Educational Advocacy
Building the Path to Graduation
Treehouse Educational Advocates support students in foster care by providing timely, appropriate education supports and interventions tailored to each individual’s academic and developmental needs.
By partnering with a team of existing supports in a youth’s life — caregivers, caseworkers, teachers, school counselors and community providers — Treehouse Educational Advocates help resolve barriers and identify needed resources for the youth to make progress at school.
Working with the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Educational Advocacy program serves pre-K through 12th-grade students across Washington state who have Tribal, Federal or State legal status of dependent or shelter care status and are attending or attempting to attend a Washington state public school.
The program provides support on a short-term basis (1-6 months typically). Once the immediate educational needs have been met, the student will be transitioned out of the Educational Advocacy program. While the youth’s program enrollment may close, the referral remains current throughout the school year. Therefore, if additional needs occur during the same school year, the youth can be re-enrolled.
Academics FAQ
Educational Advocacy
In partnership with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Children’s Administration, Treehouse Educational Advocates work with schools, social workers, caregivers and youth in foster care to resolve difficult issues and remove barriers to kids’ school success. The Educational Advocacy Program is generally short term (1-6 months) but can be longer if the needs of the youth necessitate continued involvement. This program serves dependent and shelter care status youth in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (high school completion) throughout Washington state in schools NOT served by Treehouse’s Graduation Success Program.
Graduation Success
Treehouse Education Specialists partner with social workers, caregivers, schools and community partners to help youth in foster care graduate from high school with a plan for their future. Education Specialists work one-on-one with students to provide proactive education planning, monitoring and coaching support services. The Graduation Success program is designed to be long term and while youth must be in out-of-home care to be initially referred, they will continue to receive services through the first semester post-high school, regardless of dependency status.
Treehouse Educational Advocates partner with a team of existing supports in a youth’s life, including caregivers, social workers, teachers, school counselors and mentors, to create a portrait of each youth’s individual developmental needs and provide timely, appropriate supports and services. If a student is not on track—perhaps there is prolonged absence from school, discipline challenges or poor grades—the Educational Advocate is there with best-practice supports and interventions. A well-timed school meeting involving all the providers and family members in a youth’s life can change the trajectory from failure to success.
Treehouse provides funding so that youth can participate in the activities and school events that help them build friendships and become fully engaged in school. Treehouse can help pay for school fees (like ASB cards, lab costs, graduation needs, dance tickets, etc.), athletics, art and music programs, driver’s education, skill/certification classes, summer camp and other academic and enrichment related expenses. Learn more.
Treehouse Educational Advocates do not offer tutoring support, but they can help youth connect to existing tutoring resources in the community. We also have a resource center that includes some free and low-cost tutoring resources.
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