Alex
At five years old, Alex was placed in kinship foster care with his aunt. When he started kindergarten, it was clear to his aunt that Alex needed help. Alex’s aunt wanted to have him evaluated for special education, but she needed his mother’s consent. For months, the school tried to reach her, but she was nowhere to be found. In the meantime, Alex got further and further behind.
Best estimates suggest that half of children in foster care have developmental disabilities or delays. Timely educational supports are critical for their success.
The Center for the Rights of Abused Children worked with lawmakers to pass a common-sense reform that allows relatives, kin, and foster caretakers to seek special education services when parents can’t be found or don’t respond. This common-sense reform is opening doors to learning and helping more students in foster care succeed.
Today, Alex is in second grade. He’s still working hard on reading, but his math is on grade level. When we give children in foster care the right educational tools, they can succeed!