Glossary: E

Education Liaison

Staff at the county child welfare agency whose role is to help young people in foster care address any barriers to their education or educational success.  They can help youth in foster care with many things, including: school enrollment, transportation, school discipline, and decisions and opportunities around higher education.  Here is a website that can help you find the Education Liaisons for your county. 

Educational Decision Maker

This is a person who is appointed by the court to make educational decisions for youth.  In most cases your parent is your educational decision maker even if you are in foster care.  In cases where your parent is not able or available to make those decisions, the court can appoint an educational decision maker to make sure your educational needs are met. 

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

A calculation of a family or independent student’s financial resources according to a formula established by law and used to determine how much financial aid a student will receive. A student or their family’s income, assets, and benefits are considered in the formula. For independent students, such as most young people with experience in the foster care system, the EFC will likely be zero, resulting in the student receiving more financial aid. 

Expunge / Expungement

Laws that allow juvenile records to be erased and destroyed once the offending youth reaches a certain age so that a juvenile record does not impede individuals from becoming productive members of society. The types of records and offenses eligible for expungement, as well the steps that one must take in order to expunge them, vary by jurisdiction.

Extended Foster Care

State laws or programs that allow youth to remain, or re-enter foster care, after the age of 18 and continue to receive placement/housing and services.