Children's Bureau Express

Meeting the Educational Needs of Foster Children

The Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine has developed a training curriculum and caseworker manual for the Colorado Department of Human Services on serving the educational needs of children and youth in the child welfare system. Materials are designed to provide caseworkers and their supervisors with an understanding of relevant educational policies, processes, assessments, and plans; methods for monitoring outcomes and services; and tools to help them advocate for children's educational needs. The curriculum covers children from birth through age 21 and is currently being adapted for use by educators and foster parents. The appendix contains a toolkit of checklists, such as tips for participating in an IEP meeting and what foster parents can do to promote educational success at home.

The manual, Advocating for the Educational Needs of Children in Out-of-Home Care, is available online:

http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/pubstext/COEducation.doc

More information about the curriculum and related materials can be found on the website of the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement:

http://tatis.muskie.usm.maine.edu/pubs/pubdetailWtemp.asp?PUB_ID=B060061

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