Because I think that foster kids have specialized needs, there should be special programs in school for them.  Dealing with foster children can be difficult because they come with more baggage than they can handle being children. Our school district does not seem to have what is needed to deal with foster children. They (school districts) probably try to work with the foster children who are called special needs children, but all of the foster children tend to have special needs.  Maybe we could have special needs programs and foster children programs; there must be something else that the schools can offer foster children. 

                                      Reginald

Individual instruction would be the best if it were possible. Maybe they (foster children) can get more of this type of instruction in therapeutic schools, schools geared toward children with special behavioral or emotional needs.  This would be perfect because although not every foster child is labeled special needs, foster children do have special needs.

They may not fall into the learning disabilities, or certain categories, but their needs are just as important.  So whether in therapeutic schools or public schools, I do believe that the needs of foster children must be addressed.                                                                        

S. Carr

"My grandson was in Dr. Jackson's other school (The Potter's House Learning Center).  He was really having trouble in his regular school. He was not a special ed kid, but that's what he needed. Once he was in school at the Potter's House, he liked it, mainly, because he always had fun. Those teachers at the Potter's House made learning fun, and my grandson Bobby, said that the teachers won't let the other students talk about him. I enjoyed the school because it was designed to help troubled students fit in. I thank God for Dr. Jackson, and I'm glad she has another school for these kids."

                                                                                         Bobby's Grandmother

I have served as a foster parent for 23 children over the past many years. One common hurdle that they all experienced was in the area of education. My husband and I quickly learned that our foster children had very different needs than most other children. All of them had switched schools at least once, and as a result of their tumultuous home lives, none of them had very strong educational backgrounds.

The local public school wasn't always able to address my foster children's specific challenges. It seems that little was done at school to ensure that my children caught up to their classmates. Heartbreakingly clear, was that our foster children did not get the same opportunities or attention that our biological children received in school.

Forty percent of foster children experience four or more placements while in care. Changing homes often means changing schools, and this leads to setbacks in the learning process.  We should give these children the opportunity to stay in a school if it is fulfilling their needs. We should also allow families to choose the school that is best equipped to serve their foster child.

Rep. Michelle Bachmann (2008)