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News and Press
5/17/12 |
FosterEd Awarded $500,000 Accio Grant to Expand into Arizona
The Arizona Community Foundation and the Helios Education Foundation announced today that FosterEd has been awarded a $500,000 Accio Education Fund grant to expand into Arizona. The process used for selecting grant recipients from the Accio Fund has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national model for identifying and supporting innovative reform organizations.
Read a related editorial from The Arizona Republic
5/14/12 |
Indiana to Create Statewide FosterEd Program
The Indiana Department of Child Services announced today the creation of FosterEd: Indiana, a statewide program to improve the educational success of children in foster care. The DCS program, modeled on the National Center for Youth Law's FosterEd: Marion County pilot project, will employ 16 regional education specialists and a statewide manager to ensure foster children receive the educational opportunities they need.
Read the full press release
5/2/12 |
Detriot Free Press Highlights Tuition-Free College Program
Today's Detroit Free Press highlighted the students who are the first to graduate from four-year universities, tuition free, as part of the Seita Scholars program. The inaugural class numbered 51. There are currently 131 Seita Scholars.
Read the article
4/6/12 |
FosterEd Assists Arizona's Federal Inter-Agency Team With Goals Related to Educational Champions
FosterEd's Director, Jesse Hahnel, participated in Arizona's Federal Inter-Agency Child Welfare / Courts / Education team, and will be providing ongoing assistance with a number of short and long term goals, including ensuring Arizona's foster children have an educational champion supporting their success in school.
4/4/12 |
FosterEd's Director Presents at California's Foster Youth Services Statewide Convening
Michael Paynter, Santa Cruz County Foster Youth Service Coordinator, Rachel Velcoff Hults, FosterEd Manager, and Jesse Hahnel, FosterEd Director, spoke about FosterEd's pilot project in Santa Cruz County California's Foster Youth Services statewide convening. Foster youth service coordinators from every California county were in attendance; many were interested in replicating the project.
3/14/12 |
FosterEd's Director Presents to Arizona's Child Welfare Advisory Committee
FosterEd's Director Jesse Hahnel presented to Arizona's Child Welfare Advisory Committee on the need to ensure every foster child has an educational champion supporting their success in school, and how that might be accomplished.
3/13/12 |
California Foster Youth testify at California Assembly Budget Hearing
Experts such as FosterEd's Director Jesse Hahnel together with current and former foster youth testified in support of California's Foster Youth Services program at today's Assembly Budget hearing. In response, both the Chair, Assemblywoman Bonilla, and the Education Committee Chair, Assemblywoman Brownley, assured the youth who attended the hearing that the Assembly would not allow ANY cuts to the FYS program and would ensure its removal from the weighted student formula.
3/2/12 |
The Seattle Times Highlights Success of Washington State's Passport to College Promise Program
Today's Seattle Times contains an editorial highlighting Washington State's Passport to College Promise Program, started in 2007, and supporting House Bill 2254, which would continue state-sponsored scholarships at current funding levels.
Read the editorial
2/24/12 |
California SIT Approves Creation of New Workgroup Focused on Improving Educational Outcomes of Foster Children
California's State Interagency Team for Children, Youth and Families (SIT) today approved the creation of the Improving Educational Outcomes of Children in Care (IEOCC) workgroup, following a presentation by FosterEd's Director, Jesse Hahnel. This workgroup will have leadership from the California Department of Education (CDE), California Department of Child Sercices (CDSS), California Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), and the County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA). The workgroup will be lead by CDE and facilitated by FosterEd.
2/19/12 |
Huffington Post Canada Highlights Lack of Data About Foster Children
Today's Huffington Post contained an article detailing the lack of information about foster children in Canada, particilarly information related to educational services and outcomes.
Read the editorial
2/15/12 |
San Francisco Chronical Editorial Supports of Foster Youth Services
FosterEd's Director Jesse Hahnel was quoted in a recent San Francisco Chronical editorial explaining the need to preserve California's Foster Youth Services program.
Read the editorial
1/30/12 |
Silicon Valley Education Foundation Supports Foster Youth Services
The Silicon Valley Education Foundation's Thoughts on Public Education section today contained an article by Daniel Heimpel providing backgroup on California's Foster Youth Services program and explaining why it is so important to maintain the program.
Read the editorial
1/28/12 |
CNN Profiles Former Foster Youth at University of Alabama
Today's CNN Schools of Thought segment profiled two former foster youth at the University of Alabama who beat to odds to become highly successful college students.
Watch the episode
1/23/12 |
Governor Brown's Budget Proposal Will Eliminate California's Foster Youth Services Program
Governor Brown's recent proposed budget would move funding for California's highly successful Foster Youth Services program into a weighted student formula. This would effectively end the program and be a setback for foster children throughout the state.
