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Postsecondary Education for Foster Youth: How We Can Help Them Succeed

This forum convened representatives from secondary and postsecondary education, child welfare professionals, and students – both current youth in foster care and alumni – to explore strategies to support youth from foster care in Connecticut’s higher education system. Cosponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation/Casey Family Services, the event featured a panel of foster youth currently enrolled in Connecticut schools and three graduates, including two alumni from foster care and one from guardianship care. The forum also addressed challenges youth face, including often fragile support systems, tenuous on- and off-campus housing arrangements, discontinuities in their educational experience, and inadequate preparation for college-level academics.

The forum was hosted by the Connecticut Postsecondary Education Committee, which includes Casey Family Services, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, the Connecticut State University System, and Southern Connecticut State University. Other members of the Committee include Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut Community Colleges, the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, and the Connecticut School Counselor Association.

Materials

• Download the event program (PDF).
• Download “Highlighting the Challenges and Services of the Department of Children and Families” (PDF), a presentation by Bureau Chief Brett S. Rayford from Adolescent and Transitional Services at the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.
• Download “Improving College Access and Success for Students from Foster Care” (PDF), a presentation by John Emerson, a postsecondary education advisor with Casey Family Programs.