What Keeps Children in Foster Care from Succeeding in School? Views of Early Adolescents and the Adults in Their Lives

A large portion of the half million children in foster care nationwide perform poorly in school. They lag behind their non-foster peers academically and are more likely to have behavior and discipline problems. This study draws on interviews with foster children and adults to better understand how being in foster care affects a child's education and how the adults can help them perform more successfully

The children had concerns about maintaining ties with their biological parents and caring for siblings that often distracted them from schoolwork. Mandated court appearances and doctors' appointments caused them to miss school frequently. Behavior problems kept them from focusing on school. And they often avoided social interactions with peers in order to keep their foster status hidden. Yet they blamed themselves -- not foster care or the schools -- for their poor academic achievement.

Foster parents were most concerned with the children's behavior; they rarely expressed concern with their foster children's poor grades, and most did not regularly help with homework. Caseworkers often were not aware of their academic progress. No one acknowledged primary responsibility for the educational progress of these children.

We conclude that establishing primary responsibility for educational matters in each case would be a useful reform, along with increased cooperation between the child welfare system and schools on several specific issues. Greater information sharing could help, in particular, giving caseworkers access to children's academic records and giving teachers and other school staff information about a child's foster situation.

A study funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the grant-making arm of Casey Family Services. To view the full report, visit vera.org/publications.