Ready Amy Lemleys blog on this issue
1/18/12 |
USA Today Highlights Programs That Help Foster Youth Achieve College Success
USA Todays Article: Programs help foster youth achieve college success, discusses the growing number of programs, both state and local, focused on helping foster children succeed once they enroll in college.
Read the full article
12/20/11 |
Article Highlights the Difficulty of Securing Special Education Services for Foster Youth
Todays Voice of OC contains an article titled: Seeking Solutions for County's Strained Foster Care System. The article highlights the difficulty of securing special education services for children and youth in foster care, especially when it is not clear who meets the definition of parent for the purposes of federal special education law.
Read the full article
12/12/11 |
FosterEd Initiative receives funding from the Stuart Foundation
The FosterEd Initiative was recently awarded $120,000 by the Stuart Foundation. This grant will help ensure Santa Cruz County foster children receive the educational support and services they need to succeed in school.
12/07/11 |
FosterEd Director and Manager Present at the Indiana Youth Institute's Because Kids Count Conference
FosterEd Director Jesse Hahnel and FosterEd Manager Rita Mack presented today at the Indiana Youth Institute's Because Kids Count Conference. Their presentation, FosterEd: a model for improving the educational outcomes of at-risk children, focused on how FosterEd's model and strategies could be applied to children not in the foster care system.
Find out more about IYI's Because Kids Count conference
11/29/11 |
Radio interview on Investing in the Education of Foster Youth
San Francisco radio station KALW aired an interview focused on how California can improve the educational outcomes of children and youth in care. Jetaine Jetaine Hart, a former foster youth and current educational mentor in Alameda County, and Daniel Heimpel, director of Fostering Media Connections, are interviewed.
Listen to the interview and read the transcript
11/15/11 |
Huffington Post Article Puts a Face on Educational Stability
Todays Huffington Post contained an article titled: "In Loco Parentis: The Foster Care and Education Systems Must Coordinate Efforts for Foster Youth Students". The article, written by Alex Chivescu, speaks to the impact school mobility can have on foster youth and how it can be prevented.
Read the full article
11/9/11 |
Huffington Post Reports on Poor Educational Outcomes of Foster Youth
Todays Huffington Post contained an article titled: "Foster Students: Half Do Not Finish High School, Nearly All Don't Finish College". The article highlights the poor educational outcomes of children in care and several programs aimed at improving rates of school success.
Read the full article
11/9/11 |
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Releases Report on Ways States Can Ensure Foster Children Receive Free Meals at School
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities today released a report titled "Six Ways that States and School Districts Can Make It Easier for Children in Foster Care to Get Free Meals at School". The Report, written by Nate Frentz and Zoe Neuberger, highlights the role of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 in making foster children automatically eligible for free school meals, and methods for ensuring foster children benefit from the law.
Read an extended summary of the report
11/3/11 |
FosterEd Director Presents at Child Welfare, Education and the Courts Summit
FosterEd's Director, Jesse Hahnel, presented at Child Welfare, Education and the Courts: A Collaboration to Strengthen Educational Success of Children and Youth in Foster Care. This two day summit, sponsored by the US Department of Education and US Department of Health and Human Services brought together teams from all 50 states, comprised of representatives from state education agencies, child welfare agencies, and courts. Jesse moderated a panel on Immediate Enrollment and participated as a member of California's team.
10/18/11 |
FosterEd: Santa Cruz County kicks off
Santa Cruz County Family and Children Services, Office of Education, Juvenile Courts and CASA participated in an extended planning meeting to kick-off FosterEd: Santa Cruz County. The meeting was facilitated by Jesse Hahnel and attended by representatives from California's Administrative Office of the Courts and the Stuart Foundation.
9/22/11 |
FosterEd Director Jesse Hahnel presents at Seeds of Hope
FosterEd Founder and Director Jesse Hahnel presents at Seeds of Hope, 2011 Dan Fulton Training Conference. He lead a session on educational advocacy on behalf of children and youth in foster care.
Download the conference brochure
9/6/11 |
FosterEd: Marion County launches
In partnership with the Indiana Department of Child Services, the Indiana Youth Institute, and Child Advocates, FosterEd is pleased to announce the launch of FosterEd: Marion County. This project will ensure the approximately 1,700 foster children living in Marion County, Indiana, receive the educational opportunities they need.
Read the press release
8/17/11 |
IndyBar revitalizes school education advocacy program
This fall, the IndyBar Pro Bono Standing Committee will rejuvenate its School Education Advocacy Program through collaboration with FosterEd, a project of the National Center for Youth Law. For more than five years, IndyBar volunteers have helped students in Marion County address a variety of challenges in the education process, particularly issues surrounding proper implementation and execution of Individual Education Plans (IEPs). In September, FosterEd is launching FosterEd: Marion County, a new initiative aimed at improving the educational outcomes of the approximately 2,500 Marion County foster children. IndyBar is excited to partner volunteer advocates with this program to bolster the School Education Advocacy Program, and is eager to involve more IndyBar members, specifically law students and paralegals.
