Every foster youth under age 18 must have an education rights holder, who is required to make educated decisions in the youth’s best interest. Foster youth who are 18 or older have the right to make their own educated decisions. Your education rights holder maybe your parent or legal guardian, your caregiver, or another person chosen by the court. Your education rights holder cannot be your social worker or probation officer, your attorney, or group home or school staff members. It is important to know who your education rights holder is. If you need information about who your education rights holder is, you can contact your social worker or attorney.
If you believe your education rights have been violated, you can file a complaint. The school has 60 days to investigate and give you a written response. For information about how to file a complaint, please visit the California Department of Education's Uniform Complaint Procedures, or call the California Department of Education Integrated Student Support and Program Office at 916-319-0836.
For more information about your education rights, please see the Foster Youth Education Toolkit or the California Youth Education Task Force. You also can contact your school district’s Foster Youth Educational Liaison or your county’s Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program (FYSC) from the Foster Youth Services page.
Foster Youth Education Rights (English)(PDF)
Foster Youth Education Rights (Spanish)(DOC)