Education (Children)

SB 725 establishes the Foster Care and Education Council in North Carolina to improve educational outcomes for youth in foster care. The 27-member council, jointly led by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), includes representatives from child welfare agencies, foster care advocates, education stakeholders, and youth with lived experience. The council’s key duties include reviewing federal and state education laws, analyzing data on foster youth academic performance (including race/ethnicity breakdowns), and developing policy recommendations to address barriers like school instability, transportation access, and coordination gaps. It specifically aims to ensure foster youth can stay in their school of origin and resolve disputes over educational decisions without cost barriers. The bill does not create new funding but mandates coordination between existing state agencies to implement these recommendations.