Knowledge transfer resulting from the Improving Educational Outcomes for Children in Care conference: How it is helping a child welfare organization to build a long term educational strategy

Abstract

The paper reports on how a child protection agency capitalized on the knowledge acquired at the Improving Educational Outcomes for Children in Care conference to launch the development of a long term strategy to promote educational success for the children in its care. After attending the conference a team from the agency completed a review of current agency strategies and an analysis of the presentations given by practitioners and researchers. As a result the team was able to identify immediate steps that will be taken. It also found that a number of themes ran through the presentations that will become the pillars underpinning the development of a long term plan. The themes are: the importance of transitions; a commitment to strong collaboration between the child welfare and education systems; enhanced educational support for children in care; the cultivation of an expectation of success; the importance of caregiver involvement; and the creation of a culture of education.