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Exploring strategies for re-engaging children and young people in learning while living in out-of-home care in the Northern Territory, Australia
Roche, Steven Dunk-West, Priscilla Otarra, Carmela Taylor, Robert Moss, Michelle
Roche, Steven
Dunk-West, Priscilla
Otarra, Carmela
Taylor, Robert
Moss, Michelle
Abstract
The education of children living in out-of-home care (OOHC) has been a long-standing concern for children and their carers, policy-makers and researchers who have long highlighted the issue of low educational attainment and disengagement among children in care. This study investigates the strategies and practices used within a pilot programme based in the Northern Territory, Australia, that aims to re-engage children living in OOHC with education and training. Drawing on qualitative interviews with programme stakeholders, including educators, carers, child and family welfare workers, as well as an analysis of programme and client documentation, this study explores the programme's strategies to achieve re-engagement. The findings highlight the role of agile child-centred practice responding to the learning needs of participants, a focus on the ‘educational futures’ of students, as well as liaison and advocacy with schools and stakeholders on behalf of children in supporting re-engagement in education settings. Barriers to successful re-engagement include limited consideration of the cultural needs of children across education and OOHC systems, in particular the disruptive impact of OOHC placement changes, as well as programme discontinuity.
Keywords
child-centred practice, educational engagement, educational interventions, out-of-home care, residential care
Date
2023
Type
Journal article
Journal
Child and Family Social Work
Book
Volume
28
Issue
4
Page Range
1022-1034
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Allied Health
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
© 2023 The Authors. Child & Family Social Work published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.