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An opinion article published by The 74 argues that children entering or moving through foster care should not have to change schools when a placement changes. The Atlanta CASA CEO calls for child welfare and education agencies to plan schooling and transportation together, support students beyond attendance, and include young people in decisions.
The 74 published an opinion article by the CEO of Atlanta CASA arguing that a child’s move into foster care should not automatically mean leaving school. The author says educational continuity should be addressed as part of placement decisions, with agencies coordinating transportation, enrollment and support so students can remain connected to familiar teachers and peers when that is appropriate.
The author describes school as a source of routine and trusted relationships for children whose home lives may already have changed abruptly. A school move can interrupt friendships and relationships with teachers and counselors, as well as complicate coursework, transfer of records and access to services or extracurricular activities. The article says these disruptions can create barriers that adults should not mistake for a lack of motivation or ability.
The article points to federal protections under the Every Student Succeeds Act, which assigns responsibilities to child welfare and education agencies concerning school-of-origin decisions, transportation, immediate enrollment when a move is necessary, and timely transfer of records. It argues that the safeguards depend on effective coordination and clear ownership of tasks. The source does not provide data on how often children change schools or how consistently these protections are implemented.
The author proposes three steps: discuss an education plan during each placement decision and assign responsibility for carrying it out; judge support by more than attendance, including whether students can access tutoring, counseling, credit recovery and activities; and listen to young people when deciding whether staying at a particular school serves them. The article presents these as recommendations, not as newly adopted policies.
How School Continuity Supports Students
The argument matters because a placement change can affect more than where a child sleeps. A school may provide daily routine, adult support and peer connections during a period of uncertainty. When a school change is avoidable, keeping a student in a familiar setting may reduce another disruption; when a move is needed, planning can help prevent gaps in instruction and services.
The article also frames educational stability as a shared responsibility rather than a task for one teacher, caregiver or advocate. Clear assignments for transportation, enrollment and record transfers could make existing protections more workable. The source offers a policy argument, however, and does not report an evaluation showing that its proposed steps have been implemented or measured across districts.
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Federal Protections and Local Coordination
The opinion piece is written by the CEO of Atlanta CASA, an organization in the court-appointed special advocate field. The author describes adults making urgent placement decisions to protect children, while arguing that educational planning should happen alongside those decisions rather than after a school day has already been missed.
Under the federal law cited in the article, education and child welfare agencies have duties connected to school-of-origin decisions and continuity when a child in foster care changes living arrangements. The article’s focus is the distance between those responsibilities on paper and the practical work of deciding who will arrange transportation, share records and confirm a student can participate in school.
“Educational stability is not an extra benefit to consider when everything else is settled. It is part of a child’s well-being.”
— The CEO of Atlanta CASA, writing in The 74
Implementation Gaps Remain Unspecified
The supplied article does not state how many children in foster care experience school changes, quantify missed instruction, or identify particular districts where coordination has failed. It also provides no implementation timetable, funding plan or response from school districts, child welfare agencies, policymakers or young people affected by placement decisions.
The author’s recommendations are advocacy proposals, not evidence that agencies have adopted new procedures. The article does not specify how officials should resolve cases where a child’s best interests, a placement location and practical transportation limits point in different directions.
Questions for Schools and Agencies
The article urges child welfare and school leaders to make an education plan part of each placement conversation, identify who is responsible for each step, and communicate directly with the people carrying it out. It also calls for policymakers to examine whether current protections work in practice, including whether transportation is arranged on time and students receive needed services after a move.
No formal policy change or follow-up action is announced in the source. The next developments to watch are whether local agencies clarify points of contact, how they involve students in school decisions, and whether any public review measures continuity beyond enrollment and attendance.
Key Questions
What is the opinion article calling for?
It calls on child welfare and education leaders to plan for school continuity during foster-care placement decisions, assign responsibility for transportation and enrollment, and provide support beyond attendance.
What federal law does the article cite?
The article cites the Every Student Succeeds Act and describes responsibilities related to school-of-origin decisions, transportation, immediate enrollment when a move is necessary, and timely transfer of records.
Does the article announce a new policy?
No. It is an opinion article that recommends steps for agencies, schools and policymakers; the supplied source does not report a newly adopted policy.
What details are not provided?
The source gives no figures on school changes or missed school days, no evaluation of how well existing protections are working, and no timetable or funding plan for its recommendations.
Source: the74million.org
