origin, academic history and educational needs, with transportation, CASA advocacy and FY-SIS © information

• Increased interagency focus on the benefits of school stability

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Expected ChallengesFY-SIS ©: Data systems are only as good as data

entered into the system. Matching foster youth, who frequently use different names, have names misspelled, or have different identifying data used make the match rate lower than desired.

Transportation: Funding is always a challenge for transportation as well as getting all parties to work collaboratively to maintain the FY’s School of Origin

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Expected ChallengesVoluntary services and mental health: There is a huge gap

of unmet need for youth who can sustain at school, but are unable to do so at home. IDEA limits schools’ ability to help in these circumstances. California no longer provides children’s mental health services through counties. All services are provided by schools due to legislative change (AB 114)

CASA: Sustainability of CASA program depends on the sustainability of that funding as well as the ability to recruit enough appropriate volunteers, as CASAs are all volunteers.

Challenges will be addressed through increased interagency communication, meetings, surveys and focus groups

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Sustainability & Dissemination PlansFY-SIS © will receive data from all sources

necessary including all 42 school districts. All feeds will be automated and collaborative agreements will remain current and in full force

Transportation pilot project will begin ongoing agreements with transportation providers, CWS and school districts

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Sustainability & Dissemination PlansVoices for Children is committed to sustaining

increased accountability for educational stability and strengthening the infrastructure

Increased awareness and understanding of what mental health services exist and how to access them, as well as knowledge of gaps in service

Share program data and results at Joint Foster and Homeless liaison meetings, , FYSAC, California Department of Education’s Foster Youth Education Summit, and with local universities conducting research on foster youth educational outcomes

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Questions for other CWED Grantees

Does anyone have models of sustainable transportation to school of origin

Does anyone have a deep understanding of mental health services under the affordable care act?

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THANK YOU!