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The educational outcomes of children in care – a scoping review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2020

Stephan Lund Open the ORCID record for Stephan Lund [Opens in a new window]  and
Cathy Stokes
Stephan Lund*
Affiliation:
Discipline of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Allied Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Cathy Stokes
Affiliation:
Discipline of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Allied Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Stephan Lund, Email stephan.lund@uwa.edu.au
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Abstract

This article presents a brief scoping review of the literature on the educational outcomes of care experienced children and young people in Australia published since 2010. The review also examines key educational issues and the impact of being in care on the educational experience of children and young people. Twenty-five papers were selected for review, key information extracted and recurrent themes noted. Themes include stigma and low expectations, school disruption and absenteeism, issues within the care and education systems and the importance of good relationships with supportive adults. The review found that young people in care often experience much worse educational outcomes than their peers. Conclusions and recommendations include reforming the care and education systems, focussing workers on building strong supportive relationships with young people, helping them to build resilience and prioritising education. Further targeted research is also recommended.

Keywords

scoping reviewchildren in careout-of-home care
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 45 , Special Issue 4: Special Issue: Poverty and Child Abuse , December 2020 , pp. 249 - 257
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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