Foster Care Information
Foster Care is defined as substitute care for children placed by the Department of Human Services or a tribal child welfare agency away from their parents and for whom the department or agency has placement and care responsibility, including:
- Placements in foster family homes,
- Foster homes of relatives,
- Group homes,
- Emergency shelters,
- Residential facilities,
- Child care institutions and
- Pre-adoptive homes
The Foster Care Point of Contact (POC) is a designated staff member within the school district who is responsible for coordinating with the ODHS child welfare system and ensuring federal policies are being followed - ESSA and Fostering Connections. Each school district is required by law to have Point of Contact.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Foster Care Student Rights
Students in foster care have the right to:
- Remain in their school district and school of origin, for the duration of time in foster care, even when their foster home placement changes and/or they are living outside of their school boundary.
- Immediately enroll in school, with or without all required documents typically needed to enroll.
- Automatic eligibility for free school meals.
- Participate in school-related activities.
- Transportation to their school of origin, as requested by the ODHS caseworker
School of Origin is defined as the school district / school in which a child is enrolled at the time of placement into ODHS Child Welfare Foster Care. A school district / school of origin only changes when there is a Best Interest Finding made by the Juvenile Court.
Immediate Enrollment. If a caseworker or resource parent attempts to enroll a foster care child in school, the school must enroll them immediately - even if they do not have all of the documents typically needed to enroll. The resource parent may only have a generic placement letter from ODHS - this is considered proof of guardianship.
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When a foster child is enrolling in a new school, the ODHS caseworker must fill out the school notification form and send it to the North Wasco County School District Foster Care point of contact person.
School Transportation Request form
Children in foster care have the right to school of origin transportation, no matter the address. The ODHS caseworker must fill out a transportation request form and send it to the North Wasco County SD Foster Care point of contact in order for transportation to be arranged.
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