In the news: NSW Premier promises reforms in the residential care system for children without carers
What’s happening?
Recently on the ABC, there was a Four Corners investigation on neglect and abuse in residential group homes. In Broken Homes: On the frontline of Australia’s child protection crisis, reporter Linton Besser highlights how “resi kids” are not only subject to abuse but also widespread neglect. In NSW, there are 660 children who do not have foster carers and thus live in residential homes. The investigation found that some of the country’s most damaged children are still being placed in danger.
New South Wales Premier Mike Baird has now promised reforms for the care of children who have been removed from their homes, admitting that the system must improve. Mr Geary, the Victorian Commissioner for Children and Young People, has added that residential care homes were a disgraceful way to care for children and should be phased out entirely.
“”If we had more foster carers who were better resourced, and as a consequence were more accountable, these children would be cared for not in barns with other children who are needy, but in home-based care.” – Mr Geary
Premier Mike Baird has stated that the fact that 60 per cent of homeless people have been under state care at some stage proves not enough was being done to help them find a path in life, and his suggested reforms would involve creating a single entity to ensure there was one point of contact for children that fell under the care of Family and Community Services.
“We will start the reforms with one of the most vulnerable groups — children under 12 in residential care. They will get the health, mental health and psychological interventions they need so that they can have a permanent stable home.” – Premier Baird
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
The importance of educational support, tutoring and remedial work for children with a history of abuse and trauma
The need for educational support
Most, if not all, children and young people living in out-of-home care arrangements have suffered trauma. This may have been abuse and/or neglect prior to their removal from their family of origin and/or other subsequent trauma including that associated with a multiple placement history.
The future for many of these children is bleak. Well-documented research identifies an inability to maintain relationships, poor education achievement, criminal involvement, mental health problems and high levels of addiction/substance abuse as just some of the likely adverse outcomes for these children and young people.
One way in which The Wishing Well seeks to help these children is by providing a number of services and therapies so these children and young people can recover from the trauma, abuse and neglect they have suffered and have the opportunity for happy and productive lives.
Working with the Australian Tutoring Association
One disadvantage children with a history of abuse and trauma face is falling behind in their schoolwork. At Wishing Well, we have partnered with the Australian Tutoring Association (ATA) to supply these children with a high standard of the tutoring, educational support and remedial work that they may need in order to succeed in their studies.
The ATA was formed in recognition of the need to unify the tutoring industry nationally. The ATA has members from around Australia and aims to represent tutors and tutoring organisations, act as a lobby group and raise the standard of tutoring in Australia. The Wishing Well directs clients to members of the ATA as they uphold the standards that are required to working with disadvantaged children.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
Massage therapy for children – what is it and how does it work?
What is massage therapy for children?
Massage therapy is an example of a patterned, repetitive somatosensory activity that has been shown to lead to positive improvements for children who have suffered trauma, abuse and/or neglect. Trauma may come in many forms including hospitalisation, experiencing physical and verbal abuse, witnessing traumatic events and traumatic natural events. These experiences can shape a child’s development, and have consequences that last for years beyond the actual event, as the impacts of child abuse and trauma can be far greater than its immediate effects.
How does massage therapy work?
Infant massage has long been a common practice in families of Eastern and African cultures. Many indigenous tribes use some form of bodywork to soothe, relax and heal their little ones, sometimes including scented oils and herbal remedies as part of the experience. Massage therapy and touch therapy offers a sense of healthy touch and a healthy sense of self that is not just about working sore muscles and relieving tension. Massage therapy is a simple approach for working with people who’ve forgotten what it means to be in the here and now; people who’ve forgotten what it feels like to feels like to ‘feel’.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
Nutrition guidance for children – what is it and how does it work?
What is Nutritional Guidance for Children?
Food is fundamental to our health and wellbeing, so it is important we have a good understanding of where our food comes from, what we eat, where we eat and what factors affect our food choices. Good nutrition can contribute to quality of life, help to maintain healthy body weight, protect against infections, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases and early death. Helping the body recover from malnutrition is a significant step towards helping the child build his/her immune system and fight the effects of abuse and trauma. This could include stress, depression, fatigue, low self-esteem, problems with body image and so forth.
How does it work?
Health and nutrition guidance is used in conjunction with other therapies to help guide the individual to maximise nutritional well-being, thus optimising their overall health and wellbeing. By providing children with the nutrients that their bodies need to grow, they are able to develop and reach their physical and mental potential. Alternatively, poor food choices and unhealthy eating habits adopted during childhood can lead to a range of diseases and health related problems in later life.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
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