A ride doesn’t sound like a big deal until you don’t have one. For foster youth, transportation services can decide everything. It decides if they stay at the same school, if they make it to a doctor visit, a therapy session, a job interview, or a college class.
Every state runs some version of a transportation assistance program, and transportation resources exist in every county. These benefit foster youth who oftentimes depend on public transport, especially after emancipation or exiting care.
Foster youth have extra rights on top of those general programs, and most do not know they exist.
Federal transportation programs that help foster youth
Four federal programs do most of the heavy lifting, and they apply in all fifty states.
1. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
This law protects a foster youth’s right to stay at the same school.
The state educational agency and the state child welfare agency have to work together to make that happen. School districts (sometimes referred to as “local educational agencies”) get Title I, Part A funds, which are funds for school districts with more children from low-income families. Those districts, or local educational agencies, must also team up with the child’s agency to develop written procedures governing how the student gets to the school of origin (the school a child attended before entering foster care or before a placement change).
Federal guidance from the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services says those procedures must spell out how rides to maintain children in foster care in their schools of origin will be provided, arranged, and paid for. The Department of Education also answers common questions about the rules.
Those procedures have to promise two things. First, a student in foster care needing transportation gets it quickly and in a cost-effective manner, in line with the state’s ability to use Title IV-E funds. Second, when there are additional costs incurred, meaning the ride costs more than a normal bus route, the district is still responsible for providing transportation. Allocating responsibility for the ride is a shared job: those additional costs are covered when the local child welfare agency agrees to reimburse the district, when the district agrees to pay, or when the child welfare agency and the district agree to split it.
ESSA helps for as long as their foster care case is open, which means they can attend their school of origin until they exit the system. When the case closes, the federal right ends, though some states go further. And it can still apply when staying in the same school is in the student’s best interest (which it very often is!) If the team decides a different school is better, the student enrolls there right away instead.
FIND YOUR STATE FOSTER CARE POINT OF CONTACT
If a student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and a ride is a needed related service, special education rules apply on top of ESSA. In that case, the district is responsible for providing transportation as written in the plan, even when the school of origin rules would not require it.
2. Title IV-E funding
States can use Title IV-E foster care dollars to pay or reimburse school transportation costs. This is what lets child welfare agencies split the bill with school districts instead of leaving districts to absorb it.
It covers the everyday costs of caring for a child in the system, and since 2008 that list has included reasonable travel so a child can stay at the school they were in when they were placed. This means a ride to the school of origin counts as a normal foster care cost, not an extra favor. States can use Title I V-E dollars to pay for that travel or to pay a school district back for it, and the federal government picks up part of the tab.
It can also cover mileage or gas money for a foster parent or kinship caregiver doing the driving.
FIND YOUR STATE CHILD WELFARE AGENCY TO ASK ABOUT TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT
3. Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT)
NEMT is a required Medicaid benefit for enrollees who have no other way to get to appointments.
Most foster youth have Medicaid, so this covers therapy, dental, vision, and specialist health visits. Many states also let a foster parent, kinship caregiver, or relative enroll as the paid driver. Rules vary by state.
FIND YOUR STATE CHILD WELFARE AGENCY TO ASK ABOUT TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT
4. Federal Transit Administration Section 5310
These federal funds support transportation options for older adults and people with disabilities. The Section 5310 program pays for vehicles, mobility management, and rides delivered by public agencies and nonprofits, which is how many rural paratransit routes stay running.
SEE HOW SECTION 5310 WORKS AND WHO RUNS IT IN YOUR STATE
What do state transportation assistance programs look like?
States can build on federal assistance to strengthen the support for foster youth.
California. Foster youth have the right to remain in their school of origin, and the district must work with the youth, the education rights holder, the caregiver, and the social worker to plan the ride. Caregivers can apply for education travel reimbursement for one-way trips.
Colorado. Counties providing school of origin transportation can bill the state and get 80 percent of the transportation cost reimbursed. The state also passed a Foster Children Driver License Act that simplifies licensing for youth in care.
