The Carer Assistance Program presents a series of therapeutic considerations for carers.

Through the insights of CAP practitioners, this series provides reflections on the emotional, behavioural, and therapeutic aspects of caring. It is designed to help carers better understand children and young people, navigate challenging moments, and support their own wellbeing.

Topics:

• The Masking Cycle - Children and young people may sometimes suppress or “mask” their emotions to cope with stress. This article explores how carers can recognise these hidden experiences.

• Gaming in Children - For many children and young people, gaming is a source of entertainment and social connection. However, for children who have experienced trauma, loss, uncertainty or significant life disruption, such as those in care, digital worlds can sometimes serve a deeper purpose. This article explores how carers can better understand gaming through a trauma-informed lens, what may sit beneath a child's attachment to screens, and practical ways to set healthy boundaries while maintaining connection and support.

• Calming The Emotional Brain - Carers can experience dysregulation in their child/young person like “suddenly a switch has flipped”. This can be confusing and challenging, as triggers are not always obvious or known to carers, or indeed often to the child/young person themselves.

• The Circle of Control - The Circle of Control is a useful framework that may assist foster carers to focus on aspects of providing care, within an often complex system, that they can directly influence.

• Secondary Trauma - The Secondary Trauma of Fostering explores how caring for a child who has experienced trauma can affect carers, the signs to look for and ways to support your wellbeing.