Little Stars Learners Program
Opening up a world of opportunities for young people in care
Helping young people in care
We support them to heal, learn, and have the same opportunities as their peers
Every child deserves the chance to feel safe, supported, and successful at school – and at life. But for young people growing up in foster, kinship, or residential care, that path can be steep. The trauma of early life experiences, combined with the uncertainty of constantly changing homes and schools, often makes it hard for them to settle, learn, and thrive.
Children in care are some of the most vulnerable in our communities. They’re often misunderstood, left behind, or labelled as “too hard.” But we know the truth: with the right support, they can achieve incredible things.
Without intervention, these kids face higher rates of school exclusion, lower academic achievement, and a greater risk of disadvantage that can last a lifetime.
But with the right intervention, at the right time, we can rewrite that story.
That’s why early, intensive, trauma-informed support changes everything.
That’s where Little Stars Learners comes in.
This is more than just a tutoring program – it’s a lifeline. A spark. A second chance. It’s our way of saying to each child, “You matter. You’re capable. And you are not alone.”
What Makes Little Stars Different?
Martin Greller’s Insight
Little Stars Learners delivers intensive, one-on-one educational support to children who have experienced trauma and are living in out-of-home care. Our approach is gentle, trauma-informed, and grounded in relationship and trust – because we know that healing comes before learning.
Each child is paired with a dedicated Learning Support Mentor who meets them where they are – emotionally, academically, and personally. Together, they build connection, confidence, and progress. The program is a “4-term” minimum program designed to build strong relationships, collaboration to make a measurable difference in a young person’s life.
Our focus is on helping young people catch up in the classroom through building confidence, self esteem and a belief in themselves.
Little Stars Learners Program Overview
Why a Trauma-Informed Approach Matters – Kerri Chard’s Insight
Healing through education and trust-based relationships
Supporting the child or young person, their carer, and their school – together.
Our trauma-informed Little Stars Learners program model is unique, evidence-based, and centred on building safe, meaningful relationships to improve learning and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people who have experienced trauma. Key components of the model include:
Personalised Support
Weekly, one-on-one relationship centred and flexible learning support sessions delivered in the home
Collaborative Approach
Collaboration with carers, teachers, and child safety officers
Trauma-Informed Mentoring
Trauma-informed flexible learning that involves an understanding of trauma and builds on safety, trust and confidence
Meaningful Connections
Community engagement experiences to foster joy, connection and confidence that sit alongside and support the core relationship and connection with the young person’s Learning Support Mentor.
Maths and Literacy support
Curriculum-aligned activities that strengthen literacy and numeracy and help young people catch up to their peers
Maths and Literacy support
Curriculum-aligned activities that strengthen literacy and numeracy and help young people catch up to their peers
Our Learning Support Mentors don’t just deliver lessons – they provide safety in relationship, encouragement, structure, stability and collaboration to support positive outcomes. These are not just sessions; they are life-changing opportunities to feel seen, supported and capable.
Our Focus on Trust-Based
Relational Intervention & The Power of Conection
Kerri Chard Explains
Our early intervention, trauma-informed learning support program gives children a safe, flexible space to heal and thrive. We partner with schools, families, and communities to provide wraparound care that meets children where they are – emotionally, developmentally, and academically.
We don’t just teach – we listen, we nurture, and we believe. And in doing so, we invest in the wellbeing of our future generations.
The Struggles Children Face
Program Outcomes
The Right intervention at the Right Time
Connect
By establishing a deep connection first, we ensure that our learners feel seen, heard, and valued - laying the groundwork for transformative educational experiences.
Link
Every activity, game, and lesson is linked to the Queensland school curriculum. While our learners are having fun, they’re also making progress towards key educational milestones.
Collaborate
We engage with carers, teachers, child safety officers and others supporting the student to achieve optimal outcomes.
Engage
Through a blend of fun, games, and flexibility, we’re able to foster a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.
Excite
Every young person holds the potential for greatness. By tapping into their hopes, dreams, goals, and desires, our program helps them achieve their personal best.
Support
We support the young person and their carer, so that they don’t feel alone in the educational journey.
Changing One Child’s Life Changes a Community
Changing One Child’s Life Changes a Community
Changing One Child’s Life Changes a Community
Too many children in care are being left behind – not because they can’t learn, but because their trauma is misunderstood, their needs go unmet, and support comes too late.
At Little Stars Foundation, we believe every child deserves the chance to learn, heal, and thrive. But the reality is stark: children in care face disproportionate rates of school exclusion, disengagement, and long-term disadvantage. The data is clear – without early and effective intervention, these children are more likely to enter a cycle of poor mental health, justice system involvement, and generational trauma.
That’s why we exist – to intervene early, support carers, and keep children connected to learning through our Little Stars Learners program. The need is urgent, the cost of inaction is high, and the opportunity to make a difference has never been greater.
- Children and young people from care make up less than 1% of the school population, yet receive 25% of suspensions and exclusions.
