Children and youth in foster care experience negative educational outcomes in K-12 education compared to the general population. Federal policies mandate professionals engage in collaborative practice to address educational challenges, but barriers can inhibit effective interprofessional collaboration. To identify these barriers, interviews and focus groups were held with school professionals, child welfare professionals, and professional caregivers in an urban county in a Southwest state (N = 22). Six themes were identified: little to no timely communication; limited time and conflicting schedules; confusion about systems and roles; competing priorities or agendas of systems; mistrust, fear, and power differentials; and biases toward other professionals. Findings highlight areas of support needed to improve collaborative practice to promote educational equity for children and youth in foster care.
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