Law & Guidance

Requirements under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) established protections for children in foster care. Discover more about ESSA and related federal & state guidance.

Federal Law

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015

Signed into law December 2015, the ESSA is the federal legislation that governs elementary and secondary education in the United States. ESSA reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965

The primary source of federal aid for elementary and secondary education is the ESEA—particularly its Title I-A program, which authorizes federal aid for the education of disadvantaged students.

Federal & State Guidance

Dear Colleague Letter. US Department of Education – Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.-a).
ESSA: Ensuring educational stability for children and youth in foster care in North Carolina. NC Division of Social Services and NC Department of Public Instruction Joint Guidance. (n.d.).
Foster care provisions. North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (n.d.).
Guiding principles for creating safe, inclusive, supportive, and fair school climates. US Department of Education. (2023, March).
Interagency collaboration between child welfare and educational agencies to support the academic success of children and youth in Foster Care. The Administration for Children and Families. (n.d.).
Non-regulatory guidance: Ensuring educational stability for children in foster care. US Department of Education – Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.-b).
Students in foster care. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2023, November 28).
Students in foster care. US Department of Education (ED). (2023, May 5).
Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Categorical eligibility of foster children. Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2013, April)