Nexuskids

Revamping Services Through the Eyes of the Child

USC School of Law

Children’s Law Office

SUMTER COUNTY PILOT:

SCHOOL SUCCESS FOR FOSTER KIDS 

AND 

COMPUTER BUDDIES™

FACT SHEET

March 1, 2001

ü      Foster children are highly likely to be one to two years behind 

in school.

ü      Foster children do not graduate from high school at the same rate as their peers.

ü      Abused and neglected children lose six months of emotional development each time they are moved in foster care.

ü      Foster children are on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Nexuskids has implemented a pilot program in Sumter County to encourage increased support for school achievement by DSS foster children.  In partnership with the South Carolina Department of Social Services and the Departments of Education and Juvenile Justice, Nexuskids has the following partners:

·         Sumter Department of Social Services

·         South Carolina Foster Parents Association and the Sumter Foster Parent Association

·         Sumter School Districts 2 and 17

·         Clemson Extension Services and its four-county Children, Youth an Families at Risk Initiative

·         Morris College

·         Sumter Jaycees

In Sumter, educators, social service professionals, and foster parents agree that there is not enough school information available on individual foster children, and are considering the following issues for resolution:  (1) Confidentiality barriers, (2) Awkwardness of enrolling a foster child in a school, (3) Timely transfer of school records, (4) Lack of common understanding of educational law and policy, and (5) Limited involvement of some foster parents in their children’s education.  In addition, Nexuskids with SCDSS is addressing the growing digital divide for foster children.  SCDSS is placing upgraded computers in Sumter foster homes for use by foster children.  Nexuskids will help to implement “Computer Buddies™,” a program which recruits and pairs technically trained mentors with foster children, in an effort to encourage their greater use of computers.  Both Computer Buddies™ and strategies for removing unnecessary barriers to academic achievement will be recommended for statewide replication, if the Sumter pilot proves to be successful.  For more information, or if you are willing to become a Computer Buddy, please call Nexuskids at (803) 576-5577 or contact our website at Nexuskids.org or “Computer Buddies™ at Help-Net.com.