How well do Jefferson County schools serve foster care children?

The short answer to this question is very poorly.

Hear exactly how poorly from Jackie Stamps, the Regional Director for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department of Community Based Services.



Some of the things Ms. Stamps mentions are a depressingly low high school graduation rate for Jefferson County foster care children of only 26 percent and the fact that among those children who became too old to remain in foster care in 2008, 21 percent were already in jail.

Ms. Stamps also indicates that part of the problem is that foster care children in Louisville move frequently, and this disrupts their schooling.

I would add that point that if Jefferson County had a charter school option, it might help with this problem for foster care children and many other disadvantaged students, as well.