The average youth in foster care has to move three times and with each move, they lose four to six months of academic progress.
That's according to Treehouse, a King County nonprofit helping students in foster care gain stability and reach graduation.
When Brianna Franco attended Renton High School, she took part in Treehouse's Graduation Success program. She attended weekly meetings with Taji Ellis, a Senior Education Specialist with Treehouse.
The meetings included conversations about school and goals.
It meant a lot to Brianna, who said it has helped her "to just have someone else there besides a mom or a dad that can mentor you and can give that extra piece of advice."
Taji meets with a number of students in foster care.
"We see the low grades. We see the high absences. And all of that plays in the role of what they are actually going through emotionally," said Ellis.
Treehouse noticed a major discrepancy about five years ago in King County. The nonprofit found less than 40 percent of youth in foster care were graduating from high school.
Teacher Rosemary Shaw witnessed some of the contributing factors in her classroom.
"I get some of these kids which are lovely, sweet kids, and you find out the reason they haven't been to school is because they had to go visit their mother in another state who is prison. Or they haven't been able to eat for awhile because they are in between the foster homes and they have been couch surfing. No wonder they are not being successful. There is no one there for them, until Taji," said Shaw.
"We play teacher. We play friend. We play parent. We play counselor," said Ellis.
Treehouse sent that kind of support into classrooms across King County, to work one-on-one with students in foster care. The effort started in 2012.
"Now we are looking at 89 percent, that is including a 4-year and 5-year graduation rate," said Ellis.
Last year, Brianna graduated from high school and Taji was there cheering for her.
"That was a great day," said Ellis.
Brianna continues to meet with Taji once a week, saying the extra support has pushed her to work harder.
Treehouse offers support through age 26. The nonprofit recently announced a statewide expansion and new graduation goals for youth in foster care.
