![February 10, 2012
Governor Jerry Brown [Or State Legislator]
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
OPPOSITION TO FOSTER YOUTH SERVICES IN K-12 CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS INCLUDED
IN THE WEIGHTED PUPIL FORMULA (line item: 6110-119-0001)
The purpose of this letter is to express our strong opposition to including Foster Youth Services (FYS),
Budget line item 6110-119-0001, in the K-12 Categorical Programs Included in the Weighted Pupil
Formula.
Consolidating FYS into a weighted pupil funding formula only makes sense if local education agencies
are held specifically accountable for the academic performance of foster children. Unfortunately, at the
current time, the vast majority of school districts do not have internal mechanisms to identify their
students in foster care and are not being held specifically accountable for the academic performance of
this population. Including FYS in the weighted student formula will redistribute a relatively small
amount of funding from county offices of education to over 1,000 school districts, ending California’s
countywide FYS programs and placing the burden of providing specialized educational supports to
foster children on school districts.
The State of California created the FYS program because:
1) The state has a unique responsibility to children in foster care. In removing over 60,000 children and
youth from their families and homes, the state assumes many responsibilities that a parent normally
would, such as educational advocacy and support.
2) Foster children suffer from unique educational challenges: their academic progress is hampered by
trauma, they experience frequent school changes, and they often have no parent-figure supporting their
educational success. Consequently, the educational outcomes of foster children are significantly worse
than even other economically disadvantaged students. Improving the educational outcomes of these
children requires specialized educational supports different than those provided to disadvantaged
children generally.
3) Federal laws such as the Fostering Connections Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351) require child
welfare agencies to monitor and track the educational progress of foster children. California’s child
welfare and judicial systems operate at the county level, making countywide FYS programs best suited
to ensure county school districts, child welfare agencies and courts have the information they need to
fulfill state and federal mandates.
Without the FYS program, most school districts will be unable to identify the foster children in their
schools. Moreover, most schools and districts do not have a clear understanding of the unique needs of
these children. Without FYS, a nationally recognized model, it will be very difficult for districts to
provide foster children the specialized educational supports they need.
In addition to the challenge of district-level implementation, the costs of complying with state and
federal mandates would increase for county social service and probation departments, because instead
of coordinating education services with one county-level education agency, some would have to work
with up to 80 school districts.
Greater flexibility must be accompanied by accountability. Absent such accountability, including FYS
in the K-12 categorical weighted pupil formula will result in negative educational outcomes for students
in foster care. Currently there are no accountability mechanisms to ensure that school districts are
addressing the academic needs of students in foster care. For all these reasons, the State should remove
FYS (6110-119-0001) from the K-12 categorical weighted pupil formula.
Sincerely,](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/finalfysletter-140119142853-phpapp01/85/letter-of-opposition-foster-youth-services-in-k12-categorical-programs-included-in-the-weighted-pupil-formula-line-item-61101190001-1-320.jpg)
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Foster Youth Services Funding
- 1. February 10, 2012 Governor Jerry Brown [Or State Legislator] State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 OPPOSITION TO FOSTER YOUTH SERVICES IN K-12 CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS INCLUDED IN THE WEIGHTED PUPIL FORMULA (line item: 6110-119-0001) The purpose of this letter is to express our strong opposition to including Foster Youth Services (FYS), Budget line item 6110-119-0001, in the K-12 Categorical Programs Included in the Weighted Pupil Formula. Consolidating FYS into a weighted pupil funding formula only makes sense if local education agencies are held specifically accountable for the academic performance of foster children. Unfortunately, at the current time, the vast majority of school districts do not have internal mechanisms to identify their students in foster care and are not being held specifically accountable for the academic performance of this population. Including FYS in the weighted student formula will redistribute a relatively small amount of funding from county offices of education to over 1,000 school districts, ending California’s countywide FYS programs and placing the burden of providing specialized educational supports to foster children on school districts. The State of California created the FYS program because: 1) The state has a unique responsibility to children in foster care. In removing over 60,000 children and youth from their families and homes, the state assumes many responsibilities that a parent normally would, such as educational advocacy and support. 2) Foster children suffer from unique educational challenges: their academic progress is hampered by trauma, they experience frequent school changes, and they often have no parent-figure supporting their educational success. Consequently, the educational outcomes of foster children are significantly worse than even other economically disadvantaged students. Improving the educational outcomes of these children requires specialized educational supports different than those provided to disadvantaged children generally. 3) Federal laws such as the Fostering Connections Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351) require child welfare agencies to monitor and track the educational progress of foster children. California’s child welfare and judicial systems operate at the county level, making countywide FYS programs best suited to ensure county school districts, child welfare agencies and courts have the information they need to fulfill state and federal mandates. Without the FYS program, most school districts will be unable to identify the foster children in their schools. Moreover, most schools and districts do not have a clear understanding of the unique needs of these children. Without FYS, a nationally recognized model, it will be very difficult for districts to provide foster children the specialized educational supports they need. In addition to the challenge of district-level implementation, the costs of complying with state and federal mandates would increase for county social service and probation departments, because instead of coordinating education services with one county-level education agency, some would have to work with up to 80 school districts. Greater flexibility must be accompanied by accountability. Absent such accountability, including FYS in the K-12 categorical weighted pupil formula will result in negative educational outcomes for students in foster care. Currently there are no accountability mechanisms to ensure that school districts are addressing the academic needs of students in foster care. For all these reasons, the State should remove FYS (6110-119-0001) from the K-12 categorical weighted pupil formula. Sincerely,
