Councilmember Joseph questions foster care student transportation to school

The city has a unique obligation for students in foster care who are under the city's care and custody and must do more to support their education, including ensuring that they get to school in the first place.

These are feasible options.

Has ACS worked with New York City Public Schools to identify and implement a solution that allows students to get to school as soon as they are placed in foster care or change foster care homes as utilizing ACS vehicles?

So, yes.

So in 2022, in October, November, we worked with New York City Public Schools, the foster care office and the transportation office, and we released a reimbursement plan and guidelines around transportation.

And it outlined that as soon as children come into care, the school should be notified and then providers will be reimbursed.

At the time, it was up to $200 a day if they had to cover the transportation because the providers are the foster parent.

And we've had that plan in place.

We made some revisions, I believe, last school year.

And then New York City Public Schools, after some additional conversations and hearing from the community, increased the $200 a day.

So that is a new facet to where in the positive we're revising the transition plan and also have kind of extended who could apply.

So it's children that are going to school in the city or out of the city.

And then I believe those that live out of the city that need to come into the city.

And then also they will reimburse providers if they use other entities that have, there's other types of car service, which wasn't part of the original plan.

So we're in the process of revising the current policy.

And so hopefully we'll have that online for the start of the next school year.

For children at the Children's Center, when you think about it, they are in ACS's custody.

So we are now the responsible for getting them to, and all of the children are in our custody, but like.

They're in our house, if you will.

Right.

So we are responsible.

We have an added interest to make sure they go to school.

So we use our ACS transportation, and our deputy commissioner of administration coordinates with the Children's Center team to make sure those cars are available, and they have a plan, and they get the children to school.

And the ones that are in agency service this fall, you will have a plan to make sure they get to and from school because they have the highest absenteeism rate entering into care.

So we're hoping that, and we'll reiterate with the foster care providers, we're hoping that with this revised policy, they're going to get reimbursed for more money per day.

they'll be able to use other services like Kids Car, that should increase the attendance and reduce the challenges that they've experienced.

Okay.

Thank you.