(1) To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, the council, with input from the office of the superintendent of public instruction; the department of children, youth, and families; the department of commerce office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs; and the department of social and health services, shall contract with at least one nongovernmental entity to develop, implement, and administer a program of supplemental educational transition planning for youth in foster care and unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness in Washington state.
(2) The nongovernmental entity or entities chosen by the council shall have demonstrated success in working with foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth and assisting foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth in successfully making the transition from high school to a postsecondary plan, including postsecondary enrollment, career, or service.
(3) The selected nongovernmental entity or entities shall provide supplemental educational transition planning to foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth in Washington state. Youth eligible for referral are not currently served by programs under RCW
28A.300.592, dependent pursuant to chapter
13.34 RCW, age thirteen through twenty-one, and remain eligible for continuing service following fulfillment of the permanent plan and through initiation of a postsecondary plan. After high school completion, services are concluded within a time period specified in the contract to pursue engagement of continuing postsecondary support services provided by local education agencies, postsecondary education, community-based programs, or the passport to careers program. The nongovernmental entity or entities must facilitate the educational progress, graduation, and postsecondary plan initiation of eligible youth. The contract must be outcome driven with a stated goal of improving the graduation rates and postsecondary plan initiation of eligible youth by two percent per year over five school year periods starting with the 2016-17 school year and ending with the 2021-22 school year. With each new contract, a baseline must be established at the end of the first year of service provision.
(4) The supplemental transition planning shall include:
(a) Consultation with schools and the department of social and health services' caseworkers to develop educational plans for and with participating youth;
(b) Age-specific developmental and logistical tasks to be accomplished for high school and postsecondary success;
(c) Facilitating youth participation with appropriate school and local resources that may assist in educational access and success;
(d) Coordinating youth, caregivers, schools, and social workers to support youth progress in the educational system; and
(e) Establishing postsecondary plan initiation in coordination with the passport to careers program.
(5) The selected nongovernmental entity or entities may be colocated in the offices of the department of social and health services to provide timely consultation. These entities must have access to all paper and electronic education records and case information pertinent to the educational planning and services of youth referred and are subject to RCW
13.50.010 and
13.50.100.
(6) The contracted nongovernmental entity or entities must report outcomes to the council and the department of social and health services semiannually.
(7) For purposes of this section, "homeless" and "unaccompanied" have the same meanings as in RCW
28B.117.020.
