TOPEKA–A new federal grant will help the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services improve the policies and practices for educating children who are in the Kansas foster care network.

The $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will fund a 17-month collaborative initiative between SRS, the University of Kansas, and the Kansas State Department of Education. The purpose of this initiative is to develop a stable educational environment for youth in foster care. Its approach is to improve the sharing of information among the agencies involved in their lives, specifically SRS and the schools they attend. The goals are to reduce the number of times foster children have to change schools, and improve their graduation rates.

During the 2011 legislative session, lawmakers passed House Substitute for Senate Bill 23, which allows foster children to graduate from high school if they meet specific graduation requirements adopted by the State Board of Education. Often times, foster children in high school have trouble graduating on time because graduation requirements are different at each high school they have attended.

Foster children who leave state care at 18 are eligible for free tuition at state universities, community colleges and technical schools.