Campus liaisons for students who have experienced foster care: Lessons learned from Texas legislation

Abstract

Texas has been a leader in creating policies and programs to support students in higher education who have experienced foster care (SEFC). The state has a tuition and fee waiver, extended foster care, and a state-wide collaborative devoted to improving higher education outcomes of SEFC. In 2015 the state passed innovative legislation requiring every college and university to identify a campus liaison for SEFC. The present study is a process evaluation to assess the implementation of the liaison legislation. We conducted in-depth interviews with SEFC, a content analysis of campus websites, and a survey of campus liaisons. Results reveal that students do want a single point of contact and when connected with a liaison, see that relationship as essential to their success. However, half of all campuses (49%) have not complied with the legislative requirement to identify the liaison on their websites, making it difficult for SEFC to know who to contact at these institutions. In addition, liaisons that responded to our survey report that they want to serve SEFC, but lack the training, time, and resources to fulfill their designated role. Conclusions are that legislated policies for SEFC can affect change, but require sufficient investment in order to adequately support the students they are designed to serve.