Background:

Children and Youth in Foster Care.

State and federal law include certain requirements to support children and youth in foster care. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act provided new requirements to provide educational stability for children in foster care with an emphasis on collaboration between state agencies, local school districts, and child welfare agencies. In some circumstances, a school district must designate a point of contact to collaborate with the child welfare agency.

Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness.

State law defines "homeless" to mean without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence as set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. That act provides grant funding to support the education of homeless students in school programs. School districts are required to designate a homeless student liaison to identify homeless students and unaccompanied youth.

Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Legislation adopted in 2017 (i.e., Chapter 6, Laws of 2017, 3rd special session, enacted as Second Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1661), created the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). On July 1, 2018, the child welfare functions of the DSHS, which are currently performed by the Children's Administration (CA) division within the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), are transferred from the DSHS to the DCYF. The CA child welfare programs include Child Protective Services, the Family Assessment Response program, foster care, and adoption support.

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) supports students in foster care by encouraging innovative practices that reduce educational disruptions, strengthen school stability, and improve academic performance. The OSPI designates a statewide Education of Homeless Children and Youth coordinator to review policies and create procedures, including dispute resolution procedures, to ensure that homeless children and youth are able to attend school.

Office of Homeless Youth.

In 2015, the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Programs (Office of Homeless Youth) was created within the Department of Commerce. The Office of Homeless Youth is responsible for leading efforts to coordinate a spectrum of ongoing and future funding, policy, and practice efforts related to homeless youth and improving the safety, health, and welfare of homeless youth in this state. By November 1, 2018, DCYF must provide a report to the Governor and Legislature that includes recommendations as to whether the Office of Homeless Youth should be integrated into the DCYF.

Student Achievement Council.

The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) provides strategic planning, oversight, advocacy, and programs to support increased student success and higher levels of educational attainment in Washington. The agency's responsibilities include administration of student financial assistance programs and student outreach.

Summary of Bill:

The DCYF, the OSPI, the Office of Homeless Youth, and the WSAC must convene a work group with aligned nongovernmental agencies, including a statewide nonprofit coalition that is representative of communities of color and low-income communities focused on educational equity, to create a plan for children and youth in foster care and children and youth experiencing homelessness to facilitate educational equity with their general student population peers and to close the disparities between racial and ethnic groups by 2027. Children and youth in foster care means children and youth under the placement and care authority of the DCYF, a federally recognized tribe, or another child-placing agency; and children and youth who have experienced foster care and have achieved permanency.

The work group must:

review educational outcomes of children and youth in foster care and children and youth experiencing homelessness, for example kindergarten readiness, school stability, and postsecondary enrollment;
consider the outcomes, needs, and services for children and youth in foster care and children and youth experiencing homelessness, and the specific needs of children and youth of color and those with special education needs;
map education support services, such as eligibility, service levels and outcomes, and coordination and data sharing;
engage stakeholders in participating in the analysis and development of recommendations, for example foster youth and children and youth experiencing homelessness, foster and birth parents, care authorities, and educators;
make recommendations for an optimal continuum of education support services to foster and homeless children and youth from preschool to postsecondary education that would provide for shared and sustainable accountability to reach the goal of educational parity, such as recommendations to align indicators and outcomes across organizations and programs; improve racial and ethnic equity in educational outcomes; and identify where opportunities exist to align policy, practices, and supports for students experiencing homelessness and foster students; and
outline which recommendations can be implemented using existing resources and regulations and which require policy, administrative, and resource adjustments.

By December 17, 2018, the work group must provide a report to the Legislature on the analysis, recommended plan, and legislative and administrative changes needed to facilitate educational equity for children and youth in foster care and those experiencing homelessness by 2027.

Nothing permits disclosure of confidential information protected from disclosure under federal or state law. Confidential information received by the workgroup retains its confidentiality and may not be further disseminated except as allowed under federal and state law.