Changes in federal reporting requirements regarding foster care have necessitated a change in how the field is collected with the 2024–25 school year and beyond. While the definition has not changed, the WDE would like to take a moment to clarify the changes to reporting requirements and exactly what is considered foster care.
What has changed?
- Students in foster care, at any point in the year will be reported as foster care = Y for the whole year.
- Students can be reported as foster care = Y and Homeless = Y simultaneously, regardless of which came first.
- Students placed away from the home for 24 hours or more are considered to be in foster care.
WDE684 definition of the foster care field.
Is the student in foster care? This is a required element for all primary enrollments. Not required for concurrent enrollments, however, if not left blank, all values must match the primary enrollment regardless of whether the school or district has the primary enrollment. Valid values are:
- Y – Yes
- N – No
Report as of the time of submission. Consistent with the Fostering Connections Act, “foster care” means 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the child welfare agency has placement and care responsibility. This includes but is not limited to, placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, child care institutions, and pre-adoptive homes. A child is in foster care, per this definition, regardless of whether the foster care facility is licensed, payments are made by the state, Tribal, or local agency for the care of the child, whether adoption subsidy payments are being made before the finalization of an adoption, or whether there is Federal matching of any payments that are made. (45 C.F.R. § 1355.20(a)). For more information, visit the U.S. Government Publishing Office website.
What does this mean?
Consistent with the Fostering Connections Act, “foster care” means 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the child welfare agency has placement and care responsibility.
What types of facilities/placements are included?
This includes but is not limited to, placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, child care institutions, and pre-adoptive homes.
Does it make a difference who is paying for the placement?
A child is in foster care per this definition regardless of whether the foster care facility is licensed, payments are made by the State, Tribal, or local agency for the care of the child, whether adoption subsidy payments are being made before the finalization of an adoption, or whether there is Federal matching of any payments that are made. (45 C.F.R. § 1355.20(a)).
For more information contact April Strong, Data Collection and Reporting Supervisor at 307-777-8751 or april.strong@wyo.gov.