Girls across the country are being pushed out of schools as a result of discriminatory disciplinary policies and the continued failure of schools to identify and adequately address trauma. This is increasingly alarming for girls of color involved in the child welfare system as they are likely to experience frequent residential and school changes and face added layers of trauma and increased difficulty staying in school as a result. According to the National Women’s Law Center, Black girls are 22.9 percent of the girls in foster care but are the largest group, or 35.6 percent, of girls experiencing more than 10 residential placements.
The National Women’s Law Center provides an overview of the experiences of girls in foster care in their new report, Let Her Learn: Stopping School Pushout for Girls in Foster Care. The report is a part of a larger series addressing the educational barriers girls face and offering recommendations to address them.
Population of focus: Girls in foster care
Links to resource:
- Full report (pdf)
- Website with link to all reports in series
- Let Her Learn Toolkit (pdf)
Date: 2017
Organizaton: National Women’s Law Center