A high school diploma enables students to pursue a higher education, which can lead to better job opportunities and higher wages. The Live Well San Diego Expanded Indicator - Less Than a High School Diploma - measures the percent of the population with less than a high school diploma or equivalent.  Expanded Indicator -  School Enrollment - measures the percent of combined gross enrollment of the school aged population.

School can be challenging enough for children coming from a stable environment. Children in or at-risk for placement in foster care face even greater obstacles to school success. Foster children and youth remain one of the most academically vulnerable populations struggling with lower grades, higher rates of suspension from school, and very low postsecondary school completion rates. Furthermore, studies show that former foster youth are more likely to drop out of school and very few earn their GED.

Educational stability is also especially critical for children and youth in foster care as research shows they are more likely to complete high school if they remain in the same school.

Although legislation has been enacted to protect foster children’s educational rights, continued collaboration and communication across youth-serving agencies is critical to improving educational outcomes and successful transition into healthy, safe and thriving adults.