Promoting Academic Success of Children in Care

Abstract

Evidence from international studies shows that a significant number of adults who have been in state care are known to be living in adverse circumstances. Their unemployment rate is high as well as their rates of poverty, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness and criminal offending. A key factor contributing to these poor adult outcomes for children is lack of educational or vocational qualifications. There is evidence that a high number of children in care leave school early, with their failure to attain a tertiary qualification directly linked to this. This Australian study was designed to investigate the factors that contributed to the education of academically successful ex-care women with the intention that the findings might inform current practice to promote the educational achievement of children in care contexts. Eighteen ex-care Australian women with a university degree were interviewed, their educational journeys collected and the data analysed using a narrative methodology. What emerged was that a range of factors contributed to supporting the education of children and young people in care contexts. The foundational, or overarching, themes emerging from the data were ‘conducive environment’ and ‘personal factors’. Conducive environment included the sometimes interrelated themes of: valuing of education, social networks; practical and financial resources; and personal factors included resilience and motivating factors. These themes and their elements are discussed in light of current practice implications.

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