BRIDGING GAPS, BUILDING FUTURES SINCE 1996
ETS Foster Care & Agency Tutoring
At ETS, our commitment extends beyond conventional education boundaries. We collaborate closely with Fortune 100 companies as well as non-profits— respected agencies such as the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Human Services, and various government workforce programs under the U.S. Department of Labor. We also partner with reputable organizations like Lutheran Services in America, Gulf Coast Jewish Community Centers, and Catholic Charities.
Together, we deliver trauma-informed academic stabilization and measurable progress for foster youth—ensuring learning continuity across placements, schools, and caregiver transitions.
Closing the Education Gap for Foster Youth
ETS was founded in 1996 to address a persistent, systemic challenge: foster youth experience severe educational disruption, resulting in achievement gaps nearly 3x wider than their peers. Frequent placement changes, trauma exposure, and inconsistent schooling place these students at high academic risk.
What began as high-dosage tutoring for 50+ at-risk children in Pittsburgh has scaled into a national infrastructure supporting hundreds of thousands of foster youth across all 50 states. Our growth has been driven by advocacy—not profit—ensuring equitable access to academic support regardless of geography or placement history.
ETS delivers a national, placement-stable tutoring model designed for the foster care system:
✓ Rapid intake and referral workflows optimized for caseworkers and caregivers
✓ Continuity of services across placements, preventing learning loss during transitions
✓ Real-time performance visibility for agencies: attendance, engagement, progress, and early academic risk indicators
✓ AI-enabled academic supports, such as rapid skill-gap identification after placement changes, 24/7 homework scaffolding, and shared dashboards for caregivers and agencies
The urgency is well documented. The Annie E. Casey Foundation reports that foster youth face materially lower graduation and postsecondary outcomes than the general population. ETS provides the scalable, data-informed academic infrastructure required to close that gap.
WHO WE WORK WITH
WHY ETS: THE SPECIALIZED, SCALABLE CHOICE FOR FOSTER CARE EXCELLENCE
In a landscape crowded with generic tutoring options, ETS rises above as the specialized force tailored exclusively for foster youth. We’re not a franchise churning out one-size-fits-all worksheets or in-center mandates—we’re a dedicated ally with nearly three decades of expertise in the unique challenges of foster care: frequent placements, emotional barriers, and systemic inequities that leave only 70% of foster youth graduating high school (versus 86% nationally) and a mere 8–12% reaching college.
Unmatched Affordability Without Compromise
At $35 per hour for comprehensive virtual sessions, ETS delivers 30–50% savings over traditional franchise models (which often exceed $60–$150 per hour or month for rigid, in-person programs). This isn’t budget-cutting—it’s equitable investing: Every dollar stretches further for overburdened agencies and families, funding high-dosage support that yields 20–40% grade improvements in just 2–3 months, as proven in our nationwide pilots.
Virtual Innovation for Real-World Resilience
Forget franchise centers that demand travel and schedules foster kids can’t keep—ETS’s 100% virtual platform offers 24/7 flexibility, AI-personalized lesson plans, and trauma-informed techniques that build rapport in as little as four weeks (90% success rate). Our tutors, trained in continuing education on foster-specific needs, use adaptive tools to predict and close gaps 30% faster than standard methods—empowering youth to thrive amid instability, from urban apartments to rural placements across all 50 states.
Proven National Scale and Fortune 100 Pedigree
Already operating seamlessly in every state, ETS integrates with child welfare systems, Medicaid frameworks, and IEPs/504 plans—streamlining administration for agencies while delivering measurable outcomes like reduced placement disruptions and boosted self-sufficiency. We’ve earned trust from Fortune 100 leaders, including Elevance Health, where our scalable programs enhanced employee benefits and drove 25% retention gains through family support. Franchises may boast name recognition, but they lack our depth: No specialized foster protocols, no agency-embedded expertise, and certainly no track record turning corporate pilots into national movements.
Superior Outcomes, Backed by Impact
ETS isn’t about short-term fixes—we foster lasting transformation. Our high-dosage model, refined over 30 years, has elevated foster youth from failing grades to college-bound trajectories, with 129% social ROI through lower truancy, higher graduation rates, and pathways to financial independence. As one advocate shared in our recent spotlight, “ETS doesn’t just tutor—it reignites futures for kids who’ve been overlooked too long.” In contrast, franchise approaches often falter on engagement (drill-based, non-virtual fatigue) and equity (ignoring trauma’s toll), leaving foster youth underserved.
Fostering the Future
WHAT OUR FOSTER CARE TUTORING DELIVERS
Equitable, trauma-informed tutoring that meets students where they are—no matter their location or learning history. ETS delivers consistent, skill-building academic support designed to restore confidence, continuity, and long-term growth.
