Status:

Enacted

Education

Foster Care

Foster Youth Services (2015)

AB 854 (Weber)

Location

California

Foster Youth Services (FYS) programs provide supplemental educational services and supports to foster children in California. Nearly two-thirds of the state's foster children are ineligible for these services which are limited to foster students in institutional placements. NCYL is working on legislative solutions to expand FYS to all California foster children bringing FYS into alignment with the State's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) for education and giving the FYS program a greater role in ensuring foster children are well served through the LCFF.

Our Success & Impact

Get up to date on our latest work - from litigation and policy wins to new reports, resources, events and more.

Success and Impact

Governor Brown Signs Bill Expanding Support for Students in Foster Care

SACRAMENTO – Governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation that will improve support for students in foster care. AB 854, authored by Assemblymember...

Success and Impact

Legislature Funds Increased Educational Opportunities for 40,000 Foster Youth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2015

Contact:
Melissa San Miguel (510) 835-8098 ext. 3025
Jackie Wong (510) 220-5190

Last night, the Legislative...

Related Initiatives

Establish Youth-Centered Education for Youth in Foster Care

Youth in foster care often miss out on the opportunity to learn because of unnecessary home and school moves. NCYL works in partnership with school districts and students in foster care to create compassionate, truly supportive education environments.

Establish Youth-Centered Approaches To Education

NCYL works to advance school systems that center the needs and experiences of students - from removing barriers to learning, to providing training for teachers and school personnel, to empowering youth to more fully participate in their own educational trajectory.

Building Compassionate Education Systems for System-Involved Students

Equitably supporting students in foster care, involved in the juvenile justice system or experiencing homelessness, requires dynamic multi-agency collaboration between local education, child welfare, judicial and community-based partners with a shared vision for effectively serving these

Related Resources

Report on the Actions of U.S. States Regarding Education for Students in Foster Care and the Every Student Succeeds Act

This report contains information on the ongoing work of several states who have taken purposeful and progressive steps towards helping students in...

Related Cases

J.N. V. Oregon Department of Education

The State of Oregon has effectively denied hundreds of children with disabilities the opportunity to attend school for a full day, in violation of federal laws, the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Rehabilitation Act.

COPAA v. DeVos, 2018

seeks to ensure timely compliance with an important U.S. Department of Education regulation that is intended to ensure students that need special education are being correctly identified.

Alicia B. V. Dannel Malloy

This Superior Court lawsuit contends that the sub-standard alternative education offered to expelled children, who are disproportionately students of color, violates equal protection guarantees of both the state and U.S. Constitutions.

Related Laws & Policy

See All Laws & Policy

California AB 1230: Expulsion Rehabilitation Plan Reform (2025)

Bill will ensure that students facing expulsion receive the support they need to return to their home schools

California Assembly Bill 1230, titled Expulsion Rehabilitation Plan Reform, strengthens procedures and requirements to ensure that expelled students — some of California's most vulnerable — receive the support they need to successfully return to school. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta

California SB 531: Student Mental Health Education (2025)

Bill will expand mental health education access to all California students

SB 531 will help empower young Californians and destigmatize mental health challenges by requiring all California students in grades 1-12 be provided with an age-appropriate mental health education.

Supporting Students in the Foster System and Students Experiencing Homelessness (2024)

AB 2137 (Quirk-Silva)

Assembly Bill (AB) 2137 that would increase direct support for students, streamline services through better collaboration, and reduce gaps in financial aid application completion.