Read the full article
8/1/11 |
FosterEd Initiative receives funding from Community Crime Prevent Grant and USA Funds
The FosterEd Initiative was recently awarded $50,000 by the Indianapolis Parks Foundation Community Crime Prevention Grant, and $50,000 by USA Funds. These grants will help ensure Indianapolis foster children receive the educational support and services they need to succeed in school.
5/1/11 |
FosterEd Initiative receives funding from CICF and Nina Mason Pulliam Chartible Trust
The FosterEd Initiative was recently awarded $100,000 by the Central Indiana Community Foundation, and $75,000 by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. These grants will help ensure Indianapolis foster children receive the educational support and services they need to succeed in school.
Read the full article
2/11/11 |
Bill will give foster youth priority enrollment at colleges
To boost their chances of making it through college, legislation introduced in Sacramento would give current or former foster youth priority when registering for classes at the state's public colleges and universities. Under current law, students who have served in the armed forces or who have disabilities are granted preference when signing up for classes. Students who were foster children would become the third group provided preference under AB 194, introduced by Assemblyman Jim Beall, D-San Jose.
Read the full article
2/2/11 |
Beyond the basics: How extracurricular activities can benefit foster youth
Although advocates and policymakers have paid more attention to improving educational outcomes for foster youth in recent years,1 these efforts have largely ignored the role that extracurricular activities can play in youths’ overall academic performance. This article focuses on how extracurricular activities can benefit foster youth.
Read the full article
1/24/11 |
Staring at Superman
Today's Huffington Post contains a good article by Daniel Heimpel, Project Director of Fostering Media Connections, focused on what President Obama and Congress can do to improve the educational outcomes of children and youth in foster care.
Read the full article
1/24/11 |
Superior Court in Santa Clara County launches middle school education court
The Superior Court of California at Santa Clara County announced today the launch of a specialty court, the Middle School Education Court (MSEC). The MSEC seeks to improve the education outcome of middle school foster youth through system-wide collaboration and accountability by bringing all the agencies responsible for the care and education of foster youth under one umbrella: the Court.
Download the press release
12/07/10 |
FosterEd a sponsor of 2010 Kids Count in Indiana Conference
Today marked the first day of Creating Possibilities, the 2010 Kids Count in Indiana Conference, of which the FosterEd Initiative is a Dream Maker Sponsor. The conference, organized by the Indiana Youth Institute, is designed to support and empower all those working to improve the lives and futures of Indiana youth.
Read more about the conference
11/15/10 |
FosterEd Director Jesse Hahnel presents at Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative Convening
FosterEd Director Jesse Hahnel joined Ta'Nesa Blakely, Jim Casey Young Fellow, and Kathleen McNaught, ABA Legal Cetner for Foster Care and Education, Center on Children and the Law, as panelists in today's Education Policy Breakout Session at the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative in Clearwater, Florida. The session focused on understanding the educational provisions of Foster Connections and their implications for older youth; innovative examples of implementing these provisions; and options for maximizing opportunities.
Read more about the convening
11/09/10 |
Indiana's Department of Education joins other Indiana agencies in supporting the FosterEd Initiative
Today Indiana's Department of Education (IDOE) joined Indiana's Department of Child Services (DCS) and Indiana's Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration in officially supporting the FosterEd Initiative. This welcome development signals IDOE's clear commitment to improving the educational outcomes of children and youth in foster care.
Contact Jesse Hahnel to find out more
9/30/10 |
California passes legislation aimed at improving outcomes of foster youth
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced he has signed legislation to improve the lives and educational outcomes of children and youth in California's foster care system. Among the bills was AB 12, extending foster care benefits and services through age 21. Other bills included AB 1933, allowing foster children to continue attending their school of origin and, if applicable, secondary schools in the same attendance area, when placed with a family in a different neighborhood and AB 1353, requiring consideration of the proximity to the school in which a child is enrolled at the time of placement in foster care as one indicator of the best interests of the child with respect to educational stability.
Read more about the legislation
9/23/10 |
USA Today article: Foster children struggle to learn
Today's USA today featured an article highlighting recently released preliminary data from a 10-year study suggesting that academic challenges posed by poverty, disability and language barriers are compounded when children also have to shuffle from school to school because they are in the foster care system.
Read the article
9/08/10 |
FosterEd Director Jesse Hahnel awarded Education Pioneers' Core Value Award
In recognition of his role launching the FosterEd Initiative, FosterEd Director Jesse Hahnel was awarded Education Pioneer's Core Value Award for Action. Education Pioneers is a national non-profit focused on training, connecting and inspiring a new generation of education leaders dedicated to transforming our educational system to receive a quality education.
Read more about Education Pioneers