Education and kinship care: Support to keep kids learning and growing.
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A good education is one of the greatest gifts you can give the children in your care. But kinship caregivers face a different set of challenges than parents. For instance, kinship caregivers may need to enroll kids in a new school, advocate for accommodations or assessment, and secure medical services and other available resources to support their child’s educational success.
There are many resources available to help kinship caregivers get their children the education they need. You can find services in your area by clicking below.
How can kinship caregivers find early education programs?
Pre-school and other early education programs can set kids up for success when they begin regular school. Free or low-cost early education programs may be available in your area, such as the Head Start program (for ages 3-5) and the Great Start Readiness Program (for 4-year-olds).
You can learn more about both of these programs and find one near you at the Great Start website.
How do I get my school-age student (K-12) enrolled in school?
Getting children enrolled in school can sometimes be a challenge for kinship caregivers. There are some steps we encourage kinship caregivers to take that may help. Take it one step at a time.
Step 1: Find your local school.
If you don’t already know which school your child needs to attend, you can search for schools at Niche.com, or go to the school district’s website.
Step 2: Ask the school what paperwork is needed for enrollment.
Most schools require:
- A birth certificate or other proof of the child’s age
- Residency information (like utility bills or a signed lease)
- Parent/guardian information
- Contact information (phone, address, email)
- School history
- Medical history, including immunizations
If there is a custody/guardianship/adoption situation involved, the school may request this paperwork.
Step 3: Check to see if your child is eligible for services under the McKinney-Vento Act.
If a child comes to a kinship caregiver through the child welfare system, they are covered by something called Title I, Part A provisions. Every school is required to have a McKinney-Vento liaison, a person who helps enroll children who have been recently placed by a child welfare agency (as well as homeless children). Contact the school administrator and ask to speak to the McKinney-Vento staff. They can tell you if your child is eligible for services and help get them enrolled in school.
Children covered by the McKinney-Vento Act have special rights, such as:
- Right to immediate school enrollment, even without required records
- Right to remain in their school of origin, if in the student’s best interest
- Right to receive transportation to and from the school of origin
- Right to receive support for academic success (e.g., tutoring and school supplies)
Learn more about the McKinney-Vento Act.
Step 4: Fill out enrollment forms and submit them with the required documents.
Depending on the school district, you may be asked to submit the forms and documents by mail, in person at the school, or online.
What can I do to help my child succeed in school?
Caregivers play a very important role in their child’s school success. Here are some steps you can take to encourage and support your child in school.
Pre-K through Elementary School:
- Take younger children to meet their teachers before starting a new school year. This can ease fears and anxieties about starting school.
- Attend orientations and parent-teacher conferences to stay informed on what your child is learning and how they are progressing.
Middle School:
- Keep track of their homework assignments and due dates.
- Encourage them to succeed.
- Stay in contact with their teachers.
- Emphasize the importance of school.
- Attend orientations and parent-teacher conferences.
High School:
- Encourage them to participate in extracurricular activities.
- Help them research potential careers, colleges, universities, and tech schools to plan for their future.
- Encourage them to meet with their guidance counselor.
- Praise progress and encourage school success.
- Attend orientations and parent-teacher conferences.
What is Special Education, and does my child need it?
Special Education is a teaching method that personalizes strategies for students with academic, behavioral, health, or physical needs. To determine if a child is eligible for special education services, an evaluation must be requested. The child’s school or parents/guardians can request (in writing) that an evaluation be performed. If the child meets the criteria, a plan, called an Individual Education Plan, will be individually created to meet their specific needs.
What is an IEP, and how is it created?
Once a child is identified as being eligible for special education services, the next step is to attend an IEP meeting. At this meeting, a step-by-step plan will be created with the student, parents/guardians/ caregivers, teachers, other school administrators, and any other professionals working with the student.
The plan describes:
- What services the student will receive and why
- Specific goals for the student
- A description of the programs and services the student will receive
- An overview of how their progress will be measured and monitored
Students receiving special education have rights outlined in Procedural Safeguards. In Michigan, they can be found on the Michigan Department of Education website.
For more information on how to prepare for an IEP meeting, check out the Michigan Alliance for Families guide on IEPs.
How can I get my child free or reduced-cost school meals?
Your child may be eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch programs if:
- Your family can demonstrate financial need. You’ll need to fill out an application that will ask you about your family’s income. This application can be completed at any time during the year if your financial situation changes. Learn more about the Michigan School Meals program.
- Your child has an open foster care case. If they do, they can receive free meals regardless of income.
Please contact your school for more information about free or reduced-cost lunch programs.
Where can youth in kinship care find information about college or tech schools?
In Michigan, if a youth was in foster care on or after their 14th birthday, they are eligible to receive support through the Education and Training Voucher program.
There are many flexible options available to prepare youth for employment while earning a high school diploma, certificate, or GED:
- Flexible learning options
- Career and Technical Education (CTE)
- CTE Early Middle College (EMC)
- Dual Enrollment
- Pre-employment Transition Services for students with disabilities age 14-26
- Michigan achievement scholarship
Other resources:
Talk to your local school, your student’s guidance counselor, and any schools your student is interested in attending about available scholarships and financial aid. You can also visit MI Student Aid for a list of scholarship and financial aid options.
Youth in foster care age 14 or older are eligible for Youth in Transition services and financial assistance. Kinship caregivers providing approved relative foster care should talk to their foster care worker about these available supports.