Learners in Care are children and youth whose care is the responsibility of the government. Children and youth in care may vary in age and be from any ethnic or socio-economic background. Our education system is one of several agencies that can make a positive difference for these learners. Effective and timely communication between child welfare workers, educators and guardians goes a long way towards ensuring children feel cared for and are able to maintain their emotional well being.
Joint Educational Planning and Support for Children and Youth in Care: Cross-Ministry Guidelines (2017)
It takes a village to raise a child.
Proverb attributed to various African cultures
Why are we focussing on Learners in Care?
The health and well-being of Learners in Care is of significant importance to the Richmond School District. We recognize that as students’ living situations change and shift, there is a potential for loss of connection with caring adults. The school district strives to provide a safe environment for learning through strong connections with adults that promote opportunities to build resilience. We are focusing on Learners in Care to ensure they are successful at school - socially, emotionally, and intellectually.
What learning and actions are we doing?
The school district works to ensure safe, caring and orderly schools, through our focus on the Core Competencies and Social Emotional Learning. By building strong community, home, family, and caregiver partnerships, we provide wrap-around support between district and school-based team members and community services to identify students’ needs and plan for their social, emotional and academic growth. Examples of our learning and actions will be provided throughout the year.
Mentors for CYC
Inquiry into the Role of Mentors for Children and Youth in Care
How will we know we are making enough of a difference?
We are able to reflect on our students’ educational and social experiences in a variety of ways: school-based measures of success and graduation completion; and research and evidenced based measurements such as the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), McCreary Adolescent Health Survey data, Student Learning Surveys. Examples of how we are making a difference will be provided at key points in the school year.
Monitoring Supports for CYC
