(a) A county office of education, or a consortium of county offices of education, may apply to the Superintendent for grant funding, to the extent funds are available, to operate an education-based foster youth services coordinating program to provide educational support for pupils in foster care. (b) Each foster youth services coordinating program operated pursuant to this chapter, if sufficient funds are available, shall have at least one person identified as the foster youth educational services coordinator. The foster youth educational services coordinator shall facilitate the provision of educational support pursuant to subdivisions (d) and (e) to any pupil in foster care residing or attending school in the county or consortium of counties. (c) For purposes of this chapter, a pupil in foster care means a foster youth, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.01, a foster child who is detained in a county-operated juvenile detention facility, or a child who is the subject of a petition filed pursuant to Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and has been identified by a county child welfare agency, probation department, or Indian tribe that entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 10553.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code as being at imminent risk of removal and placement into foster care. (d) It is the intent of the Legislature that pupils in foster care with the greatest need for services be identified as the first priority for foster youth services coordinating programs. Priority shall be given to pupils who are living in out-of-home placements. (e) As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this chapter, each foster youth services coordinating program operated by a county office of education or a consortium of county offices of education pursuant to this chapter shall develop and implement a foster youth services coordinating plan for purposes of establishing guiding principles and protocols to provide supports for foster care pupils aligned with the population priorities established in subdivision (f). The plan shall include, to the extent possible, but not be limited to, all of the following: (1) (A) A description of how the program will establish ongoing collaboration with local educational agencies, county child welfare agencies, and county probation departments to determine the proper educational placement of the foster youth. This includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: (i) Building the capacity of county agencies, school districts, and community organizations to better support the educational success of pupils in foster care. (ii) Facilitating collaboration between county agencies, school districts, and community organizations to ensure coordinated and nonduplicative service delivery and to ensure pupils in foster care receive the educational supports and services they need to succeed in school. This may include, but is not limited to, education emancipation services such as support with transitions to postsecondary education or career technical education programs. (iii) Providing services and educational case management in support of individual pupils in foster care, as necessary. This may include, but is not limited to, transition and school social work to support transition between schools or school districts. (B) The primary goal of the collaboration required pursuant to this section shall be to minimize changes in school placement by supporting the implementation of Section 48850, subdivision (c) of Section 48853, and all related statutes that pertain to pupils in foster care. As necessary, and in accordance with Section 48853.5, the foster youth services coordinating program may pay for the cost of transportation to support this subparagraph. (i) If it is in the best interests of a pupil in foster care to transfer schools, the foster youth services coordinating program shall support local educational agencies in the implementation of Section 48853.5, and all relate
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