I would like to share the model I created for a poster presentation at the UNESCO conference in Galway last month. Showing why it is essential to address the root causes of trauma and trauma that is present in people to be able to connect and make progress whether it is at the personal level or the societal level.
Please share to help spread awareness.
The compendium project – bringing together and doing a quality analysis of all available practical tools for implementing alternative care reform and making them easily accessible – continues to progress. However, progress has been slower recently, because I am currently unable to fully dedicate myself to the project.
To reduce the delays inevitable in fully self-funding the compendium project, I have started a fundraiser on GoFundMe. If you would like to help ensure that free access to the outcomes of the project is available around the world as soon as possible, you can donate HERE. Sharing the GoFundMe link is much appreciated too.
A while ago, I saw a post on damaged WWII aeroplanes. Somehow, that got connected for me to careleavers and how we need to do better for them. A strange connection, but one that increasingly makes a lot of sense. I’ll tell you why.
Continue reading “What About the Careleavers We Don’t Hear from?”‘Understanding the Trauma of Children from Institutions. A training manual for case workers’ is not only useful for people involved in moving children from institutions to families to increase their knowledge and awareness about the effects of institutionalisation and how they can support families to help children catch up. Because it gives detailed information about how care in institutions differs from care in families and in what ways this causes harm, it also provides important ‘ammunition’ for advocacy for alternative care reform towards family-based care and family strengthening.
Continue reading “Advocacy Material from Understanding the Trauma of Children from Institutions”In recent years, quite a lot of effort has been put into making sure that terms used to refer to certain groups of people – particularly those who are part of marginalised or stigmatised minorities – are not offensive. This is obviously to be applauded. Language matters and hearing yourself referred to with a derogatory term is hurtful and undermines self-worth. Equally when people grow up hearing certain groups referred to with derogatory terms, this is more likely to create a feeling that these groups are in fact inferior in some sense and that it is okay to insult them. This can do a lot of long-term harm. However, the thinking seems to be that if we just change the term used, that will lead to improvement and this is short-sighted.
Continue reading “Language Matters, But Is Not All”In the books ‘Understanding the Trauma of Institutionalised Children. To support the child you adopt’ and ‘Understanding the Trauma of Children from Institutions. A training manual for case workers’ I have given a pretty detailed overview of what is problematic about children growing up in institutions and how well-supported families can help children from institutions overcome the challenges that have developed.
Continue reading “Introductory Video of the Model of Understanding Trauma”Last week, in a discussion with global experts on alternative care and care reform, I became increasingly alarmed. The discussion was about the need to have clear definitions and standards to ensure that everyone knows what is meant and expected. I have no argument with that. However, the way the discussion went, implied that once definitions and standards would be agreed upon, this would provide not just a useful framework, but something like a formula or a clear step-by-step guide. With the further implication that if this formula or guide is followed this would automatically lead to good outcomes. That is what I have major issues with.
Continue reading “There Is No Failsafe Formula for Transition”The training manual is now available! It is the twin to Understanding the Trauma of Institutionalised Children. To support the child you adopt, which I published in September last year. That was a book written for adoptive parents caring or planning to care for a child coming from an institution. The book gave information about how institutionalisation affects brain development and the stress response system, what the effects of that are and how parents can support the child to overcome challenging behaviour and developmental delays as much as possible. This information is not only applicable to children who are adopted from institutions. It applies to all children who are moved from institutions to families. That is why, even before the ‘adoption version’ came out, I had started work on adapting the same basic content to a different audience.
Continue reading “Training Manual for Case Workers”The end of 2022 has already arrived. It seems like this year passed particularly fast, somehow. There was certainly no chance of boredom this year. However, unlike the two previous years, it felt more like things were starting to move forward, rather than being held back and stuck in uncertainty.
Continue reading “Looking Back on 2022”Stigma is an important roadblock in the way of moving children from institutions to families. As well as to ensure that children are not separated from their families unnecessarily in the first place. There are a lot of children who are affected by stigma, including but not limited to children with disabilities, children affected by HIV, children of unwed mothers, children belonging to marginalised minorities, children on the move, children living in the street, former child soldiers, survivors of child trafficking, survivors of sexual abuse, and children who have lived in ‘orphanages’. In discussions around moving children who are stigmatised in some way from institutions to families, there is often a perception that this cannot be done, it is just not safe for the children to be moved into a community that does not accept them.
Continue reading “Breaking Stigma Through Exposure”