Creating a Pipeline of Educational Support for Foster Youth and Alumni: The Bexar County Pilot Project

Our April webinar will be held Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 1-2pm Pacific time (4-5pm Eastern Time). The presenters will be Megan Piel, Assistant Professor of Social Work and Airika Buford, LLMSW, Project Director of the Bexar County Fostering Educational Success Pilot, both at the University of Texas at San Antonio. This presentation is entitled Creating a Pipeline of Educational Support for Foster Youth and Alumni: The Bexar County Pilot Project. The Texas State Legislature recently funded a multi-tiered approach to improving educational outcomes for foster youth and alumni in Bexar County, Texas. The pilot project includes both 2- and 4- year postsecondary institutions to support foster alumni currently on our campuses, as well as critical partnerships with the children’s court, court-appointed special advocate (CASA) organization, K-12 independent school districts, and the state child welfare agency to develop a college-bound docket and enhanced educational advocacy for youth in foster care. This webinar highlights early successes of the pilot as well as important practice and policy implications for multisystemic collaborations and creating a broader scope of educational support for foster youth and alumni.