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SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced 91 grantees will share nearly $19 million in new funding for the Foster Youth Services (FYS) grant program. For a list of grantees, please visit Funding Results: Foster Youth Services.

"Children from a troubled environment need extra support to succeed academically," said O'Connell. "These funds will help foster youth get the support they need as they work toward stabilizing their lives so they can stay on track in school and fulfill their potential in life."

The Budget Act of 2006 provided funding to expand the FYS countywide programs. Assembly Bill (AB) 1808 amended Education Code Section 42921 to expand the provision of education-based services to include foster youths in licensed foster homes and county-operated juvenile detention facilities, and also defines the responsibilities of the foster youth educational services coordinator.

According to the study, "Addressing the Needs of Foster Children: The Foster Youth Services Program," a large percentage of children placed in foster care experience physical and emotional trauma resulting from abuse, neglect, separation from family, and the impermanence of their living situation. Although these children are placed in foster care for their protection against the volatile circumstances, they often do not find the security and stability they need. Also, frequent changes in home and school placements may negatively affect their academic performance and future success in life.

The state Legislature has long recognized that a high percentage of these students were working substantially below grade level, were being retained at least one year at the same grade level, and were dropping out of school. Studies show that 75 percent of foster students are working below grade level, 83 percent are being held back by grade three, and 46 percent become high school dropouts.

The FYS grant program is designed to identify the needs of foster youth; determine the gaps in services for them and then provide those services; transfer health and education records in a timely fashion to foster care facilities; improve student achievement; reduce truancy, dropouts, and delinquent behavior; advocate for the best interest of foster youth; and urge foster care facilities to collaborate with other groups to benefit these children.

Each FYS program must have a coordinator, a methodology to determine how foster youth may be served, guidelines to provide services, an advisory group, establish reporting requirements, program evaluation, and participate in training.

The noncompetitive FYS grant comes in three parts. The Core District FYS programs provide advocacy and direct services to support the educational success of foster youths attending school. The Countywide FYS programs collaborate with local agencies and service providers to ensure that foster youths living in licensed foster homes receive needed educational support services. The Juvenile Detention FYS programs ensure that foster youths placed in county-operated juvenile detention facilities have the same access to comprehensive educational and support services available to students not in the juvenile justice system and assist foster youths in the transition from juvenile court school to an appropriate school placement within their community.

Eligible applications included local educational agencies, county offices of education, or a consortium of them with foster youth services serving youth aged 4 to 21. For more information on the FYS grant, please visit Past Funding Profile (ID 1045): Foster Youth Services.