Foster Care Information

Students in Foster Care

When children can't live safely at home, and no appropriate non-custodial parent, relative, or close family friend is willing and able to care for them, the court can give temporary legal possession to the Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS). DFPS temporarily places these children in foster care. Foster care settings include:

• Foster family homes
• Foster family group homes
• Residential group care facilities
• Facilities overseen by another state agency

Foster care is meant to be temporary until a permanent living arrangement is found. However, it can become permanent, usually when a foster parent adopts or accepts permanent managing conservatorship of a child.

A student who is placed in the conservatorship of DFPS has the right to be enrolled immediately in school, without immunization or academic records, and a birth certificate.
 

School Choice for Enrollment

The student has two choices in deciding which school to attend once he/she is placed in conservatorship of DFPS:

• The school of origin (the school the student attended when he/she was placed in conservatorship of DFPS). 
• The school in the zone where the student is currently residing.

Transporation for Students in Foster Care

Students in conservatorship of DFPS are entitled to transportation to and from the school of origin, if it is feasible, in the student's best interest, and requested by the guardian. DFPS must provide the district with the ESSA Best Interest Determination Letter to request that the student remain at their school of origin and transportation services. 

If problems arise between the school and guardian or between districts, the guardian shall be referred to the LCISD foster care liaison. In the meantime, the student must be immediately enrolled or, if enrolled, remain in school and receive transportation pending the outcome of the dispute resolution process.

 ***NOTE*** The school district must enroll a child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) immediately in school regardless of documentation (Texas Family Code, Section 262) (g) A school district shall accept a child for enrollment in a public school without the documentation required by Subsection (a) if the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services has taken possession of the child under Chapter 262, Family Code. The Department of Protective and Regulatory Services shall ensure that the documentation required by Subsection (a) is furnished to the school district not later than the 30^th day after the date the child is enrolled in the school.