PRIORITIZING HEALTH EQUITY
ETS ensures full access to high-quality tutoring across rural and underserved counties:
✔️ Virtual-first model eliminates geographic limitations
✔️ In-person options available for younger students and higher behavioral needs
✔️ Data shows strong reading and math growth among children in designated Health Equity Zones
TRAUMA INFORMED ENGAGEMENT
Tutors emphasize trust-building, positive reinforcement, and predictable routines that help students re-engage academically. All tutors are trained to work with youth who experience:
✔️ Anxiety and frustration intolerance
✔️ Avoidance of challenging tasks
✔️ Difficulty focusing
✔️ Negative academic self-concept
✔️ Disrupted learning histories
PLACEMENT INSTABILITY
Stability helps reduce academic regression when a placement changes unexpectedly. Our team specializes in maintaining continuity during placement changes:
✔️ Keeping the same tutor whenever possible
✔️ Fast reassignment when needed
✔️ Updating caregiver/school information instantly
✔️ Rapid re-engagement within 48–72 hours
ACADEMIC STABILIZATION
Targeted tutoring to address foundational reading, writing, and math skills, including:
✔️ Reading fluency and decoding
✔️ Comprehension and vocabulary
✔️ Writing organization
✔️ Math accuracy and problem-solving
✔️ Homework support & executive-function development
Human-Centered Tutoring, Supercharged by AI
ETS combines certified human tutors with advanced AI capabilities to deliver consistent, trauma-informed academic support that adapts to each learner’s needs. Our proprietary Quad-AI Technology enhances tutor expertise, powering personalized assessments, curriculum adjustments, and real-time engagement insights to ensure every student receives the right support at the right time.
For government agencies, ETS provides both academic continuity and measurable outcomes. Our Live Analytics Dashboard offers real-time visibility into equity, engagement, and progress across placements, giving agencies the data they need to meet state and federal requirements while improving stability and reducing stress for foster families. ETS redefines foster care tutoring by pairing human connection with intelligent technology to drive meaningful, trackable impact.
TESTIMONIAL
Elevance Health (formerly Anthem) Shares their Success Story
Proof Points: Demonstrated Scale, Continuity, and Impact
PROVEN PERFORMANCE ACROSS MEDICAID AND CHILD WELFARE SYSTEMS
This section highlights real-world evidence of ETS’s ability to deliver consistent, high-impact tutoring at scale within complex Medicaid and foster care systems. Each case study demonstrates how continuity, engagement, and outcomes are sustained over time, even amid disruption. Together, they show what reliable, equitable academic support looks like in practice.
NORTH CAROLINA MEDICAID PARTNERSHIP (2019–2025)
Over six uninterrupted years, ETS delivered 306,000+ tutoring hours to 13,500+ students statewide, maintaining high engagement and utilization—even through COVID, school closures, and policy shifts. This fully virtual model reached every county with no waitlists or service gaps, proving large-scale, equitable delivery is possible in complex Medicaid environments. Key outcomes:
✔️ 88–93% engagement
✔️ 78–84% participation
✔️ 85–92% utilization
OKLAHOMA FOSTER CARE INITIATIVE (2024 – PRESENT)
ETS launched a foster-care–exclusive tutoring model serving 850–950 foster youth with a flexible blend of virtual and in-person support. Designed around child welfare workflows, the program demonstrates strong re-engagement after placement changes and measurable academic, behavioral, and confidence gains. Key outcomes:
✔️ 850–950 foster youth served in ~18 months
✔️ 21,000+ tutoring hours delivered
✔️ 90% virtual / 10% in-person, adapted to placement needs
✔️ 292 tablets purchased and distributed at no cost for students in need
Helping Foster Youth Thrive
Accelerates Academic Success for Vulnerable Youth → Foster youth face disrupted schooling, learning gaps, and frequent transitions. ETS delivers high-dosage, individualized virtual tutoring that helps students catch up, stay on grade level, and build confidence—directly supporting foster agencies’ goal of ensuring children thrive academically, even in unstable environments.
Provides Data-Driven Support for Better Outcomes → ETS tracks measurable learning outcomes and engagement in real time. For foster care agencies, this data-rich reporting aligns with federal and state requirements for tracking child well-being and educational progress, making it easier to demonstrate impact and optimize resources.
Reduces Educational and Life Disruption for Youth in Care → Consistent, trauma-informed tutoring helps youth maintain stability and routine, even during placement changes. By supporting educational continuity, ETS helps foster agencies reduce placement-related setbacks, improve permanency planning, and prepare youth for successful transitions out of care.