TY - JOUR
T1 - Using cross-system communication to promote educational well-being of foster children
T2 - Recommendations for a national research, practice, and policy agenda
AU - Day, Angelique Gabrielle
AU - Somers, Cheryl
AU - Darden, Joanne Smith
AU - Yoon, Jina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 National Association of Social Workers.
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - This study captures the voices of school-based behavioral specialists employed across the state of Michigan to share how well schools and child welfare agencies communicate and collaborate to address the educational well-being of foster care children on their caseloads. This includes knowledge of federal policies and how they support and hinder communication across systems. Participants included a total of 249 K-12 employed school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Survey methodology was used, and both inferential and narrative analyses revealed that these school practitioners were highly unaware of how to identify the foster care children in their schools and what supports they need. The three groups of school-based professionals were similarly unaware, they have minimal communication with outside agencies, and they largely do not take initiative in reaching out to communicate and collaborate with community-based agencies outside the school. Despite that, collectively, the work of child welfare and education professionals could have a substantial impact on retention and the overall student performance of children who are living in out-of-home care. Implications of this lack of communication and awareness are discussed, and recommendations to guide a national research agenda for advocacy and policy efforts are identified.
AB - This study captures the voices of school-based behavioral specialists employed across the state of Michigan to share how well schools and child welfare agencies communicate and collaborate to address the educational well-being of foster care children on their caseloads. This includes knowledge of federal policies and how they support and hinder communication across systems. Participants included a total of 249 K-12 employed school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Survey methodology was used, and both inferential and narrative analyses revealed that these school practitioners were highly unaware of how to identify the foster care children in their schools and what supports they need. The three groups of school-based professionals were similarly unaware, they have minimal communication with outside agencies, and they largely do not take initiative in reaching out to communicate and collaborate with community-based agencies outside the school. Despite that, collectively, the work of child welfare and education professionals could have a substantial impact on retention and the overall student performance of children who are living in out-of-home care. Implications of this lack of communication and awareness are discussed, and recommendations to guide a national research agenda for advocacy and policy efforts are identified.
KW - Cross-system communication and collaboration
KW - Educational well-being
KW - Foster care
KW - School social work
KW - Trauma history
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84983304250&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84983304250&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/cs/cdu027
DO - 10.1093/cs/cdu027
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84983304250
SN - 1532-8759
VL - 37
SP - 54
EP - 62
JO - Children and Schools
JF - Children and Schools
IS - 1
ER -