Bill > HB25

This bill, known as the Fostering School Success Act, aims to improve educational support for students in foster care by establishing new roles and responsibilities within schools and state agencies. It defines "student placed in foster care" as any child in foster care during an academic term, including those in the custody of public children's services agencies or private child placing agencies, or placed with licensed foster caregivers, and those who transfer schools due to returning home. The bill mandates that state education and workforce, higher education, children and youth, and job and family services departments collaborate to share best practices and post resources online to aid local foster care education liaisons and foster family navigators. Specifically, the Chancellor of Higher Education will post scholarship opportunities for foster care students at state institutions. Each school district, community school, and STEM school (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics school) must designate a local foster care education liaison to help identify, enroll, and provide academic and non-academic resources for students in foster care, and to coordinate transportation and dispute resolution. Additionally, each school building will have a foster family navigator to serve as a primary contact for students in foster care, collaborate with their families, provide access to services, and identify college and career resources for high school students. Public children's services agencies and private child placing agencies will conduct life skills assessments for youth in their custody, and these assessments can be shared with foster family navigators upon request to aid in planning and service provision. The bill also requires training for these liaisons and navigators.

Education

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb25