Administrative Letters

Washington County School District Policy Approved and Sanctioned by the Board of Education.

A134 - Enrollment Protocol for Foster Care Children - Checklist

MAIL SAVE PRINT

 Updated December 2, 2021 by Michael K. Carr, MS

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT PROTOCOL FOR FOSTER CARE CHILDREN - CHECKLIST

Division of Child & Family Service (DCFS) Caseworker:

1. Contact the school principal and/or school counselor and set up a staffing meeting at the school.
2. Contact the foster care parent and invite them to the school staffing meeting.
3. Provide the *Elementary School Excel Mentor with the “Required Intake Information” document and bring an additional copy  to the school staffing meeting for the principal’s records.
4. Attend the school staffing meeting and provide the child’s birth certificate, immunization records, and any other important background, educational, or medical information that will help in making decisions for appropriate teacher and school program placements.
5. Invite school personnel to participate with DCFS in ongoing child & family team meetings (CFTMs) by providing school progress reports and other helpful input to the caseworker.

Foster Care Parent:

1. Complete “School Enrollment” letter and plan on attending a school staffing meeting with the DCFS caseworker, the school principal and/or the school counselor and other school support staff personnel to organize appropriate school programs and teacher placement.
2. Fill out the school paperwork for student registration and the free school lunch program.
3. Note that under Utah code (R277-709) Education Programs Servicing Youth in Custody (your foster care child), shall be admitted to classes within 5 days following arrival at a new residential placement. If evaluation and student education plan development are delayed beyond that period, the student shall be enrolled temporarily based upon the best information possible.
4. Consider contacting the *Elementary School Mentor and coordinating your efforts and resources with him/her. He/She is employed by the school district to support elementary age foster care children.

School Personnel:

1. The school secretaries will notify the school principal and/or the school counselor as soon as possible before registering and enrolling a foster care child so that the proper protocol can be followed and preparations made.
2. The school principal or school counselor will work with the DCFS caseworker and the foster parent to set up and hold a school staffing meeting. The meeting will include other school personnel as needed. Collect and file the “Required Intake Information” form from the DCFS caseworker.     DO NOT FILE IN STUDENT’S CUMULATIVE FOLDER. This form should be filed in a separate confidential file in the principal’s office.
3. Contact the *Elementary School Excel Mentor to provide him/her with the student’s name and school information. Make sure he/she, or someone from the school turns in the Required Intake Information form to Millcreek High School so the mentor can enter it in the YIC database. If necessary, invite the *Elementary School Excel Mentor to attend the school staffing meeting.
4. The school principal, school counselor, and any other support staff (i.e. Special Education teacher) will attend school staffing meeting to plan for the success of the foster care student.
5. Register the foster care student and assign them to the appropriate teacher and school programs.
6. Request records from the previous school the foster child attended.
7. The school principal or school counselor will meet with the assigned teacher(s) and give relevant information and make further plans for student success.
8. *The Elementary School Excel Mentor will work with the school personnel to monitor the progress of the foster care student.
9. Designated school personnel will cooperate with DCFS in on-going child & family teaming process for the foster care student by providing school progress reports to caseworkers and/or attending the CFTMs. Also, provide the caseworker with the student ID # and school access # for Power School.

*Please contact Millcreek High School at (435) 628-2462 for the name and email address of the current WCSD Elementary School Excel Mentor.

Dated April 20, 2017; updated December 2, 2021 by Michael K. Carr, MS, WCSD 435-986-5167 or mike.carr@washk12.org