Foster Youth Legislation | Foster & Homeless Youth Education Services

Foster Youth Education Rights (AB 490/Ab193), (E.C. 48853)

AB490 (effective January 1, 2004) and AB1933 (amended E.C. 48853.5 in 2010) imposed new duties and rights related to the education of California’s foster youth population.  The law ensures foster youth have access to the same academic resources, services, extracurricular and enrichment activities available to all students.  The law promotes school stability, timely transfer of records and protection for grades and credits.

For more information, please see:

California Foster Youth Education Law Fact Sheet
AB 490 Summary

District Graduation Requirement Waiver for Foster Youth (AB 167/216), (E.C. 51225.3) 

AB167/AB216 is a law (enacted in 2010 and updated in 2013) that MAY allow eligible foster youth to be exempt from having to meet additional district graduation requirements and instead, can earn a diploma by meeting California state minimum graduation requirements.

Graduation Waiver Template    |    Graduation Waiver Flowchart

Suspension and Expulsion Notifications (AB 1909), (E.C. 48853.5, 48911, 48915.5, 48918.1) 

AB1909 is a law that requires districts to notify the appropriate representative of the county child welfare agency, the child’s attorney, and the child’s education rights holder of pending expulsion proceedings. Follow the flowchart for the correct procedure to suspend or expel a foster youth:

Fresno County AB1909 Notification Flowchart

Advocacy

There are many local and statewide resources available to help provide advocacy and support to foster youth.

California Youth Connection
Foster Ed Connect
National Law Center for Children and Families
Youth Law Center
Foster Care State Ombudsman
New Foster Care Transition Toolkit