LOOKOUT Education Support Centres

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

Supporting young children and students in out-of-home care

Research indicates that children and young people living in out-of-home care are at greater risk of poorer educational outcomes than those in the broader community. Young children and students in out-of-home care are at greater risk of:

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 kindergarten

LOOKOUT Early Childhood Learning Advisors (ECLAs) facilitate and monitor children in out-of-home care’s participation in two years of high-quality kindergarten, promote Early Start Kindergarten and a supportive transition to school.

In recognition that children in out-of-home care experience complex and intersecting barriers to education, and are often supported by several professionals and carers, ECLAs play a coordinating partnership role.

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

ECLAs promote the Early Childhood Agreement for Children in Out-of-Home Care where 11 signatories have agreed to prioritise the children’s health, wellbeing and engagement of children in high quality early learning programs. Further support information: Supporting Children Placed in Out-of-Home Care: information for early childhood professionals

Support in schools

LOOKOUT centres assist children and young people in schools through:

professional development with staff to support students educational and socio-emotional needs
advice to schools to support individual students
reviewingenrolment decisions that aren't in a student's best interests
facilitating opportunities for students to participate fully in school life (including camps, excursions and extracurricular activities).

LOOKOUT centres focus on professional development, advocacy, expert advice and support to build the capability of professionals who work with children and young people in care, making sure that education is at the centre of decisions made about their care, placement and future.