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Chapter 1 - Educational Resources

Fortunately, when we need help, there are many resources available to Foreign Service families. One of these is the Education and Youth Officer in the Family Liaison Office (FLO). To help families work through the maze of choices, the Education and Youth Officer provides information to individual families and to overseas communities through the Community Liaison Office at post.

The Education and Youth Officer also: organizes programs on education topics, including parenting seminars; is the Department's liaison with boarding schools used by Foreign Service families; and stays current on educational issues by visiting schools, meeting with educational consultants, and participating in international education conferences. Families can also turn to the Education and Youth Officer for guidance about the effects of mobility on children.

The five Department of State offices that serve as resources for education questions and issues are:

Family Liaison Office (M/DGHR/FLO)
Room 1239
Department of State
Washington, DC 20520-7512
Tel: 202-647-1076, 1-800-440-0397
Fax: 202-647-1670
Email: FLOAskEducation@state.gov
Web site: http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo

The Family Liaison Office provides information and counsel on the following topics:

• Washington area public and private schools
• U.S.and international boarding schools
• Schools at posts overseas
• The college admissions process
• Financial aid
• Correspondence courses (K-adult)
• Standardized educational testing
• Programs for children with special educational needs
• Summer school and camp programs
• Reentry support for Foreign Service teens

Office of Overseas Schools (A/OS)
Room H-328, SA-1
Department of State
Washington, DC 20522-2902
Tel: 202-261-8200
Fax: 202-261-8224
Email: OverseasSchools@state.gov
Web site: http://www.state.gov/m/a/os

The Office of Overseas Schools (A/OS) has six regional education officers who are available by appointment to discuss schools at specific posts. The A/OS media resource center contains detailed information on more than 700 schools attended by U.S. Government family members at posts around the world. Course offerings, special programs, extracurricular activities, and graduation requirements have been compiled from Summary School Information forms updated annually at every overseas post. The information is contained on microfiche, with an accompanying index, and is available at all Embassies and Consulates and at all foreign affairs agencies. Individual school information is available in hard copy from A/OS. The media resource center also contains supplementary information such as yearbooks, school newsletters, and school profiles. Some overseas schools have produced videotapes that are available for screening at the center. In addition, A/OS annually publishes brief fact sheets on each State Department assisted school abroad. The fact sheets are distributed to all posts and all foreign affairs agencies and may be requested by individuals. They are also available on the A/OS web sites.

Employee Consultation Service (M/DGHR/MED/ECS)
Main Office
Columbia Plaza - Room H246
Washington, DC 20520-2256
Tel: 202-663-1815
FAX: 202-663-1454
Email: MEDECS@state.gov

The Employee Consultation Service (ECS) offers information and assistance to Foreign Affairs agency employees and their families who obtain medical clearances through the Office of Medical Services and whose school-aged children have special educational needs (physical or mental handicaps, developmental delay, learning disabilities, or emotional disabilities). The counselors on the staff are licensed clinical social workers. The ECS staff assists families by arranging for psycho-educational, speech/language, psychiatric, and other special needs evaluations. They also assist with school placement of children with special needs. Other services include counseling and referral. Appointments should be scheduled in advance from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Office of Allowances (A/OPR/ALS)
Room H426, SA-1
Bureau of Administration
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20522-0104
Tel: 202-663-1121
FAX: 202-261-8707
Email: Allowances0@state.gov
Web site: http://aoprals.state.gov/

The education allowance specialist answers questions pertaining to schooling allowances, special education and supplemental education allowances, and eligibility requirements. Hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. A telephone call, rather than an interview, is usually all that is required to obtain the facts.

Overseas Briefing Center (M/FSI/OBC)
E2126, SA-42
National Foreign Affairs Training Center
4000 Arlington Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22204-1500
Tel: 703-302-7277
Fax: 703-302-7452
Email: FSIOBCInfoCenter@state.gov
Web site: http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/

The Overseas Briefing Center (OBC) keeps open files on all overseas missions. Included in these files are school handbooks and profiles, newsletters, yearbooks, personal comments, and Embassy publications on schooling at post. OBC has slides or videotapes on overseas posts that may show the schools most commonly used by Foreign Service families. They also have some videotapes produced by individual schools. The A/OS Summary School Information and the school fact sheets are also available at OBC. The Center is open daily from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. plus scheduled evenings and Saturdays. No appointment is necessary.

Teenagers are encouraged to attend the regular Security Overseas Seminar (SOS) sessions. During the summer, teenagers and children over the age of 6, can attend the SOS half-day segments designed specifically for elementary and high school students and their parents. Family members may register for these courses by calling the OBC with their name, the name of their sponsor's agency, and their own and their sponsor's social security numbers.

In most Embassies and consulates abroad, at least one of the following resources will be available for information and assistance on educational questions.

Approximately 150 overseas posts have a Community Liaison Office that contains useful information about local schools, special education, correspondence courses, Washington area schools, boarding schools, and college admissions/financial aid. These files are supplemented by materials from the Family Liaison Office several times a year.

American-curriculum schools overseas normally have guidance counselors who administer the school's testing program, counsel families on educational issues, and advise on college admissions and career options.

The Public Affairs section within the US Mission maintains an Educational Advising Center at many posts. These centers are designed to assist host-country nationals wishing to study in the United States and usually contain college catalogs and other reference materials. Foreign Service families may be able to use these resources if the information is not available elsewhere in the community.

In some countries, a bi-national commission supports the Fulbright exchange program. Many offices have United States college catalog collections and some have advisers. Consult with Public Affairs to learn if Foreign Service family members may use their information services.

Information provided by the Family Liaison Office.
Contact the Family Liaison Office