The book's premise is that not only do children and youth in foster care comprise a population very much at risk for school failure but also that this group of youngsters is perhaps the most educationally vulnerable population in our schools. Much needs to be done, in a comprehensive and co-ordinated way, if we are to give these individuals the opportunity for educational achievement. Case studies of very young children to young adults ready to emancipate from child protective services are interwoven throughout the volume to illustrate the significant barriers that put them at risk of educational failure. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including specific issues associated with the educational plight of the birth through high school population, legislative efforts and efforts by the legal community to increase focus and oversight of the schooling experience, and strategic efforts by the schools, child welfare agencies, and other community partners to improve their practice and provide appropriate supports and services to enhance prospects for educational success and adult development.