Foster Care Children Need Better Educational Opportunities. Backgrounder No. 2039

The estimated 518,000 children in foster care in the United States are among the most at-risk children in American society. Research shows that foster children are more likely to be at risk of poor life outcomes. The quality of a foster child's primary and secondary education is a major factor in future life success. Early warning signs of these problems appear in the classroom, where foster children are frequently behind their peers academically. Compared to their peers, foster children have lower scores on standardized tests and higher absenteeism, tardiness, truancy, and dropout rates. Common problems for foster children include frequent school transfers and instability, persistent low expectations, and the lack of specialized instruction. Policymakers should work to improve learning opportunities for foster children by expanding their education options, including that of enrollment in a public or private school of their guardian's choice. Opportunity scholarships and other reforms geared to providing new education options could ensure that more foster children receive a stable and high-quality education that prepares them for a successful transition into adulthood. (Contains 43 footnotes.)