The more than 7,000 youth in foster care in the Los Angeles Unified School District experience significant obstacles in receiving an uninterrupted, quality education. Now, with COVID-19 cases rising and schools often starting the fall with distance learning, youth in foster care have fewer touchpoints from educators and case workers, leaving them even more vulnerable during this crisis.

While it may sound bureaucratic, what the city needs is a centralized data system linking education data, like special education plans and course completion, with other child-serving systems, like child welfare and mental health services.