Education makes a crucial contribution to the development and wellbeing of all children and young people and is an important gateway to future employment and life opportunities. For children and young people growing up in out-of-home care, education can provide a pathway out of disadvantage. However, numerous studies in Australia and overseas have found that...

Under the current NSW Child Protection legislative reforms, there is increased emphasis on permanency arrangements including adoption and long-term guardianship orders. This paper provides an overview of the development of post-adoption support services in the US and UK; outlines research on the benefits of post-adoption support; and identifies the key elements of effective post-adoption support...

This paper reviews Australian and international policies and programs that are relevant to improving outcomes for young people who are transitioning from out-of-home care to adulthood. Information on any evaluation evidence of the effectiveness of the policy and programs is outlined where this is available.

Young people leaving care or who have left care are over-represented in the statistics on homelessness, early school leaving and contact with the criminal justice system. They are also more likely to have children at an early age and are at greater risk of having their own child taken into care. Improving outcomes for young...

This policy paper examines the impact of rising rates of school suspension on vulnerable children and young people. Often, the students suspended from school are those who can least afford to be absent from the classroom. Indeed, certain groups of students, including children and young people in out-of-home care, Aboriginal students and children with disabilities...