Raising post-secondary education participation of young people transitioning from care: The effects of extended legislative support

Out-of-home care is associated with a range of negative social outcomes for the young people who experience it. The most promising path to improved life chances for care-experienced young people is arguably through education, especially post-secondary education. Currently, no national data are collected on the post-secondary education participation of care-experienced young people. However, the evidence that exists suggests their participation rate is likely very low. Historically, one reason for post-secondary participation gaps has been the fact that care ended abruptly at 18 years, forcing care-experienced young people into independence much faster and earlier than the vast majority of their same-age peers. The recent extension to care to 21 years for most young people in care across all Australian jurisdictions has changed the out-of-home care landscape considerably. A central question is whether the extension of care will, in itself, result in increased post-secondary education access and success for care-experienced young people. We address this question through an examination of the current out-of-home care and education landscape, including state and territory legislation, Australian Government policy and current post-secondary settings and outcomes.