Youth in foster care face added obstacles, including displacement, academic interruption and psychological trauma, that make it especially challenging to obtain adequate interventions and support services.
The public school system in Illinois provides comprehensive evaluations for children, yet these evaluations are not readily accessible or appropriate for many youth in foster care. Additionally, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has strict eligibility requirements for special education services across 14 disability areas, none of which are appropriate solely for trauma. Furthermore, existing practices within the public education system often mislabel student trauma responses as disciplinary concerns or require documented data showing need for support, which foster care youth might not have.
DASA plans to address this gap by providing foster care youth with comprehensive evaluations and advocacy to assist with obtaining services appropriate to their situation.
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