Working with Foster Care Students in Texas by Jessica Busceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q Padlet Legal Guide en-us 2021-09-19 04:27:28 UTC 2025-10-12 16:19:19 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f3eb.png McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1985 jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751194966
  • McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is enacted to support homeless students in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. 
  • Local Hays Consolidated School District regulations are adherent to this statute for all matters regarding foster care students and their education 
    • McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1985. 42 U.S.C. § 11431. 
    https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter119&edition=prelim

    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:15:32 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751194966     Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751195054
  • The Adoption and Safe Families Act changes the trajectory of child welfare practices, 
  • provides explicit legislation outlining detailed requirements for state funded foster care services 
    • Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. 105 U.S.C. § 89.
    https://www.congress.gov/105/plaws/publ89/PLAW-105publ89.pdf

    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:15:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751195054     Texas' Foster Child Bill of Rights of 2011 jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751195112
  • Texas Congress creates a Foster Child Bill of Rights for children in foster care
  • first comprehensive protection for foster care children in the state
  • including but not limited to food, shelter, and a right to a fair and legal education   
    • Foster Child Bill of Rights of 2011. Tex. Family Code Ann. § 263.008. (2011.) 
    https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.263.htm
    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:15:41 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751195112     Texas’ License to Discriminate in Foster Care Law of 2017 jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751195236
  • HB 3859, Texas’s License to Discriminate in Foster Care Law of 2017 
  • allows a child welfare provider the ability to refuse service to children, families and foster parents that conflict with their personal religious beliefs. 
  • This law provides the possibility of discrimination against foster care students getting placement into good-standing homes, 
  • This law also prevents opportunities for foster care students to participate in educational activities and events that do not agree with their provider's personal beliefs 
    • Texas’s License to Discriminate in Foster Care Law of 2017. Tex. Code § 3859 (2017). 
    https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/85R/billtext/pdf/HB03859I.pdf
    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:15:48 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751195236     Hays CISD Administrative Policy for Foster Care and Homeless Students jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751195743
  • Hays CISD 2021-2022 Student-Parent Handbook details the policies and procedures in place for students in foster care, as well as students who are homeless
  •  Efforts include assisting newly fostered students with enrollment, registration, and educational services as required by law
  • Continuing enrollment at the current school campus even when the student is moved out of the district’s attendance boundaries
  • Allowing students who have moved to another district to still graduate with the original district if graduation requirements are met
  • Students who are experiencing homelessness will receive services provided by McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
  • A student in the conservatorship (custody) of the state who enrolls in the district after the beginning of the school year will be allowed credit-by-examination opportunities at any point during the year.

    • https://www.hayscisd.net//cms/lib/TX02204837/Centricity/Domain/83/2021-2022%20Hays%20CISD%20Parent%20Student%20Handbook%20081921.pdf



    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:16:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751195743     jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751198197
  • This legal guide includes various sources of information specifically intended for local district school counselors, regarding how best to provide services and resources to our foster care students, as well as those who are experiencing homelessness due to being involved with the foster care system in Texas. 
  • School Counselors in Hays Consolidated Independent School District will benefit from this guide. 
  • I chose this topic because it spotlights an extremely important and delicate demographic. 
    • ]]>     2021-09-19 05:19:13 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751198197     jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751198955
  • This legal guide will provide a variety of resources and information to help support Hays CISD school counselors to make informed decisions when provided services to our foster care students. 
  • In our rapidly growing geographical region, foster care students moving into this area from larger metro regions are becoming more and more common. 
  • This is putting a strain on the local foster care services that are typically provided to students, and is leaving many counselors stressed as to how they can best provide care to these vulnerable and traumatized children. 
  • Many counselors feel that dealing with the Texas foster care system is confusing and impersonal, and often leaves the children in undesirable environments which are not conducive to academic or personal growth. 

