When a child is placed in the state's foster care system because of a parent's abuse or neglect, the state--represented by teams of social workers, lawyers, judges, foster parents, and other caregivers or guardians--steps into many aspects of the parental role. Too often, though, the state's representatives are attempting to fulfill a parental role without the information a parent would have at his or her disposal to make informed decisions. The lack of timely, accurate, and useful information is particularly acute when it comes to making good educational decisions on behalf of students placed in the foster care system. As students move from one placement to another (and thus one school or district to another), their school records often lag behind--along with key information about their educational achievements, gaps, talents, and special education needs. Health and social service needs that are part of these records also can be delayed or lost. As a result, students may not receive credit for courses they have taken, be placed in an inappropriate classroom for their grade level, or repeat courses or grades unnecessarily. In addition, students may forego or interrupt additional services to assess and respond to special educational, health, or social service needs. Under the auspices of Ready to Succeed, an initiative funded by the Stuart Foundation, representatives from state and local education, child welfare, and court systems have identified several ways to improve the flow of information between systems to help children in the foster care system receive the services and support they need. This brief presents their recommendations. (Contains 1 footnote.)