The McKinney-Vento Act and Children and Youth ... - State of Michigan
The McKinney-Vento Act and Children and Youth ... - State of Michigan
The McKinney-Vento Act and Children and Youth ... - State of Michigan
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2. Amend federal <strong>and</strong> state child welfare legislation to<br />
facilitate <strong>and</strong> support educational success for youth<br />
in care.<br />
Amendments to facilitate <strong>and</strong> support educational success should also<br />
complement recent changes to federal child welfare laws <strong>and</strong> should entail:<br />
• Clarifying <strong>and</strong> strengthening the role <strong>and</strong> responsibility <strong>of</strong> child<br />
welfare agencies in educational matters. Education is a critical<br />
part <strong>of</strong> the ultimate success <strong>and</strong> independence <strong>of</strong> youth in out-<strong>of</strong>home<br />
care. <strong>McKinney</strong>-<strong>Vento</strong> eligibility should not be interpreted<br />
as taking over the responsibility <strong>of</strong> child welfare agencies for school<br />
enrollment, attendance, <strong>and</strong> success.<br />
• Strengthening supports for child welfare agencies to place<br />
youth near their schools <strong>of</strong> origin (unless contradicting safety or<br />
permanency outcomes), including substantial efforts to exp<strong>and</strong><br />
the availability <strong>of</strong> foster homes <strong>and</strong> other placements, increase<br />
placement stability, <strong>and</strong> change placements at breaks in the school<br />
year whenever possible.<br />
• Developing a joint, state-level implementation plan.<br />
• Requiring training on the <strong>McKinney</strong>-<strong>Vento</strong> <strong>Act</strong> <strong>and</strong> educational<br />
needs <strong>and</strong> services for child welfare administrators <strong>and</strong> caseworkers.<br />
• Requiring collaboration between child welfare agencies <strong>and</strong> schools<br />
at the state <strong>and</strong> local level, including establishing protocols for<br />
appropriate information-sharing.<br />
• P roviding for child welfare <strong>and</strong> education agencies to share the<br />
responsibility for transportation, both in terms <strong>of</strong> funding <strong>and</strong><br />
infrastructure, such as recruiting bus drivers, maintaining buses,<br />
<strong>and</strong> hiring personnel to arrange transportation <strong>and</strong> keep up with<br />
mobility.<br />
Strategies for Improving Educational Outcomes through School Stability 55