Foster Youth and Homeless Youth Services

The Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program (FYSCP) and Homeless Youth Education Program (HYEP) provides support services to foster children and homeless youth who suffer the traumatic effects of displacement from family and schools and multiple placements in foster care or unstable housing. FYSCP  has the ability and authority to ensure that health and school records are obtained to establish appropriate placements and to coordinate instruction, counseling, tutoring, mentoring, vocational training, emancipation services, training for independent living, and other related services. The FYSCP and HYEP increases the stability of placements for foster children and homeless youth. These services are designed to improve the children’s educational performance and personal achievement, directly benefiting them as well as providing long-range cost savings to the state.

Foster/Homeless Services Program also provides assistance to Tuolumne County School Districts to support school stability, and college and career readiness for foster and homeless students in our county. We work closely with community agencies including the Tuolumne County Department of Social Services, Probation, SELPA, Columbia College, Independent Living Program, Tuolumne County Mental Health, VMRC,  Tuolumne County Public Health, Student Support Services Council, and Tuolumne County Child Welfare Services.

The FYSCP is guided by AB490 & McKinney-Vento which ensures that:

• Agencies must work together to serve the educational needs of students in foster care/homeless youth.
• Students in foster care/homeless youth must have access to the same academic resources, services, extracurricular, and enrichment activities that are available.
• The placing agency must promote educational stability.

HOMELESS

Who Counts as a “Homeless” Student?

The Federal Government’s legal definition of homelessness is based upon the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act as anyone who:

• Lacks a regular, fixed and adequate nighttime residence
• Is sharing housing due to economic struggles
• Is living in a public place not designed for sleeping or permanent residence (cars, parks, shelter or motel)
• Is an unaccompanied youth
• Is a youth awaiting foster care placement
• Is a migrant youth who qualifies under any of the above

Youth Have Rights to:

• Enroll in school without proper documentation/immunization records
• Attend classes while educational records are being located and transferred
• Remain in their school of origin
• Enroll in school without giving a permanent address
• Receive transportation to and from school