The Legal Center FCE's staff travels the country to improve understanding by legal, child welfare, and educational professionals of the education needs of children in foster care.

Outreach Examples

National:

• Federal task forces and work groups
• Congressional hearings
• Legal, child welfare, and education conferences
• Court improvement meetings

State/Local:

• Addressing data collection and information-sharing
• Promoting positive court practices
• Implementing Fostering Connections
• Sharing laws & policies

Our work strengthens state and national policies and frontlline practice through many avenues.

Policy Reform

• Testifies before Congress
• Influences federal policy
• Comments on proposed laws
• Helps shape rules and regulations
• Convenes policy working groups

Practice Reform

• Creates practice tools: checklists, fact sheets and issue briefs
• Shares legal advocacy strategies and best practices
• Educates court, child welfare, and education practitioners on education issues

The Legal Center FCE provides national technical assistance and expertise at the federal, state, and local level and to a wide range of advocates and stakeholders.

Areas of focus:

• Identifying goals & priorities
• Convening stakeholders
• Addressing data collection & information sharing
• Promoting positive court practices
• Implementing the Fostering Connections Act
• Sharing knowledge of laws & policies

Tools for States

• Screening Tools for child welfare & education agencies
• Step-by-step guides for educators
• Juvenile court rules
• Trainings for judges, advocates, child welfare & educators
• Data-sharing agreements
• Interagency Memoranda of Understanding