Resources

Paying for College Student Resource Guide
Updated annually, a comprehensive guide to scholarships, grants and other funding for college.

Meeting the Education Requirements of Fostering Connections: Learning from the Field
The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 created a new mandate for education enrollment and stability for children and youth in foster care. This brief aims to help agency leaders, policymakers, judges, and their partners understand and respond effectively to the education requirements of Fostering Connections by reflecting on lessons learned from initiatives to improve education outcomes for youth in and leaving foster care during the past decade. It focuses on how policies and practices implemented in response to Fostering Connections can provide the foundation for collaborative education supports that lead more youth in foster care to complete high school and pursue and succeed in postsecondary education. The brief is organized in alignment with lessons learned from innovative education projects around the nation. Following an overview of the requirements of Fostering Connections, the brief includes a framework for effective cross-system coordination and highlights actions that leaders of the child welfare system, education system, and courts can take to promote education success for youth in care. The brief also provides examples of existing state and local efforts to improve the education continuity and stability of older youth in foster care. This resource is authored by Margaret Flynn-Khan, and is available through theFinance Project and Youth Transition Funders Group. (2010)


Adoption in the Schools: A Lot to Learn
Promoting Equality and Fairness for all Children and Their Families

Adoption Awareness in School Assignments
For parents and educators – an easy to use guide with templates for making elementary and middle school assignments less harmful for foster and adopted children.

New Postsecondary Education Website for Crown Wards
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) has just launched ontario.ca/ican <http://www.ontario.ca/ican> , a new website designed for Crown wards and those who support them, as they consider and plan for their future. Please ask Crown wards, their workers and caregivers to visit http://www.ontario.ca/ican <http://www.ontario.ca/ican> to learn more about the many opportunities MTCU has made available to Crown wards, as part of its ongoing commitment to support youth to maximize their potential. OACAS applauds the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ ongoing commitment to and support of Crown wards, as they strive to reach their goals.

New Bill to Improve Educational Stability for Foster Children in New Jersey
To help improve the experiences of foster children and support educational stability, earlier last month New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a new bill into law providing thousands of foster children in the state with access to a more stable education. Visit the First Focus website for further information on the new law.