Lost in the System: Foster Youth in K-12 Schools

Foster youth tend to have a rough time in school. They are more likely to change homes and schools multiple times mid-year, and can miss a lot of classes for reasons beyond their control. We spoke to foster youth advocate Dylan Tatom, who shares her educational experiences as a foster student and how she discovered her voice. La Shona Jenkins, who leads foster youth educational services for Los Angeles County, expresses the importance of cross-sector collaboration and supporting each foster student’s unique, individual needs. How can schools holistically support students in foster care?