Stability and School
Children lose some stability when they enter into foster placement. And in the midst of getting used to a new home and new family, they shouldn’t have to get used to a new school, new teachers, and new classmates. Fortunately, there are protections in place to help ensure children put in foster placement don’t necessarily need to change schools. Children who can stay at their school of origin while in foster placement can benefit significantly from that small part of stability they do retain.
Under New Jersey’s Education Stability Law, children can remain in their current school when they are placed in foster care if it is in their best interests. When determining whether it is in the child’s best interests to remain at his or her current school, several factors will be considered, such as:
- Safety considerations
- The distance between the current school and the foster family
- The child’s age and grade level
- The child’s needs and preference for school
- How the child is doing at the current school
- The child’s level of involvement at current school
- Whether the child has special education needs
- Point in the school year when the child is placed in foster care
- How long the child is expected to be in foster care
While caseworkers try to make a decision that is truly in the child’s best interests, sometimes those decisions are uninformed. If your child is going to be moved to a different school district, you can ask the court to reconsider the decision.
If you are at this point or are concerned about your child’s education while in foster care, talk to an attorney about your case. If you disagree with the decision to move your child to a different school, you will need an experienced New Jersey child welfare attorney to help you request a reconsideration. When your child’s stability and comfort is at stake, it is important you provide the court and caseworkers with information that can help them make a better decision. A knowledgeable child welfare attorney can help you argue your case and provide the information needed to ensure the decision is in your child’s best interests.
Having a child in foster placement is difficult, but the knowledgeable attorneys at the Williams Law Group, LLC have the experience needed to defend your rights as a parent and protect your child’s best interests. Located in Union, New Jersey, Williams Law Group, LLC provides compassionate and dedicated legal services to Union, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Monmouth, and Middlesex counties, and the surrounding areas. Our knowledgeable attorneys handle divorce and family law, child custody, and child abuse/neglect cases. Call our office at (908) 810-1083, email us at info@awilliamslawgroup.com, or contact us through our confidential online form to schedule a consultation and ultimately get you connected with an experienced New Jersey divorce and child custody attorney.