- 2. Ted Lempert President Children Now Carol Kocivar President California State PTA Jesse Hahnel Director, Foster Youth Education Initiative National Center for Youth Law Amy Lemley Policy Director John Burton Foundation Kelly Brooks-Lindsay Senior Legislative Representative California State Association of Counties Kendra Roger Executive Director First 5 Fresno County Frank J. Mecca Executive Director County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) Rebecca Gonzales Director of Government Relations and Political Affairs National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter Chantel Johnson Legislative and Policy Coordinator California Youth Connection Shirley Diaz Deputy Superintendent Glenn County Office of Education Dr. Stacey Adler Superintendent Mono County Office of Education Bill Cooper Administrator II Riverside County Office of Education Susan Henderson Executive Director Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund Sharon M. Lawrence President/CEO Voices for Children Angie Schwartz Policy Director The Alliance for Children's Rights Laura Faer, Esq. Education Rights Director Public Counsel Shannan Wilber Executive Director Legal Services for Children Roger Chan Executive Director East Bay Children's Law Offices Jolena L. Voorhis Executive Director Urban Counties Caucus Michael C. Watkins Superintendent Santa Cruz County Office of Education Bettina Blackwell Assistant Superintendent Trinity County Office of Education Jorge O. Ayala, Ed.D. Superintendent Yolo County Office of Education Jody Green Policy Director Children’s Law Center of California Carroll Schroeder Executive Director California Alliance of Child and Family Services Miranda R. Pond President and Co-Founder Foster Care Alumni of America, California Chapter Jennifer Kelleher Directing Attorney Legal Advocates for Children & Youth Carol Ann Franklin Director Partnership for Youth in Foster Care
- 3. Gene Howard CEO Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County Kara Hunter Executive Director Court Appointed Special Advocates of San Bernardino County Carol L. Noreen Executive Director Court Appointed Special Advocates of Sacramento County Kaly Wiley Associate Administrator Stars Community Services Jeffrey Perry Interim Program Director Court Appointed Special Advocates of San Francisco County Bernadette Cardenas Data Management Specialist & Training Coordinator Court Appointed Special Advocates of Ventura County Amy Cousineau, MS Network Officer Children’s Network Tonya L. Torosian, MSW, CFRE Chief Executive Officer Promises2Kids Kathie Jacobson, LCSW Interim President & CEO Fred Finch Youth Center Deborah Helms, LMFT Director, Foster & Kinship Care Education Program Cabrillo College Pamela Norris Executive Director The Dream Catcher Foundation Group Homes Dominic Covello Program Manager – Foster Youth Services San Juan Unified School District Julie Matsueda Deputy Director of Programs Japanese Community Youth Council Melissa M. Musgrave, MA Foster Youth Liaison San Luis Coastal Unified School District Jay A. Berlin Executive Director Alternative Family Services Alex Chavez M.S., P.P.S. Executive Director Chavez Educational Services, LLC Tom Corson Executive Director Kern County Network for Children Lori Pack, LCSW Executive Director Child Guidance Center, Inc. Robin Goins-Cornell Executive Director Smooth Transition, Inc. John Franklin Director, Foster Care Ministry Dawn to Dark Nancy M. Shea Senior Attorney Mental Health Advocacy Services Inc. Max Selver Policy Associate First Place for Youth David A. Gottlieb Presiding Judge, Juvenile Delinquency Court Superior Court of California, County of Fresno Candi M. Mayes, JD, CWLS CEO & Executive Director Dependency Legal Group of San Diego, a California Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation Matt Oppenheimer Executive Director Tutorific
- 4. James B. Pace Ph.D. Executive Director Starshine Treatment Center Inc. Also including the following organizations, as well as hundreds of California voters. A Better Way Inc. AACE Educational Services ACAM - Guided Steps Transitional Homes ACOE: Foster Youth Services Alameda County Foster Youth Alliance Alternative Family Services Antelope Valley College Association of Community Human Service Agencies BAYC Butte County Children's Services Butte County ILP California Alliance of Child and Family Services California State Association of Counties California State PTA California Youth Connection CASA of Mendocino and Lake Counties CASA of San Benito County CASA of Santa Cruz County Children Are Our Future Children’s Law Center of California City of Chico Housing & Neighborhood Services Depart Colchester Creek County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Cruz County Dependency Legal Group of San Diego Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund Educational Tutorial Services Family Paths First 5 Fresno County FOR WOMEN ONLY, Inc Foster and Kinship Care Education Program Foster Care Alumni of America, California Chapter Foster Kids Fund Foster Parent Assoc. of El Dorado Co. Fred Finch Youth Center Glenn County Office of Education Group Home Consultants ILSP Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) John Burton Foundation Kern County Network for Children Kids & Families Together Legal Services for Children Los Angeles Southwest College McKinley Children's Center Mendocino College Mental Health Advocacy Services Inc. Migrant Education Mountain Circle Family Services National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter National Center for Youth Law New Morning Youth & Family Services Open Line FFA Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services Project Independence Project SHARE Promise Scholars Program/CSU, Stanislaus Promises2Kids Public Council Law Center REACH Redwood Children's Services, Inc. Riverside County Office of Education Sacramento CASA Sacramento City USD- Foster Youth Services Sacramento County Office of Education San Benito County Office of Education San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocates San Gabriel Children's Center San Joaquin County Independent Living Program San Joaquin Human Services Agency San Juan Unified School District San Luis Coastal Unified School District San Luis Obispo Office of Education Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center Santa Cruz County Office of Education SF YouthWorks Shasta County Office of Education The Alliance for Children's Rights The Dream Catcher Foundation Group Homes TLC Child and Family Services Trinity County Office of Education Tutorific Urban Counties Caucus Voices for Children Waking the Village WestCoast Children's Clinic Yolo Office of Education Youth Spirit Artworks Youth Violence Prevention Council of Shasta County Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated