School Re-engagement: Understanding Attendance Challenges and Practical, System Level Responses in Out-of-Home Care
Description
Join the Centre and Associate Professor Lisa McKay Brown for an interactive workshop on school re‑engagement for children and young people in out‑of‑home care (OOHC). Combining lecture content with practical activities, the session will explore key attendance challenges and how practitioners can respond within their sphere of influence.
Using an ecological systems lens, participants will examine factors shaping attendance across relationships, school context and the wider service system, alongside key Let Us Learn recommendations on data use, return‑to‑school planning (including modified timetables), and relationship‑based work with schools.
By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
Identify key factors influencing attendance challenges in OOHC.
Map your sphere of influence across practice, school, and system levels.
Identify practical responses to support prevention, early intervention, and re‑engagement.
Apply approaches to return‑to‑school planning and working effectively with schools.
A light lunch will be provided.
Audience:
This workshop is aimed at child and family services professionals, child protection practitioners, professionals working in OOHC settings and other roles supporting children and young people in care with their education engagement and planning.
Registration information:
We are using a registration of interest process to manage attendees. Please submit your details to register your interest in attending. You will receive an email and ticket once your registration has been confirmed.
Places are limited. Confirmation of attendance is required prior to the event and unconfirmed registrations may be released to participants on the waitlist.
Lineup
Associate Professor Lisa McKay-Brown
Associate Professor Lisa McKay-Brown is Associate Dean, Diversity and Inclusion at the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne. With over 25 years of teaching and leadership experience, she specialises in the inclusion of students with disability. Internationally recognised for her research on school attendance, Lisa serves on the Executive Board of the International Network for School Attendance. She leads the Faculty of Education Disability Research Collaboration and oversees programmes such as In2School, addressing chronic school absenteeism, and Pathways2Participation, which enhances attendance through Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Lisa is engaged in international collaborations on inclusive education in India and Latin America and is particularly focused on challenging the marginalisation of young people with disability in education settings.
FAQs
- Is this workshop for me?
This workshop is primarily aimed at child and family services professionals, child protection practitioners and professionals working in OOHC settings and roles supporting children and young people in care with their education engagement and planning.
If you would like to check whether this session is appropriate for you, please reach out to the event organiser via email:
Kate McLaughlin - kate.mclaughlin@cfecfw.org.au
- I can no longer attend - what should I do?
This is a free session with limited spots, we appreciate that circumstances arise where you can't attend as planned.
If you are unable to attend, please cancel your ticket to allow someone else to take your place. If you are unable to cancel your ticket please email event organiser listed below who can cancel this manually.
Kate McLaughlin - kate.mclaughlin@cfecfw.org.au
- I want to attend, but the event is sold out
This session is limited in capacity to ensure that there is appropriate room for group discussion and practice application. If anyone cancels their ticket, these will automatically be allocated to those who have registered interest.
If you're unable to attend, but interested in more events like this, follow the Centre on Humanitix to be the first to hear about future workshops for the Out-of-Home Care and Education project!
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
