Senate Bill 291 (2009) created sections 167.018 and 167.019, RSMo, otherwise known as the “Foster Care Education Bill of Rights”. These laws require public school districts and child placing agencies to ensure foster children don’t fall through the cracks when it comes to receiving an education. Section 168.018, RSMo, requires each school district to designate a staff member as “the educational liaison” for children in foster care. The Carthage R-9 School District has designated the Director of Special Services to Act in this advisory capacity. The identified educational liaison is required to:

1. Ensure and facilitate the proper educational placement, enrollment in school and checkout from school of foster children;
2. Assist foster care students when transferring from one school or district to another, by ensuring proper transfer of credits, records and grades;
3. Request school records of a foster care student pursuant to section 167.022, within two (2) business days of a foster care student’s placement in a school, and
4. Submit school records of foster care students within three (3) business days of receiving a request for a foster care student’s records.