Educational Advocacy

WHAT WE DO

Advocates help students leap over obstacles.

Treehouse educational advocates are experts who work with schools, social workers, foster families and students to resolve difficult issues and remove barriers to foster kids’ school success. Advocates’ work includes

• training caregivers, social workers and students themselves to advocate for students’ educational rights;
• being an information and referral resource for parents and caregivers;
• preventing school changes when students’ home placements change;
• paving the way for seamless transitions when school changes are unavoidable; and
• minimizing the effects of disciplinary actions that keep students out of school.

Educational Advocates offer three levels of service: direct advocacy, consultation and information/referral.

ELIGIBILITY 

Educational Advocacy operates statewide under a contract with the Washington Children's Administration. Treehouse Educational Advocacy services are available to students in Washington State who are living in out-of-home care. See complete Educational Advocacy eligibility requirements.

For Educational Advocacy referrals, DCFS social worker should email a Treehouse Educational Advocacy Referral Form to Phoebe Sade Anderson, Educational Advocacy Coordinator, or fax a referral to Treehouse at (206) 767-7773.

Educational Advocacy Training

All children deserve an advocate who can help them succeed in school.  Foster kids need the help of their caregivers to access resources and remove barriers to their academic success.  The Educational Advocacy Peer Training project trains foster, relative, adoptive, and birth parents to advocate for their children’s needs.  These free workshops are held throughout Washington State.

In these workshops caregivers learn about key educational rights and laws, how to access resources and programs that will help them, and learn practical techniques for supporting kids while they learn.

Workshops are focused on age ranges: early childhood (birth- 5), school age (6-12), and youth and young adults (12-21).  Participants receive free comprehensive resource materials that will help them navigate the system.

To schedule a workshop or for more information contact:
phoebe@treehouseforkids.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact us at (206) 267-5129.