- Trauma often presents as “behavioural issues,” resulting in reduced school hours or full disengagement from education.
- These patterns contribute to lifelong disadvantages, including poor mental health, contact with the justice system, unemployment, and generational trauma.
- Recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows that nearly 2 in 3 young people (65%) under youth justice supervision in 2022–23 had prior involvement with the child protection system over the past decade. This powerful statistic highlights the urgent need for earlier, more effective support for children in care.
Supporting family-based placements and stability
How Little Stars Supports Placement Stability
Martin Greller’s Perspective
When a child re-engages with learning, their world expands. Confidence grows. Behaviour improves. Connection deepens. And their future opens wide.
The impact flows outwards – to carers, families, classrooms, and the wider community.
Education is more than knowledge – it’s a foundation for healing, resilience, and lifelong opportunity.
Yet right now, we’re seeing an alarming increase in the use of residential care due to a significant decline in available family-based placements. Supporting carers and promoting placement stability has never been more urgent.
The cost of placing a single child in residential care is between $300,000 and $600,000 per child per annum
In contrast, the cost of delivering early learning and wraparound support through the Little Stars Learners program is a fraction of that amount, with greater long-term benefits.
Early intervention isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do.
By investing early in children and the carers who support them, we can keep families together, improve educational outcomes, and reduce long-term reliance on costly systems of crisis care.
This is not only a moral imperative – it’s a powerful social and economic solution.
I am so happy for him; I am literally crying….
Oh, my goodness! I am so happy for him; I am literally crying!
This is the best news our little family has had in the last month. I would like to thank our foster agency for also funding this for P.
Even though my husband and I have worked hard with P with homework and extra activities to strengthen his new skills, his Learning Support Mentor, Megan, has formed such a lovely relationship with him.
Real change. Proven outcomes.
Our Little Stars Learners Progam is evidence based.
An Independent Social Return on Investment (SROI) review by Lumenia in 2024 found that the Little Stars Learners program creates measurable impact, not just for children in care, but for the adults who support them, and the communities they live in.
Click to view the Independent Social Return on Investment Report and Video Interview with Lumenia’s Melissa Kaltner and Mark Galvin.
For every $1 invested, Little Stars Learners generates $5.60 in social and economic value.
That’s not just a number — it’s a life-changing ripple effect.
Your support helps unlock better futures for children who’ve faced the toughest of starts.
Key outcomes include:
- Stronger engagement in learning in the sessions and in the classroom
- Improved social behaviours in and outside the classroom
- Increased confidence and wellbeing
- Greater stability in care placements
- Greater carer wellbeing which impacts upon placement stability for young people
- Increased trauma-awareness across schools and communities
- Better maths and literacy outcomes
An Independent Evaluation of our program involving extensive review of outcomes and engagement with stakeholders clearly shows that our Little Stars Learners program is not only transforming lives but are also delivering a high return on investment.
For every $1 invested in our Little Stars Learners Program, $5.60 of social and economic value is created, benefiting young people, carers, the education system, and the Queensland community.
This powerful return highlights the significant impact of the program in addressing the educational challenges faced by young people in care, creating lasting benefits for individuals and society.
By investing in these young lives, we are breaking the cycle of disadvantage, giving young people in care the opportunity to overcome academic, social, and emotional barriers so that they shine at school and well beyond.
What We See - Every Day
- A child who had been suspended or expelled from school now walking proudly through the gates.
- A carer with tears in their eyes saying, “They’re behaviours have improved and they are going to school full time.”
- A teacher who notices a child speaking up in class for the first time.
- A young person smiling, hopeful, believing that maybe, just maybe, they can do this.
These moments are not small. They are life-changing. And they’re happening every day through Little Stars Learners.
Our Focus on Trust-Based Relational
Invervention & the Power of Connection
Kerri Chard Explains
More than learning: Building belonging together
Through unforgettable experiences like trips to the football, theatre, and movies, we create moments of joy, belonging, and connection – helping the young people who we work with feel seen, valued, and part of a community that cares.
Join us in changing a Young Person’s story
When you enrol a child in Little Stars Learners, you’re doing more than supporting their education – you’re giving them hope, belonging, and the tools they need to believe in themselves again.
We accept applications from:
- The Department of Child Safety
- Foster and kinship care agencies
- Schools
- Residential care providers
- Carers
For carers unable to obtain funding through the Department of Child Safety or their foster agency, limited scholarships may be available through philanthropic support. Please complete both an Application Form and Scholarship Application if you would like to apply for a scholarship. Other funding options must have been investigated and exhausted.
Applications open in August and close 20 December for the following year’s program.
Would you like to know more?
We’ve created a simple, heartfelt Information Kit to help you learn more about how Little Stars Learners can make a difference in the lives of children in care.
STEP ONE
Apply for program funding through your foster agency, Department of Child Safety
STEP TWO
Once funding is approved,
submit your online
application
STEP THREE
An invoice will be issued for payment. Your young person will be matched with a Learning Support Mentor to start their journey
