May is National Foster Care Month
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National Working Group on Foster Care and Education


To ensure successful educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care across the country, ten organizations have joined together as the National Working Group on Foster Care and Education.

Educational Outcomes 

For children and youth in foster care, education has the potential to be a positive counterweight to abuse, neglect, separation, impermanence, and instability. Studies have shown that education is a significant factor in determining the success of youth as they exit the foster care system and beyond.


Some Facts and Figures

  • Less than 70 percent of youth in foster care finish high school before leaving care.
  • Children and youth in out-of-home care experience an average of one or two placement changes per year.
  • Students in foster care score 16 to 20 percentile points below others in statewide standardized tests (Washington state study).
  • Only about 3 percent obtain a bachelor's degree within a few years of emancipation.
  • Click here to download the fact sheet on educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care.
  • Clickhere to download the National Working Group on Foster Care and Education list of tools and resources for improving educational outcomes for children and youth in care.