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We have had a foster child here for about a month now. She is 6 and a little sweetheart. It was a huge coincidence, but she and her mom and grandfather used to live about a block from my house until they moved about 7 months ago. She had lots of friends, whose moms raised FD because her mother is not fit (AT ALL) and the grandfather is a drunk. She also attended the school my kids go to (about 2 blocks from my home).She loved it in this neighborhood and loved the school. They also loved her, she was welcomed "back" with open arms.But, her worker says that she has to stay at the school in the same town that her mom lives in now (crappy town, crappy school), about 20 minutes away, as there is some new law that kids stay in the school unless there is a safety issue. (ie: mom will steal them from school. That wont happen her mom doesnt care enough to do that). The reasoning is that if child is RU then she won't have to adjust to another school. Well, she won't need to adjust ANYWHERE! She went to this school, and went to that school. Whereever she is, she will go, she is very easy and flexible.But, my vent is that she IS in that other school. DYFS transports her to and from school, as the bus company didn't get her a bus yet, but the big thing is that we have other kids in 3 schools and now have to juggle yet another school schedule which is completely different than my kids have. Example: Today FD gets out at 1 due to BTS night. Well, we were not going to be home, we both work. We worked it out to be here, but still !!! And we are going to her BTS night, which is 20 minutes away. VERY inconvenient for us, but no one cares.I just can't get over how inconvenient they make it for foster parents. This law is the stupidest thing. EVen if there IS RU, it takes time, chances are it won't be before school lets out.(Not that there should be RU, I know her whole family and they are all thrilled she is here and they are hoping she stays. Her old neighbors and the school here called CPS dozens of times and it took them a year to get FD away from her home...) Not even sure this post makes sense, it is all over the place, but honestly, it is frustrating!!!
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Thanks. Everyone agrees she belongs in this school. Even yesterday, the nurse from DYFS came for an in house visit and she said it is actually detrimental for her to go to the old school (I can't say why but there are issues there) and yet, the law is the law. She did tell me to contact her court person (liason? Forgot what her title is) and she can ask the judge for us.
I know exactly what you are going through. It's the Educational Stability law and what it actually says is that the child stays in the same school unless it is NOT in the child's best interest to do so. But DYFS must have gotten a memo leaving off the last part of that sentence.
Contact your child's law guardian. Make a list of reasons as to why it is in the child's best interests to go to the school near your home. Focus on social interaction, quality of academics, number of years in each school etc. Don't mention (ever) whether it's convenient for you. I'm not flaming - I just don't think the best interests test is going to factor in foster parents' convenience.
As far as I can tell, NO ONE has yet tried to get a child to change schools based on the best interest standard. So it's not going to be easy. The Law Guardian is the only person who might try for you. DYFS is sticking to the "law is the law" tag line, for now.
Good luck!
Thanks for the advice. I realized after I read what I wrote how harsh and selfish I sound LOL. From our POV, I am so thankful I stay home because her school starts late often and is off way more than our school is.It is also very frustrating because everyone who has come in contact with FD (and us) agrees that her best interest is to go to the school that all our other kids go to. She has gone there in the past and it is a much better school. However, no one is willing to go to bat for her, because of this new law.We can try to take it to court and change it, but as someone said to us "pick your battles", this one may be better left alone. :(After 3 weeks her mom has lost her weekly visitation, and has not followed her plan at all. Very sad for poor FD.
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While I have heard of this law, I have never received any opposition when changing my fk's schools. What's the use of the kids remaining in a school if the school close to you can provide a much better educational experience? I understand the need for not severing ties, however, this should apply only if the placement is short-term.I pulled my fk's out of public school the first chance I got. My 12 y/o with an IEP that says he reads and writes on a 4th grade level? Well, he is now mainstreamed and averaging A's and B's. In my house, I make those decisions and have the full support of the resource department.
committedsoul
While I have heard of this law, I have never received any opposition when changing my fk's schools. What's the use of the kids remaining in a school if the school close to you can provide a much better educational experience? I understand the need for not severing ties, however, this should apply only if the placement is short-term. I pulled my fk's out of public school the first chance I got. My 12 y/o with an IEP that says he reads and writes on a 4th grade level? Well, he is now mainstreamed and averaging A's and B's. In my house, I make those decisions and have the full support of the resource department.