12th June 2020
AV’s TEACHaR^ program has had a remarkable year. Remarkable in that the challenges we faced were unlike any other; remarkable also for the program’s adaptability and innovation of care during the crises.
Many of the vulnerable young people in our care have faced challenges that can make school attendance and education difficult even at the best of times. For some, the disruption of bushfires and the pandemic added exceptional pressure.
In response, the TEACHaR program has been highly active, supporting new clients to deal with the loss of schools and family homes, moving existing students forward despite rapidly changing circumstances.
Our program’s Education Specialists offer one-on-one learning support to keep young people on track with their education. Extensive experience in teaching and further training in childhood trauma allows our specialists to adapt lessons and support to the complex behaviour our young people can exhibit. More than anything else, the program offers our young people consistent support as they move through the most challenging chapters of their lives.
The TEACHaR program led the field with the rapid provision of new online educational resources. We created an online “lite” version of the TEACHaR program offering remote tutoring and educational resources to every child in our care. The TEACHaR team personally visited and (safely) handed our learning packs with textbooks and stationery to accompany the online components. The team also created a new forum for carers to connect online and share their homeschooling experiences. The online program has been so useful to families and well-received by young people that it is likely to become a permanent feature of the program.
The support TEACHaR offered during the pandemic was critically important to the stability of our client family environments. School closures, job uncertainty and lockdown restrictions pushed carers to their limits. Some foster carers indicated that without the extra homeschooling support TEACHaR has provided, they would not have been able to cope.
The TEACHaR team have truly gone above and beyond to ensure that no child is left behind. We thank them for their incredible contribution now, and as they stand beside our young people into the future.
^ Transforming Education Achievement for Children and Young People in Home Based and Residential Care
