Politico Pro | New York City students in foster care continue to lag behind their peers in education outcomes, with school instability and inadequate transportation worsening the gap, a new analysis found.

Details: Nearly 55 percent of students in foster care were chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year, according to an analysis of Department of Education data by the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), which is set to release the report Monday morning.

One contributing factor is the city’s failure to provide timely transportation to students when they enter foster care or change foster homes, said Maria Odom, AFC’s executive director.

“School can be a safe haven for students in foster care at a moment of enormous stress and instability in their lives — but only if they have a way to get there,” Odom said in a statement. “Busing might appear to be a minor logistical matter, but for students in the foster system, it’s a lifeline.”