Emily Fuller

Young people in state care not only lose support, usually at 18 years of age, but also experience unequal participation in post-secondary education. This has raised concern about the importance of widening participation (WP) for care-experienced young people (CEYP). However, CEYP are often institutionally stigmatised and this could be worsened by WP interventions that are framed by deficit discourses. Weaving together social pedagogies and social justice theories, the article aims to reframe WP away from deficit discourses through recognition of the systemic, structural and cultural inequalities that most CEYP must navigate to access formal education. We introduce the concept of the relational navigator, in which a pedagogical relationship enables the navigator to ‘pilot’ through complex systems and transitional processes in collaboration with, and through ‘walking alongside’, the CEYP with respect to their lived contexts and experiences. This article draws from the reflections of W...

Current research shows that Australians with out-of-home care backgrounds are less likely to commence and complete tertiary education, and more likely to be unemployed or employed in low paid roles. This paper focuses on a program at a regional university in Australia which was developed to address some of the barriers care leavers face in learning about, accessing and engaging with higher education. The discussion utilises an autoethnographic approach to highlight and explore the ‘navigator’ role which is part of the Live, Learn, Grow program. It investigates the program’s value in providing support for first year university students with a care experience and contextualises findings in relation to research outlining the supports available for care leavers in higher education, both in Australia and internationally.

Developed through research and community collaboration with the out-of-home care (OOHC) sector, including people with lived experience and local providers, Live, Learn, Grow aims to address some of the barriers faced by care leavers in learning about, accessing and engaging in higher education. Over 40,000 children and young people in Australia are currently in OOHC. Research shows Australians who have a previous OOHC experience are less likely to commence and complete tertiary education, and more likely to be unemployed, or employed in low paid, low skilled roles. Through collaboration with local agencies, Live, Learn, Grow has provided information about higher education pathways to young people in care, as well as on-campus experience days. The Navigator/Linker role has also provided support for first-year university students, with participants highlighting this support as a key factor in their decision to remain engaged in university study past their first month.