Foster and Homeless Youth Services

Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program is an educational advocacy program providing a variety of education-related services to foster youth. In accordance with Assembly Bill 490, Foster Youth makes certain that foster youth in-group or foster homes immediately enroll students in school. FY also ensures that students are in appropriate education placement and receiving needed services. The Foster Youth program is responsible for the tracking and transferring of school records upon enrolling them in school programs, and placing them in group homes or foster homes. The program provides assistance and trainings to school districts, probation, human services agencies, group homes, and foster family agencies within San Joaquin County. FY also provides guidance, training, and support to the foster youth and homeless liaisons in each school district.

FOSTER YOUTH - Under LCFF, the term foster youth includes any child who is the subject of a juvenile dependency court petition (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 300), whether or not the child has been removed from his or her home. Any child who is the subject of a juvenile delinquency court petition (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 602) and who has been removed from his or her home by the court and placed into foster care under a “suitable placement” order. This includes youth who have been placed in a foster home, relative home, or group home. It does not include youth who have been placed in a juvenile detention facility, such as a juvenile hall or camp.

The federal McKinney-Vento Act protects the rights of children in homeless situations to attend and succeed in school, including pre-school. San Joaquin County Office of Education's Homeless Services program provides support and resources to all school districts in the county. Technical assistance and training is available to districts, homeless liaisons, and other staff who are involved in working with homeless children and youth.

The Director of Foster Youth & Homeless Services functions as the County Liaison for purposes of appeals before appealing to the California Department of Education (CDE). A menu of written material is available on-line for districts to utilize. Parent letters, a brochure, a resource guide, and affidavit forms can be downloaded.

The term homeless children and youth means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence. This definition also includes:

• Children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
• Children who may be living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, shelters, or awaiting foster care placement;
• Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
• Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings, or
• Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are children who are living in similar circumstances listed above.