• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Title I, Part A ensures the educational stability of students in foster care.

    The term “foster care” is defined as follows: placement by DCF of a student into 24-hour out-of-home care, away from his/her parents or guardians.

    These placements include, among others: • foster family homes; • foster homes of relatives; • emergency shelters (including STARR programs and Transitional Care units); • residential facilities; • child care institutions; • group homes; and • pre-adoptive homes.

    In addition, according to ESSA students in foster care have the right to the following:

    • Immediate Enrollment: when it is in a student’s best interest to leave the school of origin, enrollment in a school in the local school district (see below) must take place without delay, to prevent disruption of the student’s education.
    • Local School District: the Massachusetts school district in which the student’s foster care home, provider, or facility is physically located. When it is determined to be in a student’s best interest to leave the school of origin, the local school district must enroll the student immediately.
    • School of Origin (See above for District of Origin): the school that a student was attending at the time of placement in foster care or the school a student is attending at the time of any subsequent change in a foster care placement.

      For further information, please contact: Barbara Cerwonka, Director of Student Services, at 508-699-1309.

      DESE Link: https://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/foster/