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In Kansas, foster youth face frequent disruptions in their education due to challenges with school enrollment, long commutes, and frequent placement changes. These obstacles often cause missed classes, social struggles, and emotional stress. According to Education to the Top, while child welfare agencies and schools work to keep students in the same school when possible, delays in paperwork and district policies create barriers.

Frequent moves, averaging nearly eight every 1,000 days in care, force students to change schools, sometimes across counties. This can lead to long daily commutes, exhaustion, and missed learning. Special education students are particularly affected, often waiting weeks for required services in new districts. One child spent more than two and a half hours traveling to their original school, eventually refusing to attend due to frustration.

Federal law protects foster students’ right to immediate enrollment, but in Kansas, record transfers and inconsistent district policies continue to cause delays. Proposed legislation to streamline enrollment stalled in 2025 but may advance in 2026. Advocates stress the need for stronger coordination among schools, foster agencies, and social workers to ensure foster youth can attend school without interruption and receive consistent academic and emotional support.