Two patients are bleeding out in Colorado: foster care children with a history of violent behavior and the school districts that are supposed to provide them an education.

Foster care children with a violent history have a tough life - moved from home to home and school to school. Schools are supposed to educate these kids, but they most likely don't know the student's behavior history and may be unprepared for the problems the kids carry with them.

Bill asks for transition plan for foster kids to go to new schools
HB10-1274, sponsored by Representative Sue Schafer (D-Wheatridge) and Senator Michael Johnston (D-Denver), asks the state Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to work with school districts to develop a transition plan for foster care children who have a pattern of threatening behavior and who are moving into a new school.

These foster care children tend to move often. They may be moved far away from their biological family and the community in which they grew up. They may be enrolled in schools that have insufficient knowledge of their situation and insufficient resources to adequately support their needs.

Kids with a history of violence present tough choices for rural schools
Amy Burns, principal of Bennett middle school in a rural area of Colorado, described a Denver metro area student who was placed in foster care in Bennett. Her school was not notified of the child's troubled history. His support system was many miles away. The school did not have the psychological or educational resources to help the child in the ways he needed. Needless to say, the placement at the school and in the foster home did not work for the child.

Foster care kids should not be stigmatized
Linda Weinerman, executive director of Denver's Office of the Child's Representative, is concerned that foster care children with a pattern of threatening behavior will be stigmatized if school districts are notified of their history. "This bill is too broad. It stigmatizes these kids. We want to normalize their lives, especially their education experience."

Bonnie Salzman of the Colorado Bar Association worries that the bill can include a foster child who throws a shoe at a sibling, or who shop lifts or commits some other minor offense that happens to many children. The foster child would be singled out while children with their families or in private medical or psychological services will likely get a pass.

Kim Dvorchak, chair of the Colorado Juvenile Defender Coalition, believes the bill will target poor and minority children. "The bill gives too much leeway for the Department of Human Services to ‘deem' a child a risk to the community," she testified to the House Education Committee. "Theoretically, even siblings who fight with each other may be covered by the bill."

Some troubled kids do bad things
The problem from a school district's perspective is that very troubled children may be placed in their school, and because the school does not know the child's history, it may not be prepared for the child's behavior or the services the child will need. Rural schools are particularly vulnerable.

George Voorhis, superintendent of the Montrose School District, described a tragic event from 2009 when a child placed in foster care attacked and slit the throat of a student in their high school. The foster child's history had not been presented to the school district. The boy was assigned to Montrose's alternative school, but walked over to the high school and committed his violent act.

The boy is now in the justice system, and the victim is recovered. But because the school was not informed of the boy's history, it was unprepared for his behavior. According to Voorhis, the boy's cousin, who was in a similarly dysfunctional biological family situation, has been managed very differently.

Bill supports collaboration between HHS and schools
The bill asks that HHS work with school districts to develop a "transitional plan" to help foster children with a pattern of threatening behavior. Bruce Caughey of the Colorado Association of School Executives believes that this is a common sense approach to a complicated problem. He stated that the bill is about "good judgment" by professionals who are supposed to "support all children."

Kathy Shannon of the Colorado Association of School Boards stated that collaboration between the Department of Human Services and school districts is critical to helping these foster kids. "Schools can't deny kids admission. The bill requires a notification and transition plan so schools and HHS can work better together."

Not all kids who threaten violence covered
The bill only applies to children in HHS children in foster care. It does not apply to children who have violent behavior and live with their parents or who are in private treatment programs.

Kippi Clausen of the Colorado Foster Care program cites the challenges for the 12,000 children in Colorado's foster care system. "We need to figure out how these kids will have a placement plan into schools. "

State budget compounds problems

Given the state's current budget problems, even if these foster kids have a transition plan to get them into school, they may not receive the support they need to succeed.  If schools don't have alternative facilities and placements, and many rural districts don't, foster care kids are left without good options.

Tom Turrell, superintendent of the Byers school district in rural Colorado, says that he welcomes all kids from foster homes. "But we have a need to know about children with a history of violence. Our number one job is to protect students. Educators must have all the knowledge they need to ensure school safety." The bill was laid over for amendments, and if it passes, HB10-1274 will move to the House Health and Human Services Committee. PEN, CCW

 

 

This post was published on March 8, 2010. Permalink »