    • For over a decade, foster care students have been fighting the state for better services, more support, and appropriate living conditions. 
    • Recently, a US District judge ruled that Texas is violating foster care students' constitutional rights under law. 
    • It is now increasingly obvious that counselors and educators must play a pivotal role in representing these fragile youth and ensuring that they do not continue to be victims. 
    • By becoming knowledgeable and informed on this topic, Hays CISD school counselors can be leaders and influencers for foster care reform. 
    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:19:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751198955     Resiliency in Traumatized Children jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751200242
  • This newsletter includes an overview written by Dr. Christina Vinci in which she details the remarkable skillset that traumatized children develop- resiliency. 
  • She references the short list of research studies focused on childhood resiliency, and the key developments that help them to retain this as a tool for adulthood.
  • She pinpoints the role that counselors can play in helping to support traumatized students and how to best help them build their resiliency and independence.
    • Vinci, C. (2018). What makes a child resilient? Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling Newsletter. 5-2, (3-5). American Counseling Association.
    https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.108.229/61f.465.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fall-2018-ACAC-Newsletter-Final.pdf?time=1633462092
    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:21:13 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751200242     Foster Care Students are Being Neglected jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751200971
  • Texas foster care children are being neglected and there is no sign of it getting better.
  • Social workers and advocates are overworked and underpaid, leading to burn-out and fatigue.
  • Children are being turned away at group homes, family foster homes, and case workers are left to find a place for them to sleep.
  • This is an incredible impact on the emotional, mental, and academic health of these victims.

    • Oxner, R., Bohra, N. (2021). Texas foster care crisis worsens, with fast-growing numbers of children sleeping in offices, hotels, churches. Texas Tribune. 

    https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/19/texas-foster-care-crisis/
    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:22:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751200971     Foster Care Students Are Sleeping in Offices jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751201305
  • The article points to the growing number of CWOP, children without placement, in the Texas foster care system since January 2020.
  • The already disheveled system has suffered major blows since the pandemic, and has left alarming numbers of children sleeping in DFPS offices overnight.
  • Many former foster care providers are leaving the system due to new implementations of oversight and monitoring from a recent judicial ruling.
  • This has obvious implications for our foster care students who are directly affected by these living conditions including lack of sleep, mental support, and proper hygiene care.

    • Mitchell, I. (2021). Lawsuit exposes dysfunction in foster care system as state scrambles to place troubled children. The Texan. 

    https://thetexan.news/lawsuit-exposes-dysfunction-in-foster-care-system-as-state-scrambles-to-place-troubled-children/
    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:22:29 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751201305     Counselor Responsibility to Maintain Guardian Relationships jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751201868
  • B.5.b. Responsibility to Parents and Legal Guardians-  Counselors work to establish, as appropriate, collaborative relationships with parents/guardians to best serve clients. 
  • This is a clear ethical expectation to establish and maintain relationships with foster care guardians and advocates to best support the student. 
    •  American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of ethics.
    https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2014-code-of-ethics-finaladdress.pdf?sfvrsn=96b532c_2

    American Counseling Association
    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:23:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751201868     How Counselors and CASA Advocates can Work Together jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751202202
  • This resource is a crucial and impactful advocacy toolkit that is provided by Texas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children). 
  • It is intended for CASA advocates, volunteers who donate their time and attention to individual children who need representation as they have no court-appointed family member who can speak on their behalf in the foster care legal system. 
  • This specific toolkit provides these advocates with information to help them navigate the educational rights of their children, and how best to cooperate with educators and school representatives including counselors. 
  • Therefore, this is also an extremely helpful resource for counselors to understand the legal expectations and difficulties that foster care advocates are constantly confronted with on a daily basis. 
    • Texas CASA. (2014). Fierce advocate series.  Children’s Justice Act, Texas Center for the Judiciary Grant Program.  
    https://buildingrti.utexas.org/sites/default/files/resource_files/TX_CASA_Educational_Advocacy_Toolkit.pdf
    ]]>     2021-09-19 05:23:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751202202     How to Best Represent as a Hays CISD Counselor jbusceme https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751202669
  • Recognize the basic federal laws for foster care students' rights
  • Become familiar the state statutes that guide counseling and educational services for foster care students
  • Fully understand the impact of McKinney-Vento Act on our local administrative policies
  • Become acquainted with our local foster care liaison at Hays CISD
  • Develop partnerships with local foster care providers and caregivers who provide quality care and advocacy for our students
  • Stay updated on current legislative and judicial events related to foster care system reform
  • Become a member of a local counselors association that works closely with foster care advocates
  • Identify and build relationships with your foster care students on campus, stay involved in their daily lives
  • Stay updated on legal requirements and trainings for school counselors
    • ]]>     2021-09-19 05:24:10 UTC https://padlet.com/jbusceme/ron9y7jie53hl69q/wish/1751202669