A Longitudinal Analysis of School Mobility for Students in Foster Care

This paper uses California administrative records to examine school mobility among students in foster care. Students in foster care change schools at higher rates than their peers, with residential moves—often linked to foster care placement changes—serving as a major driver. Students typically relocate more than 20 miles, making transportation to support educational stability challenging. They are also more likely to transfer to alternative education settings, especially after subsequent moves. In some cases, students move to better-resourced schools. School mobility declined from 36% in 2017–18 to 30% in 2023–24. Although most contributing factors remained consistent over time, some community factors, such as child poverty, became more relevant after the pandemic. These findings underscore the importance of cross-sector collaboration between education and social services to better support students in foster care.