The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), enacted federally in 2015, highlights the need to provide education stability for children who are in transition. Whether a child is homeless, living with someone other than a parent or legal guardian, or in a foster care situation, ESSA provides resources to assist. There are two Federal Acts to ensure the educational stability for children who are in transition, whether their situation is a result of insecure housing or due to being placed in a foster care situation.

Educational stability requirements for students who have insecure housing are outlined under Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42USC11431 et seq.). Educational stability requirements for students in foster care are outlined in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, also referred to as the Fostering Connection Act and updated in the Every Student Succeeds Act.  These Acts were enacted to address the numerous barriers children in transition face in obtaining a free, appropriate public education.

* The Homeless Education program is authorized under Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42USC11431 et seq.). The McKinney-Vento Act was enacted to address the numerous barriers homeless children face in obtaining a free, appropriate public education. The program was originally authorized in 1987 and amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015.

** The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), S. 1177, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), has provisions to help children in foster care by: (1) Allowing children and youth in foster care to remain in the same school even when they are placed in foster care or moved in foster care; (2) Requiring schools to immediately enroll children after a move; (3) Requiring a plan for school transportation for youth in care when a child attends a school away from their current foster home; and (4) Tracking achievement data for youth in care.