Tag Archives: adoption

Why do my child’s support professionals say that behaviour management doesn’t work?

Posted on February 2, 2023 by colbypearce

Conventional responses to behaviours of concern, such as reward and punishment strategies, are widely considered to be ineffective in addressing the complex and challenging behaviours exhibited by children and young people who have experienced complex, relational, or early/developmental trauma. This … Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Adoption, Attachment, Fostering, kinship care, trauma informed, trauma informed care, Trauma Informed Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Adoption, Attachment, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed, trauma informed practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Outcomes in child welfare: What a well-modulated nervous system looks like

Posted on November 3, 2022 by colbypearce

In this, the third blog in this series, I will write about what a well-modulated nervous system looks like among children and young people who are recovering from a tough start to life. Please also refer to the first and … Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Fostering, kinship care, trauma informed | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Adoption, Fostering, kinship care, trauma informed | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Children (and Young People) who Foster

Posted on July 31, 2022 by colbypearce

I need my mum and dad to be there for me without me having to ask; to say the words that show that they understand what is happening for me and our family right now; to show that my needs are important without me having to explain them; and to sit with me and experience what I am feeling. Continue reading →

Posted in Fostering, kinship care | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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 →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Adoption, Attachment, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed, trauma informed care | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Adoption, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed care | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Adoption, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed, trauma informed care | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why does my child lie?

Posted on February 22, 2022 by colbypearce

Lying is not necessarily evidence of a character flaw or lack of connection with reality. Children and young people who are recovering from a tough start to life due to abuse and neglect lie for self-protection. Such is their profound … Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Adoption, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why does my child smile when I am angry?

Posted on February 22, 2022 by colbypearce

Smiling when you are angry is not necessarily a sign that the child or young person in your care is feeling self-satisfied and smug. Many children and young people who are recovering from a tough start to life due to abuse and neglect are unsettled by heightened emotion in adults. For them, it is associated with something bad happening. Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Adoption, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments