Category Archives: Adoption

Removal from family: An enduring sensitivity

Posted on December 19, 2022 by colbypearce

The decision to remove a child or young person from the care of their birth parents is a grave one that confronts child protection authorities daily. Removal occurs with the intention of protecting the child from harm and securing their … Continue reading →

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Child welfare intervention outcomes: what does trust in the accessibility and responsiveness of adults look like?

Posted on November 4, 2022 by colbypearce

In this the final blog of the series, I will present what I think functional learning about the accessibility and responsiveness of adults in a caregiving role for needs provision looks like. I recommend that the reader also take a … Continue reading →

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What attachment security looks like

Posted on November 1, 2022 by colbypearce

In the first blog of this series about child welfare intervention outcomes, I wrote about the importance of knowing, and being able to say, what progress toward successful outcomes looks like. In this second blog of the series, I will … Continue reading →

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What do children in care need to recover from relational trauma?

Posted on May 18, 2022 by colbypearce

In recent posts I have referred to three things that children in out-of-home care need, and need adults who are responsible for their care and welfare to understand, to support their recovery from complex relational trauma. These three things are: … Continue reading →

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How do I get my child to go to sleep in their own bed?

Posted on April 21, 2022 by colbypearce

In this blog I describe a methodology I used with my own children, and recommend in my practice. Before doing so, I would advise that this is a routine that I sustained across years. My children and I enjoyed this … Continue reading →

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How long does it take for therapeutic care strategies to work?

Posted on April 20, 2022 by colbypearce

The ‘failure’ of a therapeutic care strategy to achieve the desired outcome on first administration does not necessarily mean that it will not or that it is a worthless strategy. Children and young people who are recovering from a tough … Continue reading →

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Why does my child need ‘therapeutic care’?

Posted on April 1, 2022 by colbypearce

A child’s adjustment, like many aspects of their functioning, is usefully thought of as sitting on a spectrum ranging from maladjustment at one end to positive adjustment at the other end. Where a child is on this spectrum depends on … Continue reading →

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Why does my child chew their clothes?

Posted on March 16, 2022 by colbypearce

Chewing their clothes is not necessarily evidence of wilful damage or a lack of respect. For many children it is an exaggeration of a very natural way in which they regulate their nervous system. As such, it is better conceptualised … Continue reading →

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Why does my child follow me to the bathroom?

Posted on March 14, 2022 by colbypearce

Those who take care of children who are recovering from a tough start to life commonly report that the child in their care follows them to the bathroom, and becomes unreasonably distressed when prevented from doing so. In my experience … Continue reading →

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What does my child’s recovery from early trauma look like?

Posted on February 27, 2022 by colbypearce

Anyone who has played Spotto (Spot the yellow car) with children knows that there are many more yellow cars on the road than you typically notice when driving. Similarly, when playing I Spy there are many more things starting with … Continue reading →

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