Support Services

Assessing & Strengthening Your Support Network

Your Support Network.pdf

Your Support Network

10 Ways to Strengthen Your Support Network.pdf

10 Ways To Strengthen Your Support Network

Click on the 'Guide to Support Services and Resources' link below for a full list of Community Based Services and Online Supports:

Guide to Support Services and Resources 24082021 updated.docx.pdf

Guide to Community Agency Supports

Agency Brochure for Parents & Carers 2019

Apps

Check out your App Store (Goggle Play OR Apple App Store) to download the Wellbeing Apps below

MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR PARENT/CARER'S PERMISSION BEFORE DOWNLOADING ANY APP

Smiling Mind

FREE Mindfulness App

Mindfulness and meditation activities for adults and children

ReachOut Australia Breathe

FREE Guided Breathing App

Can be used on iPhone and iPad

Headspace

Meditation and Mindfulness App to help with reducing stress, focus more and sleep better.

Helps you track your progress.

Breathe, Think, Do With Sesame

FREE - Learn problem solving strategies and calming techniques

COSMIC KIDS!

Yoga and Mindfulness for Kids

Stop, Breathe And Think Kids

Mindfulness and Meditation for kids

Breathly

FREE Guided breathing techniques to help relaxation

Relax Melodies

Sleep sounds to calm & mediate

Stop, Breathe and Think

Meditation and Mindfulness

Supports for Parents, Carers and Teachers to Help Little Children Through Difficult Times & Tough Talks

Difficult Times & Tough Talks

Community violence is violence that happens around you, but not to you. Sadly, our world is full of scary, disturbing news about people harming others, such as school shootings and acts of terrorism. It’s hard to know how to explain such events to young children, or how much to share. Whether children have been exposed to traumatic events in your neighborhood or across the world, you can help them feel safer and more secure…and build hope and healing for a more peaceful, kinder future.

The incarceration of a loved one can be overwhelming for both children and caregivers. Because of the feeling of stigma, it takes special effort to start important conversations and answer kids’ questions. But parents can comfort children and guide them through difficult moments just by talking. With love and support, the family can cope with the challenges of incarceration together.

Separation and divorce mean difficult transitions, but they’re also opportunities to learn that everything is always changing, in ways big and small. With love and support from the adults in their lives, children can emerge feeling stronger.

When a loved one needs extra support, it can mean big adjustments for everyone in the family. For military and veteran families, these transitions can mean a unique set of challenges. But no matter the caregiving situation, embracing a sense of family togetherness will help as old routines and responsibilities make way for new ones. Facing what lies ahead as a family means that everyone feels heard, understood, and valued.

Losing one’s home brings enormous challenges, yet families can be incredibly strong and determined to create a better future. Every family can build a sense of hope and learn ways to cope…and remember that no one is alone.

As an adult involved in foster care, you have an enormous job: building and rebuilding family structures and children’s sense of safety. What you are doing takes patience, resilience, courage, and sacrifice. Here are resources to help you help children in crisis cope with their separation from birth parents, their placement in foster care, lots of moves, and, possibly, reunions.

Whether you’re preparing for the unexpected or recovering from it, your reassurance and comfort hold great power to soothe children even on the scariest, toughest days.

A health emergency brings many changes and much uncertainty for young children and their families, but there are things we can do to face each day with optimism and hope. We can practice healthy habits like handwashing and coughing into the bend in our arm. We can offer comfort, connect with, and care for others safely. And we can keep learning and growing at home through everyday routines and simple activities. The resources on this page can help families cope during challenging times.

Coping with the death of a loved one brings enormous challenges for the whole family. Grieving may never completely end, but working through the difficult feelings can become easier with time. Through support, open conversations, and finding ways to keep the person’s memory alive, families can begin healing together.

During tough times—both everyday challenges and more serious experiences—support from caring adults can offer children comfort and reassurance. But sometimes we need help showing we care in ways that help kids really feel it. It can help to reflect on how love was expressed to us growing up, so we can make choices about how to express it to our children now.

When a family member struggles with addiction, the whole family struggles. Children often think it’s their fault; they feel shame, embarrassment, guilt, and loneliness; they may feel invisible. It takes special effort to start important conversations and answer children’s questions. But parents, teachers, caregivers, and other caring adults can comfort children and guide them through difficult moments. With love and support, the family can cope with the challenges of addiction together.

Everyday life is full of challenges big and small! When you give children the tools to overcome obstacles, you help them learn and grow. Providing your love and support through everyday challenges is the first and most important step in helping kids develop the confidence to overcome anything they face.

When a child endures a traumatic experience, the whole family feels the impact. But adults hold the power to help lessen its effects. Several factors can change the course of kids’ lives: feeling seen and heard by a caring adult, being patiently taught coping strategies and resilience-building techniques, and being with adults who know about the effects of such experiences. Here are ways to bring these factors to life.

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds

All children experience the world differently, and those differences are even greater for children with autism. As a parent or caregiver of a child with autism (or as someone who knows a person with autism), your understanding and support can help ease daily challenges…while celebrating the uniqueness of all children.

It’s a big world, and a lot of us are sharing space in it. Children need your help building the skills that let them develop healthy relationships and respect the differences between themselves and others.

Family members, friends, and neighbors play a huge role in caring for children. These easy-to-follow tips and activities can help parents and caregivers partner to make caring for little ones exciting, educational, and safe.

Teaching kids to eat healthy is easier than you might think. A balanced diet involves eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, planning easy and healthy meals, and buying or preparing budget-friendly foods and snacks.

Feelings come in all shapes and sizes. When you help children express and understand their emotions, you’re helping them to overcome challenges, understand others, and communicate. In simple everyday ways, you can give them important tools that will help them handle big feelings, little ones, and every feeling in between.

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and each is unique in its own way. But one thing all families have in common is love. Everyone benefits from spending quality time with family. With little ones, that usually involves plenty of silly play! Here are resources and activities with simple, everyday ways to live, love, learn, laugh, and create lasting memories together.

All children feel big emotions sometimes: anger, frustration, impatience, sadness. And that’s okay. It’s what they do with these feelings that counts. Grown-ups know how hard it is when big feelings cause big meltdowns, but you can help kids identify and name their feelings and learn to act in a positive way. When you show kids how to manage big feelings and stay calm, you’re showing that there are other ways to deal with overwhelming emotions. But it’s not always easy to be patient when a child acts out, so take time for yourself, too!

Children love to play—anytime, anywhere, and with almost anything. As they do so, they’re exploring the world around them and practicing important skills crucial to brain development. Consider the relationship between play and learning as you play together!

Ordinary moments such as getting dressed, preparing meals, cleaning up, or bedtime offer opportunities to build math, language, and other skills that prepare kids for school. Morning, noon, or night, you can integrate learning into daily routines!

So much brain development happens in the earliest years of life, and little ones thrive when they have lots of nurturing interactions with caring adults. As you listen, talk to, nurture, and comfort children, you’re helping them grow, develop, and prepare for success in school…and in life.

Children love to move—anywhere, anytime! Physical activity is great for growing bodies and minds. Being active together helps channel kids’ natural energy and keeps them healthy and strong.

Routines are key to keeping healthy. Brushing teeth, washing hands, eating well, and exercising every day help everyone grow and thrive. “Every so often” routines, such as doctor and dentist checkups, ensure that families have the support, information, and care they need to help kids stay well!

ABC's & 123's

Lots of rich, back-and-forth conversation with grown-ups helps kids make sense of the world and everything they’re learning about it. Language helps children express their thoughts and learn about the world around them, and helps lay the foundation for success in school.

Math is everywhere—it’s in the numbers, shapes and patterns all around us. Whether you’re indoors, outdoors, or on the go, making math part of kids’ everyday lives lets them know it’s fun…and important.

When children see people spend money or use the ATM, they are building an understanding of what money is. You can guide that understanding with simple activities about making good choices, what has value, and spending, sharing, and saving. Through everyday conversations and fun activities, you’ll begin helping kids understand money—and they’ll be more likely to grow up to make good financial decisions.

Creating art gives children an opportunity to express themselves. Art can help bring science, math, and literacy concepts to life, and help kids develop important self-regulation skills. Fostering an appreciation of art and teaching basics can help kids succeed in school…and in life! Below you’ll find games, activities, and videos to help teach children that when they make art, they’re learning, having fun, and bringing joy to others!

Reading together opens doors to new and exciting worlds. Nurturing an early love of reading helps kids build vocabulary and comprehension skills, which prepare them to succeed in school…and in life!

Children’s lives are packed with first-time experiences. As a caring, supportive adult who talks with them, asks them questions, offers comfort, and shares feelings, you’re nurturing a relationship that will help children feel safe and secure to explore and learn about everything around them. By using everyday moments for learning, you’re building their brains—and a strong foundation of early school readiness for success in school and in life. That’s the “power of now”!

Kids are natural scientists. Whether indoors, outdoors, or on the go, exploring together and asking questions helps them learn about the world and how it works. Help show little ones that science is exciting and important (and everywhere!) with these activities and resources.

Page updated

Report abuse