Children in foster care move like shadows through the school system, but they leave indelible marks. Largely ignored by the education community, as a group they’ve had consistently dismal education outcomes.

By the time many of their peers are graduating from college, half the young adults who have been in the foster care system are unemployed, a fourth are homeless, and a fifth are in prison.

A promising initiative is poised to change those circumstances. Ready to Succeed, a project born of the former California Collaborative for Children in Foster Care, aims to spotlight the education needs of children in foster care to find ways to support their success.

The initiative unites philanthropists, researchers, educators, and state and county social service providers who have often worked at cross-purposes, despite good intentions and shared interests in helping children in foster care excel.