Agency-involved youth who are going back to school don’t have to travel the pathway of education alone.
Franklin County Children Services partners with the Central Ohio Education Service Center to offer dedicated education specialists to work with children and teens in our care who might need some help in the classroom.
The Educational Partnership for Social Emotional Academics provides these youth with liaisons who will assist them (and their families) in setting and reaching academic, behavior, and attendance goals, as well as advocate for their success in academic interventions and planning.
Young people in foster care often face barriers in their education, ranging from past traumas and multiple placements within different school districts to lost records, transcripts, and meaningful relationships along the way.
According to the National Factsheet on the Educational Outcomes of Children in Foster Care, youth in the child welfare system are twice as likely to be absent from school as their peers and are much more likely to be suspended or expelled. Additionally, only 65% of youth in foster care graduate from high school by the age of 21.
FCCS’s Education Strategy Team aims to improve these outcomes by making sure young people take advantage of available support services; facilitating and maintaining communication between youth, families, and schools; and sharing the latest research and data.
As many as 500 youth in FCCS care, live with relatives and family friends in kinship placements, or reside in group homes or residential facilities will benefit from the EPSEA program during the 2023-2024 school year.
Having a strong support system can make academic success more achievable for these youth and help them feel as though they are not alone on their educational journey. During the previous academic year, 417 youth were aided by EPSEA liaisons and 94% reported that their relationships were helpful.
