Skip To Main Content
Oakland Unified School District

Transitional Student & Family Services

Foster Youth Services

Foster Youth Services (FYS) seek to address the unique educational needs of youth in foster care systems.  Many youth in foster care experience multiple changes in home placements as they are placed with foster parent(s), guardian homes (kinship/relative or non-relative) and group homes.  Because of the complexities of their experience, many foster youth perform below grade level, are held back in school,  and have lower graduation rates than their peers.  Foster Youth Services supports and advocates for the academic success of foster youth in collaboration with District offices, schools, care providers, child welfare, community-based agencies, and youth. 

FYS ensures equitable access to education for foster youth by removing barriers to education in accordance with CA law (AB 490), such as: 

  • School Stability – The right to remain in their original school when they enter foster care or move (if in their best interests);
  • Immediate Enrollment – The right to be immediately enrolled in a new school (even without health/education records);
  • Partial Credit – The right to receive partial or full credit for work completed at other schools (all students have this right);
  • Fairness – The right to not be punished for court-related absences.

Notice of Foster Youth Rights

Contact Us

Jennifer Tam

Email Me

Shelter in place contact

(510) 394-4514

Out of service at the time

Office: (510) 273-1659

McKinney-Vento Program

The McKinney-Vento Program provides supplemental educational services and social support to youth and families who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This means students sharing housing with one or more families due to eviction or economic hardship, living in emergency or transitional shelters, staying in hotels/motels, trailer parks/camp grounds, or somewhere that is not designed for sleeping (i.e. a garage, an attic, a car, a park or an abandoned building).  This can also include unaccompanied youth (students not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian).

The services provided by our program include enrollment assistance, school supplies, backpacks, advocacy, and assistance with transportation.

McKinney-Vento Housing resources

2022-2023 Referral Form to McKinney-Vento

Donations

MKV Housing Resource Guide

Opportunities to Help

OUSD Directory of Community Based Resources for Students and Families

McKinney-Vento Logo

Contact Us

Trish Anderson

Program Manager

(510) 879-5036
(510) 273-1682

Email Me

Unhoused Youth Case Managers

Tambra Duren

(510) 879-4660

Email Me

Terrie Odabi

(510) 879-4659

Email Me

Margy Salguera

Bilingual 

(510) 879-5095

Email Me

Worker of the Week

(510) 273-1553