We are thankful for the safety of 15 families and 30 children and young people who were directly affected by the recent bushfires. This has highlighted the importance of bushfire action plans, with a number of family-based and residential carers enacting their plans over the past weeks.
Related post: Carer’s bushfire story
Our staff and agency partners have pulled together admirably to support impacted families, and we sincerely thank them for going above and beyond during this difficult time. This includes providing emotional support to carers and families, volunteering with local recovery efforts, raising funds and collecting much needed supplies for families in need.
Helping children cope with bushfires
Carers and staff have an important role in helping children and young people to cope and make sense of what is happening around them.
We need to remember that children and young people in care may have particular emotional needs or responses regarding natural disasters. It is important that these emotional needs are considered in the context of their trauma histories. Emotional responses may include developmental regression (eg wetting the bed), disrupted sleeping and eating patterns, becoming withdrawn or other behavioural changes.
There are a number of resources that can help adults support children and young people to cope with overwhelming events, with links available on our online carers platform.