Foster Youth and Homeless Education Services

Roger Golec Foster/Homeless Youth Coordinator Office: (707) 445-7187 Fax: (707) 445-7071 rgolec@humbolt.k12.ca.us

Welcome to the Foster Youth and Homeless Education Services Program at the Humboldt County Office of Education. We are here to help ensure that foster and homeless youth receive the full benefits of a free and appropriate public education that all students are entitled to, including preschool programs. We work in collaboration with all the Humboldt County school districts, Humboldt County Department of Social Services, Humboldt County Probation and other community based agencies to fully implement both the state (AB 490 Foster Youth Education) and federal (McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act) laws which govern and protect the educational rights of foster and homeless youth and children.

Foster and homeless youth often experience numerous changes in placement and living situations which cause interruptions in their educational settings. The emotional adjustments of these changes combined with the sense of falling behind can be overwhelming for these students. It is estimated that for each mid-year school placement change, a student will fall behind academically by six months. Graduation rates for foster and homeless youth are 20% to 30% below the national average of their peers.

We can assist these students and their families by helping with:

• Immediate enrollment in school
• Assistance with school services to maintain educational stability
• Timely transfer of educational records
• Assistance with obtaining immunization and medical records
• Transportation plans from the current residence to the school of origin
• Referral to Community Resources
• Linkage to community college/vocational programs