Education and Parenting

HELPFUL ARTICLES

• Foreign Service Youth Foundation's virtual seminar, Resilient Kids, Ready Families: Educational Planning in Times of Change (click here to view; you must be a FSYF member to login and view the recording).
• “Safe, Secure, and Smart” is the fourth issue in a series of comic-style online magazines by the Foreign Service Institute’s Transition Center that help guide teens between the ages of 11 and 15 through international transitions. ZINES share experiences with moving to a new place, learning a new language, navigating a new school, finding friends, and managing the bumps along the way. Download “Safe, Secure, and Smart".

• Resources for Raising Foreign Service Kids – FSJ October 2023

• Foreign Service Adoption Journey – FSJ October 2023

• Cultural Identity Formation in Third Culture Kids – FSJ October 2023

• Third Culture Kids – The Enduring Affects of Formative Years in Cairo – FSJ 2023

GCLO and Educating Your Child: 

GCLO’s Education and Youth team provides support related to the educational needs of Foreign Service children including boarding schools, home study, special needs education, college admissions, summer programs, transition from school-to-school, and re-entry to the United States. Learn more on GCLO's Education and Youth webpages 

You will find:

• School options in the DMV: Transitioning from School to School webpage 
• Parents' feedback: greatschools.org
• College resources:  College and Beyond webpage and FAQs College Application Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) webpage 
• Boarding schools information: Boarding Schools webpage

If you need further guidance, please contact GCLOAskEducation@state.gov. 

GENERAL

• A Parent’s Guide to Psychoeducational Assessments: AFSA’s resource on psychoeducational testing is helpful for FS kids and parents.
• AFSA Education Resources
• AFSA Special Collection for Foreign Service Families

CHILDCARE AND EDUCATION OPTIONS

• OBC Childcare in Washington

• Virginia Department of Social Services: Searchable database of vetted child-day-care providers.

• Childcare Virgina

• Northern Virginia schools: Information on local schools.

• Diplotots Summer Camp brochure

• GCLO childcare resources (from 2025)

• AAFSW list of childcare resources: This list has been compiled by our volunteers in good faith but is not an endorsement of any establishment on the list. If you have reasons to believe one should be removed from the list, or better yet, if you wish to supply additional resources, please send a message here.
• Homeschooling basics (resources pdf)
• Virginia homeschool information
• Washington, DC, homeschool information
• FS Homeschool Facebook group

RELEVANT LINKS FOR FAMILIES

• GCLO - Education Frequently Asked Questions

• Educational Travel Allowance

• GCLO - Special Needs and the Foreign Service Child

• GCLO - Transitioning from School to School

• Office of Overseas Schools (OOS)

  DC Schools

• Summer Camp Resources: Are you transitioning back to the U.S. this summer or currently in the D.C. metro area with kids? It’s not too early to begin researching summer activities for your children. As a helpful starting point, check out some of the Summer Camp resources on GCLO’s Education and Youth webpage. Find a variety of options including links to art, sports, academic, and special needs camps in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.

• FS Homeschool Facebook group

• Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) List of DC Schools

Scholarships

• AAFSW's Annual Youth Merit Scholarships: Scholarships include the AAFSW “Twice Exceptional” Merit Scholarship for High School, Gap Year, and College Students (Freshmen and Sophomores) with an IEP, best essay award, Judy Felt Memorial Scholarship, and Merit Scholarships.
• AFSA Scholarships
• Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) Contests and Awards
• The State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU) Scholarship Fund

Special Needs and Gifted Students

• AAFSW's Special Needs Families Facebook group

• Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) Gifted and Special Needs Education
• GCLO: Education Frequently Asked Questions Special Needs and the Foreign Service Child Transitioning from School to School: These FAQs include information on boarding schools, transition to Washington, allowances, special needs, and more.
• GCLO: Special Needs and the Foreign Service Child: GCLO resources, links, and more.

Boarding School

• AAFSW Boarding School Parents Facebook group
• AFSA Education Resources
• Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) Boarding School Resources
• GCLO: Education Frequently Asked Questions Special Needs and the Foreign Service Child Transitioning from School to School: These FAQs include information on boarding schools, transition to Washington, allowances, special needs, and more.
• RNG International: Boarding school placement service operated by a Foreign Service family.
• State Department - Allowances for Transition

College Admissions

• Foreign Service College Bound – Facebook group
• Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) College Bound Resources

Reading List for Foreign Service Parents

• AAFSW's List of Foreign Service Blogs
• AAFSW's Raising Kids in the Foreign Service
• AFSA's List of Foreign Service Blogs
• American History in a Box Relocation Workbook
• Denizen Magazine for Third Culture Kids
• Emotional Resilience and the Expat Child, by Julia Simens
• Raising Global Nomads: Parenting Abroad in an On-Demand World by Robin Pascoe

Transition Center Courses

• Foreign Service Institute Life Skills Training

GCLO - Adoption Resources