Foster Care

From the Oregon Department of Education website:

Foster Care 
“Foster Care” means substitute care for children placed by the Department of Human Services or a tribal child welfare agency away from their parents and for whom the department or agency has placement and care responsibility, including placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, child care institutions and pre-adoptive homes.

Every Student Succeeds Act
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaces No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and affords states greater flexibility. The new law extends the promise of an excellent, well-rounded education to every student, regardless of race, family income, home language, or disability. ESSA encourages schools and educators to innovate and create systems that address local needs. As a part of this work, the Oregon Department of Education remains committed to designing a State Plan that reflects the state’s education priorities.

Graduation Requirements and College Preparation
ORS 329.451 has been amended by the State Legislature in 2017 in such a way to allow students who have been in foster care, at some point during grades 9 to 12, to earn a high school diploma by meeting the high school diploma standards established by the State Legislature. In order to do this, the local school district must grant a waiver of diploma requirements established by the LEA board of education. In this situation, the definition of foster care student would include those students in DHS Child Welfare custody as well as those foster students placed in Development Disability foster home. These changes take place on 7/1/17.

State Resources 

ODE Foster Care Link