Fostering success: young people’s experience of education while in foster care

ABSTRACT

All children have the right to an education and a voice, to be heard and to influence aspects of their lives and their education. Children and young people in foster care face unique and often challenging experiences that can make them vulnerable to having these basic rights eroded. This paper presents the findings from an in-depth study exploring the educational experiences and self-determined educational successes of young people who spent time in foster care in New Zealand. Findings from semi-structured interviews with seven young people reflected broad and holistic experiences of educational success. Relationships with teachers, foster caregivers and friends were key supports to success, along with having a voice, influence over decisions and having an advocate. Young people demonstrated marked resilience throughout the challenges they faced, which was both supportive to success, and a success in itself. Given the unique life experiences of children and young people in foster care, there is an imperative to create space for their voices to determine and define what educational success means. They need their rights to share these perspectives to enhance their own educational experiences, and to influence both the policy and practice agendas around foster care and education.

KEYWORDS:

• Foster care
• educational success
• inclusion
• child voice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 NCEA in New Zealand is used for employment and university and polytechnic selection processes, further, NCEA Level 2 provides foundational skills for employment (NZQA n.d.).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hannah Miller

Hannah Miller (MEdPsych, PGDipEdDevPsych, registered psychologist) is an educational psychologist practicing at the Ministry of Education, New Zealand. She works in schools and early childhood centres alongside families and school staff to promote inclusive practices and support children’s presence, participation and learning.

Roseanna Bourke

Roseanna Bourke (PhD, registered psychologist) is a Professor of Learning and Assessment at the Institute of Education, Massey University. She researches in the areas of child rights, student voice, informal and everyday learning, and assessment.

Vijaya Dharan

Vijaya Dharan (PhD, registered psychologist) is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Education, Massey University. She researches in the education of children identified on the autism spectrum, and with children where behaviours challenge the system, and inclusive education.