Understanding the Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

As the familiar cadence of summer prepares to give way to the anticipatory hum of back-to-school season, the air buzzes with a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and countless to-do lists. For foster parents, this time of year is not just about new backpacks, shiny lunch boxes, and an ocean of school supplies. It’s about understanding and supporting the unique needs of the children in their care, ensuring they receive the best education possible. Among the important tools in this journey are Individualized Education Plans, or IEPs.

In some ways, IEPs serve as personalized roadmaps, guiding each child’s educational journey based on their specific needs. For children in foster care, many of whom have experienced trauma, neglect, or disruptions in their education, IEPs can provide a lifeline to a successful academic year. However, navigating the IEP process can feel overwhelming, especially for new foster parents who may not be familiar with the intricacies of the special education system.

In an effort to shed light on this crucial subject, we’ve had the privilege of asking a few questions to Anne Schallmoser, an Educational Liaison at the Children’s Home Association of Illinois, a foster care agency based in Peoria, IL. Anne is a seasoned expert in this field and gives us an overview about what foster parents should know about IEPs. She has dedicated much of her career to advocating for the educational needs of foster children.

In this interview, we delve into the ins and outs of IEPs, exploring what they are, how they work, and how foster parents can use them as a tool to ensure the children in their care thrive academically. We hope this information makes this school year a little smoother and equips you with some of the details for you to understand how to advocate for the children in your care however they need you to. Let’s get started!

What is an IEP?   

The IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, is a legal written document that’s developed for each public school child who is eligible for special education. The IEP is created through a team effort and reviewed at least once a year. The student is assessed and tested to determine if the child is eligible to be in special education. The student must be eligible for special education. By federal law, a multidisciplinary team must determine that he’s/she’s a child with a disability, and he/she requires special education and related services to benefit from the general education program. 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law, requires certain information to be included in the IEP; however, it doesn’t specify how the IEP goals should look since each student is different. The IEP goals should be measurable goals so that the teacher and other school personnel can evaluate the goal every year.

How do you get started and how do you know when it’s the right time to start the process for developing an IEP?

First, it has been determined that the student has a disability by either a document from a psychologist, doctor, or has been tested. The disability must impact his/her education. 

The foster parent can request an evaluation by talking to the school, or the caseworker can complete a written request. The school should provide a written notice to the foster parent and caseworker with the date so that you have proof after 14 days of the request that the district either will or will not evaluate. 

A domain or assessment planning meeting occurs after the school has consent from the foster parent to have the student evaluated for special education services. There will be various professionals at the school who will conduct the evaluation. At the domain meeting, the team will discuss the student’s strengths, weaknesses, and achievements regarding his/her academics. This will be particularly helpful so that the team can get to know the student.  

Once the student is assessed, it will be determined if the student has a disability or developmental delay. According to the Individual with Disability Act (IDEA) the disabilities are autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, hearing impairment, developmental delay, emotional disturbances, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment. 

What should foster parents keep in mind as they are advocating for a child in their care with that child’s school?

The foster parent should attend all meetings. There are 2 types of meetings: The annual review at 6 months and triennial reevaluation review at 3 years.

The annual meeting is to go over the current goals to see if the student has met the goals or if the goals need to be tweaked or changed. The annual review process involves reviewing the entire plan, determining if a goal needs to be changed with the agreement between the foster parent and the school, and/or end the student’s special education program. 

The triennial re-evaluation takes place every three years to determine if the student’s needs have changed or if they still qualify for special educational services. According to the IDEA, a student must be re-evaluated at least every three years. However, students can only be re-evaluated once a year.  

Communication to the school by the foster parent is most important. If there are issues at home, then school should know what is going on with the child. This could affect his/her behavior in the classroom. It’s also important to know that if the foster parent feels that the IEP is not working or the foster parent feels that the school is not following the IEP, then the foster parent can request an IEP meeting at any time.

Does an IEP have to be just for kids that are academically struggling? Can it be for behavior challenges as well?

Yes, if the behavioral issues are impeding the student’s learning due to his/her disability. ADHD could be an example of this. 

If the child has an IEP and is also struggling with behavioral issues, then a Functional Behavioral Assessment should be requested. This will help determine if a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) is needed.

Who’s usually involved in the IEP development process?

The people that are involved in meetings are the foster parent or parent (if the goal is to return the child to home of parent), schoolteacher (regular education and special education), any specialist involved in the student’s education, psychologist, principal, caseworker, educational liaison (if the agency has one), and anyone that can help in the development of the child’s education plan.   

Can a child be too young or too old to get started on an IEP?  

A child must be 3 years old to qualify for an IEP. Most states allow a student to have an IEP until age 22. The IEP will follow the student up until the end of high school. Sometimes a community college will recognize an IEP.

If a child is younger than three and the foster parent or doctor feels that there is a delay, then the foster parent can get the child assessed though Early Intervention. To be involved with Early Intervention, the foster parent will need to call Early Intervention and request a free assessment. Through this resource, the child can receive speech therapy and occupational therapy at no cost. You do not need a referral.  

In most agencies, is the caseworker the closest partner for foster parents during this process? Or is there usually a specific contact like you, an Educational Liaison.  

It depends on the agency. Not all agencies have an educational liaison. So, the closest person that the foster parents should talk to is the caseworker, then he/she would know who would be best to contact for more assistance.

In most cases, the caseworkers are to attend IEP meetings and liaisons are to assist when they can’t attend.  Some workers attend on a regular basis, which is good, and some don’t. I personally try to attend all of them so I know what is going on. Some workers are new and are still getting their footing with the process overall so sometimes they are getting familiar with the process at the same time that a foster parent may be.

What should a foster parent do if a school is not following the IEP that was developed?  

Call an IEP meeting and discuss concerns. If the foster parent is not in agreement with the decisions made at the meeting, they can always request what is called an impartial due process hearing. The due process meeting is to help resolve differences between foster parents and the school. This is more of a formal proceeding.

Are there other plans (like a 504 plan) that foster parents should be aware of? What are the benefits to having a formalized plan as opposed to an informal or less restrictive plan?   

A 504 plan is less formal and does not require written goals and objectives. An IEP is very specific and requires detailed evaluations and documentation of the student’s needs and progress. A 504 plan is generally written by a school principal. Both plans require the student to have a disability.

The benefit of having a formalized plan is that it will help the student achieve academic goals, measure, and evaluate the goals and to help with behavioral issues that impact the student’s ability to reach his/her academic goals.  

What’s one piece of encouragement you would like to share with foster parents?

I would encourage foster parents to be an advocate for their foster child. You are one of the primary people who can help make a lasting significant change in this child’s life. Being a parent is not easy but sometimes being a foster parent is even harder but also rewarding. Be there for the child because sometimes you have been one of the most consistent people in their life.

Here are some additional resources that might be helpful:

• Special education evaluation: an overview
• Instructions for Individualized Education Program Forms (some information is Illinois-specific)