1. 1 Therapeutic Reparenting – What does it take? Michelle Van Doorn Marilyn Connolly Oz Child

2. What is Therapeutic Foster Care... Therapeutic Reparenting – more than ‘good enough’? ‘The daily contact carers have with the child in their care offers countless opportunity for therapeutic moments’ (Murphy and Callaghan 1989 Berry St) Therapeutic reparenting recognises the past abuse and trauma, seeks to understand the impact and aims to provide a healing experience. Therapeutic care models are based on an understanding of the neurobiology of trauma, attachment and resilience theory.

3. OzChild commenced working in partnership with the Australian Childhood Foundation and the Department of Human Services in 2007 to deliver ‘The Circle Program’. The model is built on strong partnership and team approach at all levels. The program is delivered around a care team model of which the carer is a crucial member. Their voice and input is seen as essential to the development and delivery of the therapeutic plan. The Circle Program

4. Additional carer training, assessment, support and reimbursement. Additional worker training and reduced caseload. The care team’s focus is to support the carer to provide skilled therapeutic parenting to enable the child to grow, learn, develop and heal from the effects of trauma. Features of The Circle Program

5. CULTURE Aboriginal Agency Birth Family Placement Worker Therapeutic Specialist Carer Child Protection Practitioner The Care Team

6. What We Have Learnt So Far… 25 children have been involved in the program. We undertook file reviews, interviews with workers and carers and revisited the literature around therapeutic parenting. Stability and consistency of care is a strong feature of our program. One placement breakdown has occurred during the reviewed period.

7. All carers have been parents or provided parenting through traditional foster care ranging from 12 months to 27 years. The age split of children in the program has ranged from birth –10 years. We wanted to look particularly at personal characteristics needed to be a therapeutic parent. What We Have Learnt So Far cont...

8. ‘Special people, certainly, but not so special as to be an endangered species’ (Brian Cairns 2004) What Does It take…

9. Willingness to learn capacity to learn and integrate new ways of doing things.

10. Flexibility thinking counter- intuitively

11. Commitment “hanging in” for as long as needed.

12. Empathy/ Attunement understanding of the child’s terms of reference

13. Secure Sense of Self solid understanding of self and vulnerabilities

14. Playfulness and Humour Enjoys laughing and having fun!

15. Partnership an active member of the parenting team

16. Patience go at the child’s pace and parent at the child’s developmental age

17. Self Care good ability to look after ones self!

18. Patience Partnership Self Care Willingness to Learn Playfulness And Humour Secure Sense of Self Empathy/ Attunement Commitment Flexibility What It Takes To Help Children Heal…

19. Therapeutic Parenting in Action - Video