What do school social workers do?

School Social Work represents a specialized domain within the social work profession that addresses issues impacting students' learning and academic achievements.

In Virginia, School Social Workers receive licensure from the Virginia Department of Education, necessitating a Master's degree comprising over 60 credit hours of coursework and supervised fieldwork in both social work and education.

You can reach out to a School Social Worker when you:

• Hold concerns about a child displaying emotional or behavioral challenges, reluctance or refusal to attend school, or facing personal or family difficulties that could benefit from support and intervention.

• Seek information about community resources available to students and families.

• Require assistance with fostering communication and parental involvement with the school.

• Have inquiries about homelessness, foster care, child abuse and neglect, residency, parental custody, and guardianship.

• Need guidance on how to initiate the process of finding help.

Services offered by School Social Workers encompass assessments, counseling, consultation, and facilitating connections with school and community resources.

What does a foster care liaison do?

The designated school division contact plays a crucial role in promoting educational stability for students in foster care. This involves supporting local policies and best practices, participating in relevant training, and ensuring compliance with enrollment and stability procedures. Acting as a resource for school staff, parents, foster parents, and other providers, they facilitate a cooperative process for enrollment and communication with Department of Social Services case workers and foster care liaisons. They ensure the timely exchange of educational information when a school placement is needed and represent the school division in the Best Interest Determination (BID) process. Additionally, they assist in arranging transportation for students to remain in their school of origin and provide training to staff on the importance of educational stability. Advocating for immediate enrollment in receiving schools when in the youth's best interest, they also support the dispute resolution process and offer feedback on the effectiveness of educational stability policies and procedures for students in foster care.

What does a McKinney-Vento homeless liaison do?

The McKinney-Vento Act ensures that homeless children and youths are given proper attention and support within the educational system. School personnel actively engage in outreach and coordination activities with various agencies to identify homeless students. They are then enrolled in the school of the Local Education Agency (LEA) and provided with equal opportunities for success. Homeless families and children receive access to eligible educational services, including those from Head Start programs, early intervention services, and other preschool programs administered by the LEA. Referrals are made to essential services such as health, dental, mental health, and substance abuse support. Parents or guardians are informed about available educational opportunities for their children and are encouraged to participate in their education. Public notice of homeless students' educational rights is distributed in easily accessible locations for parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youths. Enrollment disputes are mediated as per McKinney-Vento Act requirements. Adequate transportation services, including to and from the school of origin, are made available and explained to parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youths. School personnel receive professional development and support. Unaccompanied youths are enrolled in school and informed of their status as independent students under the Higher Education Act of 1965, with assistance from the local liaison to verify this status.