AB 490: Ensuring Educational Rights and Stability for Foster Youth

As of January 1, 2004, AB 490 (Steinberg), Chapter 862, was created to establish new duties and rights related to the education of dependents and wards in foster care.  It establishes legislative intent that foster youth are provided the following:

• access to the same educational opportunities and resources as other students
• increased stability of school placements
• immediate enrollment even if records are not available
• timely transfer of student records
• calculation of full or partial coursework by schools the student has attended
• education placement decisions that are determined by the child's best interest

The AB490 and McKinney-Vento Act require that every school district appoint a Homeless Liaison and an Educational Liaison to ensure that foster youth students obtain the necessary services.  The Foster Youth Services staff is available to assist districts and other agencies in understanding these requirements and to provide strategies for working with the foster youth population.

 

Assembly Bill 490 Resources (AB490)
Developed by the Youth Law Center and accessible from their web site.
http://www.youthlaw.org/events/trainings/ab_490_ensuring_educational_rights_for_foster_youth/