Are children in foster homes required to attend school like any other child who comes from a home with family?

Question

I'm curious to know if they are required to go to say for example the local high school in the district? also can teens in foster homes have a part-time job say at a local bookstore, starbucks etc

Answer 1

I've been a foster mom. Laws vary by state and policies vary by company. It also depends on if you are on alternative to detention with DJJ or if you are in foster with the Department of Family Services. Further, it depends on the rules of the household you live with.

As a foster mom I found that while I was held responsible for the care of the foster child as though she were my own, I did not have the rights of a biological parent. I was told I could send a child to private school, so long as I paid for it out of pocket, if I did not prefer public school. But, under no circumstances would I be allowed to homeschool. Social workers are taught to mistrust parents and police foster parents heavily. You cannot honestly blame them; they see things on a daily basis that could turn your hair white. Homeschool as far as they are concerned is what you do when you want to beat your children without being caught. Even here in KY where homeschool is considered private school, they would not allow it. It did not matter if the foster kids were floundering in public school, getting in fights or dating drug dealers. They would be put in juvinile detention, group homes or mental institutions, but never homeschooled.

  As to dropping out; they do not allow that. But they will pay for your college if you age out of the system and agree to continue within it after you turn 18. This is great because they also cover meds, doctor visits and housing costs. Driving is also dependent on your situation and state.

Some kids are allowed part time jobs. I had one foster daughter who worked at a local restaurant after school.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Well, first off, children from homes with their own family are *not* required to attend school. That is a myth. Children are required to be in full-time education (not necessarily in school).

I have an e-friend in the US. He and his wife are foster parents and yes, they home-school their foster children alongside their biological children. Not sure about foster kids having job but I don't see why they shouldn't be able to get a job. R's fosterkids are a wee bit young for formal employment but his 9 yr old foster daughter is able to earn her own money by selling the eggs from her chooks to their neighbours etc.

I think, if anything, it probably depends on the individual foster child, their past experiences and the details of their individual care plan and fostering arrangement.

Answer 3

Yes they can, they are children the same as any other child.

Usually a child remains in the county it was taken from.

So if the parent was in say, Brooklyn, then the child will stay in Brooklyn.

Teens age out of the system at 18, at which time they are literally dumped out without any thing at all in place to help them or take care of them or guide them.  Because of this its really important that they have something in place they can fall back on, like job experience.

Answer 4

Yes, they are required to attend school if they have not yet reached the dropout age... just like any other kid in any other family.  And yes, they are allowed to have a part-time job subject to their foster parents expectations.

***I'm not sure why several answers have thumbs down, including my own, but do remember that this is a state/local issue NOT a federal one.  Different area from me?  Then expect some differences in policies.

Answer 5

yes they need to be in school.i d/k about jobs.

Answer 6

Yes.  They are just like the other children, they can go to a school of their preference as long as their guardians agree with it. They can also hold  jobs. They leave the foster program as soon as they turn 18.

Answer 7

Unless the child has come from such a problem background that they require some sort of special environment, yes, they go to school and get jobs like anyone else.  They are just like any other child, but for some reason their parents are not able to raise them.

Some children come from extremely abusive homes and are put into special custody, like a boys' home or something like that; I worked at one in college.  When this happens, the children often attend an on-campus school that is designed to handle any special needs they might have, such as acting out or episodes due to former drug exposure.

Barring that, though, yep - they're just normal kids with a not-so-normal past.  They do the same things that any other kid might do.  They can go to public or private school, be homeschooled (in some states), and get a job.