Florida. Keys to Independence serves youth ages 15 to 21 in out-of-home care. It reimburses driver education, license fees, and auto insurance.
Louisiana. School systems and the child welfare agency build cost-effective transportation plans together, and the rules cover preschool-age foster youth too.
Massachusetts. The state tracks ESSA transportation costs by quarter so districts can claim Title IV-E reimbursement.
Pennsylvania. Find My Ride is a single portal offering low cost or free rides for seniors, people with disabilities, and Medicaid recipients. Public transportation reaches all 67 counties.
Texas. The Workforce Commission runs a Driver Education Funding Program that covers required driver education for eligible foster youth. Youth in a paid foster care placement can also get driver license fees waived.
Washington. The Driver’s Assistance Program funds state ID cards, driver education, permits, licenses, and liability insurance for youth ages 15 to 21 in foster care or under tribal court jurisdiction.
If your state is not listed, start with the state child welfare agency website and the state department of education foster care page. Both are required to have a point of contact.
You can always go to your child’s social worker or local Social Security office. They can either enter your child on your behalf or guide you to getting access to these resources.
Who qualifies for general transportation assistance
Foster youth also qualify for the same community programs everyone else uses, and caregivers should stack them.
- These programs are funded by government agencies, nonprofits, and charities, so the mix looks different in every county.
- Eligibility for transportation programs often depends on income and trip purpose. A medical trip may be covered when a social trip is not.
- Eligibility for transportation assistance usually includes low income or disability, and sometimes age.
- Senior transportation programs assist older adults with daily travel needs, which matters for kinship caregivers raising grandchildren.
- Low-income transportation assistance includes fare assistance and ride vouchers, such as bus passes and gas cards.
- Community and volunteer driver programs coordinate transport through local agencies, senior centers, and faith groups.
How do you apply for transportation assistance?
- Start with the case manager or social worker. They can request school of origin transportation and refer youth to driver license programs.
- Ask the district foster care point of contact. Every school district has one. Ask to see the written procedures.
- Call the local child welfare agency about mileage reimbursement, bus passes, and gas cards.
- Contact the state Medicaid office for medical rides, usually a few days ahead.
- Check the local transit agency website for reduced fare, paratransit, and youth pass programs.
Keep the basics ready: the youth’s name and date of birth, the case number, the Medicaid ID, the placement address, the school of origin address, and any IEP paperwork.
Why does transportation matter so much for foster youth?
When a child enters foster care, the new placement is often in a different neighborhood or a different county. Without a ride, the child changes schools. School changes are costly. Students can lose four to six months of academic and emotional growth with every school move.
Transportation is not a nice extra. It is educational stability. It is the difference between a student who keeps their teachers, their friends, their team, and their credits, and a student who starts over again.
Frequently asked questions
What is a school of origin? It is the school a child attended before entering foster care, or before moving to a new placement. Staying there protects a student’s classes, credits, teachers, and friendships.
How long does school of origin transportation last? For the duration of the time in foster care. The entitlement lasts as long as the case is open.
Who pays for it? The school district, the child welfare agency, or both, depending on the written procedures they developed together.
What are the written procedures? Federal law tells school districts and child welfare agencies to develop written procedures governing how they will maintain children in foster care in their school of origin, including who pays. Caregivers can ask the district for a copy.
Do foster youth get free public transportation? Not automatically. Many transit agencies offer reduced fare or free youth passes, and child welfare agencies can supply passes and vouchers.
Can a foster parent get paid to drive? Often yes, through Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation and through state education travel reimbursement.
What if the student is in special education? When an IEP lists transportation as a related service, the district has to provide it as part of the plan. Special education rules and ESSA rules can both apply to the same student.
Foster Love is here for the gap
These laws and programs help, but they don’t cover everything. Foster Love steps in where the additional costs take away possibilities, because no child should miss school, a job, or a doctor visit because nobody could give them a ride. Learn how Foster Love can help you or your foster child today.