Requirements under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2016, established protections for children in foster care. These provisions complement the requirements of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Fostering Connections Act) and further promote the purpose of Title I to increase educational stability, remove enrollment barriers, ensure high-quality educational opportunities, close achievement gaps, and improve educational outcomes for children.

In partnership with the Division of Social Services at the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has developed procedures for both local education agencies (LEA) and local child welfare agencies (CWA) to serve children in foster care for ensuring their attendance and success in school. Among the ESSA provisions is the designation of a Point of Contact (POC) for the local education agencies. The key responsibilities of the LEA Points of Contact are:

• ensure immediate enrollment & eliminate enrollment barriers,

• ensure automatic free school meals,

• promote school stability, educational outcomes, & transition processes,

• collaborate with local Divisions of Social Services (DSS).

The WS/FCS ESSA Foster Care POC position serves as the primary point of engagement on behalf of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools regarding students placed in DSS custody and should be contacted when

• a student enters DSS nonsecure custody,

• a student already in nonsecure custody with DSS has a residential placement change or there is a proposed school change,

• a student already in nonsecure custody with DSS is experiencing school disruptions (chronic absences or excessive suspensions, at risk of alternative school placement or residential placement disruption, mental health crisis).

The WS/FCS ESSA Foster Care POC is the contact for child welfare agencies (in state and out of state) when a Best Interest Determination (BID) meeting needs to be scheduled with our school district or when there are questions surrounding enrollment or school of origin transportation as well as the educational needs and the overall wellbeing of students in foster care.