Natural disasters and generations of social disadvantage can have a significant effect on young children who rely on the adults around them for safety and security.
It can also be difficult for early childhood teachers and educators to know how to respond to young children who have been traumatised by events in their lives.
That is why Emerging Minds: National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health has released a series of resources and toolkits.
The
Community trauma toolkit, for example, is grouped into 5 timelines around the moment of disaster: Preparedness, immediate, short-term, long-term and ongoing.
It contains videos, podcasts, workshops, infographics and downloadable factsheets.
The toolkit will equip users to:
- prepare children and their families, both practically and psychologically, for a disaster
- interact with children during the event in a way that may enhance their resilience and recovery
- support children and their families in the ongoing recovery process
- understand the importance of self-care during and after a traumatic event
- identify emotional and behavioural difficulties in children that may warrant ongoing, specialised support.
A year in the making, the toolkit was developed by Emerging Minds and the Australian National University in consultation with early childhood professionals, disaster recovery and resilience experts, and children and families with a lived experience of natural disasters.
The
Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children toolkit aims to motivate non-Aboriginal early childhood professionals to build genuine relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities.
Visit the Emerging Minds resources page, subscribe to the
Emerging Minds podcast for conversations with early childhood wellbeing experts or sign up for their monthly newsletter for the latest resources and tools to support your practice.