By Eleanor Brasington 

Being a junior in high school comes with its own set of challenges. From the classroom to the cafeteria, it seems like new situations to navigate or learn from are around every corner. Just like every other high school student before me, I am doing my best to be a good student as I figure out my own way of approaching life. And as hard as learning to balance all these things can feel sometimes, I know I always have the support of my parents. Home is a safety net where I can talk through any challenges and ask for advice. 

But my friend Melody* has a completely different story.  

I met Melody when she moved in with my Aunt Kay*, who has been a foster parent for seven years. When Melody first joined my family three years ago, she was very quiet. Initially she was so shy that it took nearly two months for her to speak to me, but once she did, it didn’t take long for us to become inseparable. As an only child, she was the sibling I never had. Melody became a part of nearly every aspect of my life, from sharing meals and watching movies during our weekly sleepovers to what eventually became our most frequent hangout: doing schoolwork together.  

At first, I noticed only minor difficulties during our study sessions. She would be restless, grow frustrated easily, and, most importantly, had gaps in core subjects that should have been learned at an elementary age. I often found myself sitting with her at the kitchen table, helping her work through math concepts and algebra problems. While I came to know her from her optimistic personality and quirky humor, tutoring her revealed a different side of her life, one that was marked by academic hurdles that extended far beyond our home.  

As the weeks passed, I began to look beyond these seemingly small struggles to find the reason behind them. Soon, I started to realize that these reactions weren’t just simple behavioral issues or a lack of effort. They were not a reflection of her, nor her capabilities, but of something much deeper: gaps in her educational foundation that had begun long before we sat down at the kitchen table. The thought of my best friend dealing with such issues made me question if other youth in foster care were falling behind, so I began researching. What I discovered, which was both shocking and heartbreaking, revealed that this was neither a new nor an uncommon issue. 

Statistics I found showed the harsh truth of the matter. According to the U.S Department of Education, nearly 400,000 children are placed in foster care, with more than half (270,000) being school-aged (U.S Department of Education, 2025). Data shows that youth in foster care are significantly more likely than their peers to experience systematic barriers that lead to adverse outcomes, including lower grade retention, decreased academic achievement, and lower graduation rates. Additionally, research from the National Institute of Health further reveals that 54% youth in foster care fell in the “at-risk” range for phonological awareness skills – the strongest predictor of later, advanced reading skills. Furthermore, it reports that only 44% of these students are reading and performing on a high school level, with the average 17-to-18-year-old in the foster care system reading at a 7th grade level (National Institute of Health, 2020).  

The numbers brought up a stark reality: What I was witnessing in my own home was a part of a much larger, national crisis. When I asked Melody if the data I found matched her lived experiences, she said, “Those are totally true. With moving around all the time and missing school for my mental health treatment, I felt like it was impossible for me to catch up, so I quit trying to.” 

Her words lingered in my mind long after we left the kitchen that night. They exposed the harsh realities behind the statistics that every time a child changes placements, they switch schools, lose transfer credits, and have to adapt to an entirely new environment. When that is combined with necessary absences for doctor appointments, court dates, or mental health support, their education is constantly being fragmented. They are expected to perform at grade level while navigating trauma and instability that even adults would struggle to process. And I think high school can be hard enough as it is. 

Children like Melody who are experiencing foster care are far more than their test scores or reading levels; they are resilient, capable young people who are fighting against a system that moves faster than their circumstances allow. Witnessing the way foster care impacted Melody’s educational journey transformed my view of advocacy from a foreign concept into an urgent responsibility. When I shared my observations with my Aunt Kay, she told me that many children in foster care have a CASA volunteer. She explained how CASA volunteers are caring adults who step up to support children in foster care throughout transitions and help advocate for the support they need. I know there are more children experiencing foster care than there are current CASA volunteers to advocate for them all, but I am glad to know people out there care about Melody. And I hope that together, we can build a system that offers the patience, continuity, and support every child deserves. 

*Names changed for confidentiality purposes.

About Eleanor: Eleanor Brasington is a junior at Hillgrove High School in Marietta, Georgia. She has a strong passion for science, research, and contributing to her community. With interests in biochemistry and biomedicine, Eleanor hopes to explore how scientific research can lead to new discoveries and improve people’s lives. Outside of academics, she also highly values community involvement and advocacy. She hopes to use writing as a way to bring attention to important issues, particularly expanding educational opportunities for underserved communities. In her free time, Eleanor enjoys competing in track and field, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family.