Assisting Students in Foster Care Placement
Experiencing Education Instability

Did you know?

Students currently in foster care placement that have experienced one or more school changes are eligible for assistance under a Pennsylvania law known as known as Act 1 of 2022 – “Assisting Students Experiencing Education Instability.”

Pennsylvania school entities including school districts, charter schools, intermediate units, and career and technical centers are required to assist eligible students to promote grade advancement and timely high school graduation. The law also requires school entities to facilitate equal access to academics and extracurricular activities.

Is my student in a foster care placement eligible?

Children and youth in a foster care placement experiencing “education instability” is a student who has one or more changes in school entity enrollment during a single school year. These children and youth are eligible for Act 1.

Who do I contact at my student’s school about Act 1?

School entities must assign a Point of Contact to all eligible students. The Point of Contact has a responsibility to provide their contact information to the student’s education decision maker(s).

If you have questions about Act 1 or if your student’s Point of Contact information has not been provided to you, please contact your student’s school principal or your school entity’s designated foster care point of contact, which can be found at https://directory.center-school.org/fostercare.

What are some of the benefits Act 1 may provide my student?

• Assigns a Point of Contact to your student to review and assess grade advancement and progress towards graduation. A graduation plan is developed for all students in grades 9-12.
• Requires school entities to investigate work satisfactorily completed by your student at prior school entities and award full or partial credits.
• Enables school entities to waive other course or graduation requirements by analyzing prior work completed or by demonstrating competence in the content area (i.e. completion of an essay, presentation, or project).
• Ensures equal access to school activities when school moves or instability would prevent participation (i.e. lifting registration deadlines).
• Eliminates fees and fines including but not limited to school ID fees, uniform fees, fees for extracurricular activities and school trips, library fees and graduation regalia fees.
• Defines alternative pathways to graduation including a diploma from the student’s prior school or a Keystone Diploma issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Basic Education Circular, “Act 1 of 2022.”

Contact: [email protected]

Learn more about Educational Stability for Children and Youth in Foster Care in Pennsylvania at PAfosterCare.org.