The Countywide Foster Youth Services Program (FYS) is designed to meet the educational needs of foster youths residing in licensed care institutions, foster homes, and county operated juvenile detention facilities.  FYS works in collaboration with foster Liaisons in each district in the county to ensure that the educational, physical, social and emotional needs of foster youth are identified, to determine gaps in educational and social support services and provide those services, directly or throught referrals to collaborative partners. The program also seeks to facilitate the completion and timely transfer of school records, improve students academic achievement, reduce truancy, dropout rates and delinquent behavior, and provide advocacy to promote the best interest of foster youths throughout the county.

With the passing of California Assembly Bill 490, foster children and youth have many of the same protections as homeless students, including:

•  Support of an identified Educational Liaison within each school district
•  Ability to remain in the school of origin for the remainder of the year despite moving out of the attendance area, and
• Acceptance of credit for full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed by the student.

FYS also provides technical assistance about state legislation regarding foster children to the County's twenty school districts.  Beginning in November 2003, VCOE organized a Homeless/Foster Educational Liaison Council with a representative from each of the school districts.  The purpose of the Liaison Council is to advocate for and to meet the educational needs of children and youth living in foster care as well as to eliminate the educational barriers faced by foster students. We must ensure that foster children and youth have an opportunity to meet the same challenging state academic performance standards to which all students are held. 

The Foster Youth Services Program is funded through a grant by the California Department of Education.  For further information about the state program go to: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/fy/


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Foster Youth Services                     Public School Enrollment Considerations

Contact Information:
Laura Welbourn, Coordinator
5189 Verdugo Way
Camarillo, CA 93012
Telephone: (805) 437-1525
FAX: (805) 437-1535
EMAIL: lwelbourn@vcoe.org 

Ralph Velarde
5189 Verdugo Way
Camarillo, CA 93012
Telephone: (805) 437-1529
Fax: (805) 437-1535
EMAIL: rvelarde@vcoe.org