All too often adoptive and foster parents find they must train others to be more responsive to the needs of adopted children, children cared by relatives, or children in care. Making sure your child’s teachers and educational environment are safe and welcoming places for our families is key.

The child is entitled to privacy regarding foster care status, as well as adoption history.  Neither status is shameful.  However, this information is obviously highly personal and the child should be in control of who knows what about this history.

Nonetheless, many parents believe it is important to contact the child’s teacher to disclose the fact that a child is in foster care or that the child is adopted.  The goal of these disclosures is to open the doors for communication, and to raise the teacher’s awareness of adoption-related issues.

Many teachers engage in “get-to-know-you” activities at the start of the school year.  Children in care and children who are adopted may not feel comfortable, or have access to information to facilitate participation in activities that call for disclosure of family history or ask for pictures.  These activities, as well as classroom assignments, can be altered to facilitate a more inclusive experience.

Today, with more openness and commitment to creating space for meaningful and healthy dialogue about adoption within families, the hope is that the same commitment is found in school systems with teachers and faculty members and ultimately, that children and young people who are experiencing adoption and foster care will feel supported and set up for success in the classroom.

It’s back to school but the education isn’t just about children learning; it is also about education for professionals, especially surrounding social-emotional learning, healthy identity development, and family structure. As parents expand the conversation about adoption at home, they can also utilize these tools to expand conversations with teachers and educational professionals.

Parents and teachers can prepare to create more adoption-friendly environments with these resources.

Adoption 101: An adoption awareness curriculum from the North American Council on Adoptable Children to help adoptive parent group leaders and others train child welfare, medical, legal, education, and mental health professionals, and others  to be more responsive to the needs of adopted children and to work more effectively with their families. https://njarch.org/wpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Adoption101.pdf

Adoption Basics for Educators: A brochure developed by the Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parent Association to provide educators with basic information about adoption-related issues and the effect these issues might have on students, as well as suggestions on how educators can assist and advocate for students who are adopted. http://www.ifapa.org/pdf_docs/AdoptionBasicsforEducators.pdf .

Adoption and School Issues: A Child Welfare Information Gateway Family Factsheet that addresses how adoption affects children of different ages, examines educational problems common to adopted children and suggests way to help parents and teachers to work together.  AdoptionandSchoolIssues.pdf

Adoption and the Schools: Resources for Parents and Teachers: A Families Adopting In Response resource manual written to help parents and teachers increase adoption awareness and sensitivity in the school community. Contributors include experienced parents, professionals, and the students themselves. $30.00 a copy plus $5.00 handling and shipping.  http://www.fairfamilies.org/2012/component/content/article/78-maincontent/81-adoption-and-the-schools

Back to School Guide for Special Needs Families: From One Place for Special Needs, articles for parents, teacher resources, visual supports and more specific to students with disabilities. http://www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com/main/library_back_to_school.html

Communication Tip Sheet: Tips to make home and school communication go smoother developed by Parent to Parent of NYS.  home_school_communication ptopnys 2011

NYS Special Education Parent Centers: Regional centers providing parents of children with information regarding the special education process (referrals, individual evaluations, individualized program development, and transition planning) and resources to promote meaningful involvement in their child’s education programs. Explore other NYS Department of Education resources, including complete NYS special education regulations at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/aboutus.html.

NYS School Bus Transporters – PJ’s Law: As of July 1, 2009, NYS School Bus transporters are mandated under PJ’s Law to train staff in disability awareness. The State Education Dept has provided this training curriculum for School Bus Driver Instructors (SBDIs).  http://www.safetyrules.net/files/PJ_s_Law_notes_pages.pdf

Parent Advocacy for Children with Special Needs: A collection of excellent articles from comeunity.com to help you navigate the education system and advocate more effectively with your child’s teacher. http://www.comeunitynow.org/

Ready to Succeed in the Classroom:  Findings from teacher discussion groups on their experiences and aspirations teaching students in the foster cares system.  Includes strategies for welcoming a new student known to be in the foster care system; quick assessments to gauge a student’s level and progress; strategies for engaging families and caregivers of foster children and youth; and general advice for other teachers who have foster children in their classrooms.  http://affcny.org/wp-content/uploads/RTSTeacherVoices.pdf

Special Education in Plain Language: created and provided by the Special Education Task Force of NYS.  https://www.nyspecialedtaskforce.org/publications.html

Talking with Teachers: Suggestions from Heart of the Matter for arranging and conducting a private conference with your child’s new teacher at the beginning of the school year. http://www.heartofthematterseminars.com/images/stories/pdf_files/talking_with_teachers.pdf

Working with Schools: An online course available from Foster Parent College that examines problems frequently encountered when working with a child’s school and offers simple, positive guidance to foster parents on developing a working relationship with schools.  Cost is $10.00 per person for 2 hour course, handouts included.   http://www.fosterparentcollege.com/

More Information and Resources: