ABSTRACT
Shelters and group homes are not intended as punitive placements but are a safe option for housing about 14% of the nearly half a million children in the United States (US) foster care system. There are about 150 shelters throughout the US dedicated to residential care for unaccompanied children, and all sheltered youth are prevented from leaving the facilities until they are reunited with a responsible family member or other adult sponsor. Detained youth tend to be the most highly transient among the court-involved population, so the educational challenges associated with records transfer in secure care are magnified in detention facilities. Administrators also report that there is little accountability for adhering to state or federal educational laws and that they face more variation in students' learning needs, fewer resources for meeting those needs, and more frequent interruptions for legal meetings or diagnostic testing than youth in long-term commitment facilities experience.
