Foster Care & Education: School of Origin Determination

Students in foster care often experience significant changes in their lives when they are involved in the child welfare system. To encourage school stability, under federal and state law, students in foster care are entitled to remain in their school of origin unless it is not in their best interest. The Children’s Commission Foster Care & Education Every Student Succeeds Act Workgroup developed a resource that provides explanation and guidance about how to identify the school of origin for students in foster care. The School of Origin Determination resource can be used by judges, attorneys, advocates, caregivers, educators, caseworkers, and other individuals serving students in foster care. For more detailed information, please review the Foster Care & Student Success Resource Guide Chapter 8: Introduction to the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Legal Representation Committee: Rights of Incarcerated Parents in CPS Cases

Even if parents have involvement with the criminal justice system, they are still entitled to participate in their child welfare case. Making sure that incarcerated parents are aware of and involved in their child welfare case is important for engaging parents, locating family and kin, identifying an appropriate service plan, and obtaining permanency. The Children’s Commission Legal Representation Committee developed a poster as a resource highlighting the rights of incarcerated parents in a CPS case. This resource identifies basic rights in child welfare legal proceedings and explains how parents can participate in the case and in their child’s life, subject to the rules of the institution where they are incarcerated. The poster is available for PDF download on the Children’s Commission website. To request posters for your jurisdiction, please contact the Children’s Commission at children@txcourts.gov.