HB4996 Summary

• School boards and charter school boards may appoint at least one licensed employee to serve as a liaison to facilitate enrollment and record transfers for students in legal custody of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

• Liaisons should be selected from employees with experience in foster care, enrollment processes, administration, counseling, child welfare policies, or school social work, with priority given to those meeting these criteria.

• Liaison responsibilities include streamlining foster care enrollment, tracking student data, ensuring access to meal programs, coordinating record transfers and credit recovery, and providing foster care training to school staff.

• Liaisons are encouraged to help students maintain school placements, monitor graduation progress, support transitions to post-secondary opportunities, and connect students with available district and community support services.

• School districts are encouraged to designate a liaison by the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, with liaison duties performed in addition to existing contractual obligations.