LOOKOUT Education Support Centres

LOOKOUT Education Support Centres build the capability of relevant stakeholders to improve educational outcomes for children and young people living in care. These stakeholders include early childhood services, schools, carers, child protection practitioners and out-of-home care services.

Supporting children and young people living in care

Compared to their peers, children and young people living in care are at greater risk of poorer educational outcomes. These risks include:

poor kindergarten and school attendance and engagement
failing to develop foundational educational skills and reaching expected benchmarks
disengaging from compulsory schooling
not achieving any academic qualification.

Support in early childhood education and care

LOOKOUT Early Childhood Learning Advisors (ECLAs) support children living in care by:

facilitating and monitoring their participation in two years of high-quality kindergarten
supporting access to Early Start Kindergarten and the Pre-Prep rollout
strengthening supportive transitions to school
promoting The early childhood agreement for children in out-of-home care.

Children living in care experience complex and intersecting barriers to education. They are often supported by several professionals and carers, with ECLAs playing a coordinating partnership role.

ECLAs work with a range of stakeholders and other support services to meet the needs of children living in care. They promote inclusive, trauma-informed approaches and cultural safety in kindergarten settings.

LOOKOUT Streamlining Access Officers build sector capability on the value of high quality early education and care, and how to identify and access this. They focus on children known to Child Protection.

Further information for early childhood professionals: Supporting children placed in out-of-home care.

Support in schools

LOOKOUT Centres focus on building capability, advocacy, expert advice and support the professionals who work with students living in care. They make sure that education is at the centre of decisions made about the student’s care, placement and future.

LOOKOUT centre staff, including Learning Advisors, assist schools through:

promoting the Out-Of-Home Care Education Commitment: a Partnering Agreement
professional development to support students living in care educational and socio-emotional needs
advice to support individual students living in care
reviewing enrolment decisions that aren't in a student’s best interests
facilitating opportunities for students living in care to fully participate in camps, excursions and extracurricular activities.