Destination Graduation is achievable if we prioritize closing the opportunity gap for students in foster care. When educators, child welfare leaders, community-based organizations, and government agencies work together, we can overcome the obstacles to success that have shattered the dreams of system-involved youth for decades.
California’s students in foster care face unique challenges in getting to graduation day. These youth frequently struggle in school as they try to recover from the shock, uncertainty, and instability brought on by family separation.
Compared to other middle and high school students, the state’s 16,6931 foster youth in grades 6-12 require more intensive, frequent, and individualized attention to help them graduate high school, prepare for college and career training programs, and compete in the workforce. Unless we address their specialized needs, youth in foster care will continue to pay the price by underperforming academically, dropping out of school, and settling for jobs that lower their lifetime earning potential.
It is essential to engage in intentional systems change and invest in the practices and programs proven to optimize learning for students in foster care. This report outlines their persistent barriers to educational attainment, quantifies chronically poor academic outcomes, shares solutions that build on previous attempts to address these issues, and calls for scaling interventions that have achieved success by focusing on the specific educational and social/emotional needs of this segment of the student population.
tFYPC’s Destination Graduation Report is made possible through the generous support of these funders.
The tFYPC’s Destination Graduation report reflects the tireless efforts and invaluable expertise of many individuals and organizations united by a mission to lift barriers to success for children and youth in foster care. We greatly appreciate everyone’s commitment to collaboration and steadfast determination to ensure every young person receives the support they need and deserve to excel in school and life.
We also wish to recognize the contributions of all of the lived experience experts who shared their candid personal reflections about what it is like to be a student while in foster care. Their stories and perspectives shaped the themes and framework of this report and hopefully will inspire more champions to join the movement to close the educational opportunity gap.