Students in Foster Care
The
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, outlines that State Educational Agencies (SEA) hold specific responsibilities aimed at supporting the educational rights and opportunities of students in Foster Care; this also falls within requirements established under Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
Foster Care student rights include:
- access to immediate enrollment in schools regardless of access to records or additional requirements;
- free transportation to and from school;
- access to free meal services, and
- support engaging in academically and socially enriching activities offered by their school district.
Within this context,
Foster Care is defined as substitute care for children placed by the Department of Human Services or a tribal child welfare agency away from their parents and for whom the department or agency has placement and care responsibility, including:
- Placements in foster family homes,
- Foster homes of relatives,
- Group homes,
- Emergency shelters,
- Residential facilities,
- Child care institutions and
- Pre-adoptive homes
State School District Foster Care Contacts
The Every Student Succeeds (ESSA) Act requires that all school districts identify a Point of Contact assigned to work with staff and provide assistance for students in Foster Care. Each school district in Oregon must also have a designated liaison tasked with overseeing the coordination and application of these supports. This is done through collaboration with caseworkers and other human services representatives, training staff within their districts on the unique needs of students in Foster Care, and engaging with community organizations and agencies to ensure that students and families receive adequate services under ESSA/ESEA. See ODE's ESSA webpage for more details.
ODE
The Foster Care support team runs a Contact list generated from the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) Budget Narrative (BN) monthly to maintain accuracy to the fullest extent possible.
List Headers Defined:
-
HL - Homeless Liaison
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HDA - Homeless District Administrative Contact
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FC - Foster Care
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FCT - Foster Care Transportation
Navigation:
- Click on the caret arrow in the primary column to expand or hide details.
- Files can be downloaded and filtered or sorted as desired.
- Questions regarding missing contact information should be directed at the district in question. Websites have been linked for contact details.
District Role & Responsibilities
Districts must submit their Program Contacts on the Continuous Improvement Program Budget Narrative (CIP BN) via the
Central Login Application on the
ODE District Website at the beginning of each new school year.
It opens for updates 8/1 and is due by 10/1.
Updates made between the end of the prior school year and August 1st
will not be reflected in the new SY contact list report.
Districts are responsible for updating the contact information as staff changes occur.
ODE is unable to make updates to district Contact details
ODE CAN add an additional contact to the list. Please email all information under the list headers to fostercare@ode.oregon.gov.
For CIP Budget Narrative updates please connect with your district administration and
District Security Administrator (DSA).
For additional support, districts can refer to the
ODE's CIP Budget Narrative website and
CIP Budget Narrative Quick Start Guide
Districts must ensure that assigned Points of Contact and Liaisons are aware of their role supporting students.
District Contacts are encouraged to attend monthly Office Hours for programmatic support.
See the
District Support header for Zoom link and additional resources.
Public/Community Partners
For additional information or support, please contact the Foster Care team by email at
fostercare@ode.oregon.gov.
Support for Districts, FC Points of Contact, & ESDs
Foundational Knowledge
Support
-
Training opportunities include:
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Annual Foster Care Point of Contact Training (Virtual and On-site) (see flyer for dates and registration links) and
- An 8-Part Webinar Series
Presentations from ODE educational programs and partnering state agencies that
provide support and resources for students navigating housing instability, students in foster care, or
students who are highly mobile. This space is open for all liaisons, and school staff support students who
are navigating housing instability. Individual registration is required for each webinar. Each will be
recorded and posted
-
Technical Assistance includes:
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Foster Care Office Hours and
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Coordinators' Corner
- Details and registration links are below
Office Hours
Foster Care Office Hours
State Foster Care and Transportation Point of Contacts are welcome to join us for Office Hours (OH). During this time, ODE provides targeted program support for school district staff whose roles center on, or include, supporting the rights of students in foster care, protections, and services to which students are entitled under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
This forum offers the opportunity to receive updates to share across the district, connect with other districts to learn about their best practices, and ask questions about the work.
2026-27 Dates:
Foster Care 101 Training - (2 Hours)
Join this interactive virtual training designed to strengthen understanding and implementation of the foster care provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Participants will explore federal requirements that support the identification, enrollment, attendance, and academic success of students and youth involved with the foster care system.
Regularly scheduled Foster Care Office Hours will take place on the following dates from1:00 - 2:00 pm PT.
Office Hours Topics
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Foster Care Transportation (Requirements, Process, and Resources)
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December 8, 2026 - 1:00-2:00 pm PT
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Monitoring and Best Practices
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March 9, 2027 - 1:00-2:00 pm PT
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Local Collaboration and Community Resources/Summer Programming
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May 11, 2027 - 1:00-2:00 pm PT
Emails that do not belong to a district are subject to removal (Email fostercare@ode.oregon.gov if you have a question about participation eligibility)
Coordinators Corner
These ‘Open’ Office Hours allow school staff, liaisons, and partners, to ask questions and receive information specific to identify eligible students, providing transportation, or navigating compliance requirements. This time is available to drop-in, as needed, and provides real-time support from the State Coordinator to strengthen district McKinney-Vento and Foster Care programs.
Recurrence: 1st Thursday of the month from 10:30-11:30 am during the school year, beginning in October.
Foster Care Newsletter
UPDATE: The Foster Care newsletter is changing and will now include more content between Office Hours and training, to share the most current information and resources available from our local, state, and federal partners.
Contact Us
Implemented to manage the high volume of incoming communications received daily, this form is a space to provide McKinney-Vento related questions or concerns, such as program eligibility, services, district responsibilities, and the rights of students experiencing homelessness.
Internally, it helps manage the high volume of daily communications received and allows time to prepare and prioritize responses. Additionally, it helps to identify areas where training is needed.
Foster Care Resources