2009 Victorian Bushfires - Support Resources for Children

A series of resources have been developed to assist children specifically affected by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.

Resources for schools and early childhood settings

Anniversaries

• Preparing for the Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 164Kb) - information for early childhood settings
• Preparing for the Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 155Kb) - information for schools
• Preparing for the Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 155Kb) - information for parents and carers

Second anniversary (2011)

• Preparing for the Second Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 77Kb) - information for early childhood settings
• Preparing for the Second Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 71Kb) - information for schools

First anniversary (2010)

• Preparing for the First Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 58Kb) - information for early childhood settings and primary schools
• Preparing for the First Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 58Kb) - information for secondary schools

Curriculum resources

• Fire Awareness for Children - Student Workbook (Prep-Grade 2) (PDF - 610Kb)
• Fire Awareness for Children - Student Workbook (Grade 6) (PDF - 622Kb)
• Fire Awareness for Children Prep - Grade 6 (PDF - 2.1Mb)
• Teenagers in Emergencies (PDF - 4.7Mb)
• Teenagers in Emergencies - Teacher Information Sheet (PDF - 35Kb)
• Red Cross Resources
• CFA Resources

Supporting recovery

Supporting Recovery for Children and Young People: for early childhood professionals, school staff and Student Support Services Officers - includes information about accessing support from allied health professionals, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, GPs and Community Health Centres.

• brochure (PDF - 282Kb)
• extended version (PDF - 91Kb)
• Supporting Recovery for Young People (PDF - 88Kb) - for adolescents

Children with special needs

• A Little Ray of Sunshine (PDF - 168Kb) - suggestions for supporting children with special needs
• Dealing with Grief and Loss (PDF - 1.2Mb) - for children with special needs

Other support resources

• Mental Health Week hey u ok? Poster (PDF - 240Kb)
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health - Strategies for Teachers (PDF - 117Kb)
• Dealing with Grief and Loss (PDF - 533Kb) - for adolescents
• Helping Children after a Bushfire – Teacher Booklet (PDF - 177Kb) – to assist teachers in addressing bushfire related issues with students
• Helping Children after a Bushfire – Children’s Workbook (PDF - 142Kb) – for those working with individual children to guide exploration of fire related fears and anxieties
• Suggested Activities to Promote Healing after a Bushfire (PDF - 28Kb) – provides suggestions and activities for school staff, early childhood staff and student support services officers to help promote healing following a bushfire

Information for principals and early childhood directors

• Helping Children and Adolescents after a Bushfire (PDF - 32Kb) - provides advice and suggestions for principals, schools and early childhood services for crisis response and recovery planning
• Statewide Bushfire Disaster – School Emergency Response and Recovery Plan (PDF - 28Kb) – provides principals, assistant principals and leading teachers with immediate, medium, and long-term steps for response and recovery following the bushfire disaster
• Response and Recovery for Schools (PDF - 29Kb) – provides suggestions to assist with planning for response and recovery
• Crisis Management Manual (PDF - 636Kb) – a practical guide to assist the recovery of school and early childhood communities.

Below is a video on how schools and kindergartens can provide support to help calm children’s fears and concerns about bushfires. Presented by: Vicki Trethowan, Manager, Bushfire Psychosocial Response/Recovery, Student Wellbeing Division, DEECD.

Resources for parents, carers and families

Anniversaries

Preparing for the Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) - information for parents and carers

Second anniversay (2011)

Preparing for the Second Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 71Kb) - information for parents and carers

First anniversay (2010)

Preparing for the First Anniversary of the Victorian Bushfires (2009) (PDF - 58Kb) - information for parents and carers

Supporting recovery

Supporting Recovery for Children and Young People: for parents/carers - includes information about accessing support from allied health professionals, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, GPs and Community Health Centres.

• brochure (PDF - 829Kb)
• extended version (PDF - 136Kb)
• frequently asked questions (PDF - 87Kb)

Children with special needs

• A Little Ray of Sunshine (PDF - 168Kb) - suggestions for supporting children with special needs
• Dealing with Grief and Loss (PDF - 1.2Mb) - for children with special needs

Other support resources

• Dealing with Grief and Loss (PDF - 1.2Mb) - for children with special needs
• Dealing with Grief and Loss (PDF - 533Kb) - for adolescents
• Possible Reactions of Students after a Natural Disaster (PDF - 169Kb) – designed to assist teachers and parents with possible reactions of students after a Natural Disaster. Provides suggestions for restoring a sense of safety and security in the school community.
• Helping Adolescents after a Bushfire (PDF - 217Kb) – identifies possible reactions that adolescents may experience and provides strategies for assisting adolescents
• Helping Children and Adolescents after a Bushfire – Information for Parents or Carers (PDF - 42Kb) - assists parents or carers in addressing bushfire related issues with their children and adolescents
• Returning to Fire Affected Areas (PDF - 28Kb)- information about preparing for your return, supporting children and receiving further support

Below are a collection of videos to assist parents in providing support and calming the bushfire related fears of infants, children and adolescents. Presented by:

• Dr Sharon Goldfeld, paediatrician and Senior Medical Advisor, Child Health, DEECD, and
• Vicki Trethowan, Manager, Bushfire Psychosocial Response/Recovery, Student Wellbeing Division, DEECD.

Fact sheets

• Children and Crisis factsheet
• Teenagers and Crisis factsheet
• Family and Crisis factsheet
• Grief and Children factsheet
• Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network

Further information and support services

For more information on supporting children see:

• Parentline on 13 22 89 - a statewide telephone counselling service for parents and carers of children aged from birth to eighteen years
• Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 - a free, confidential and anonymous, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25
• Kids Life
• Behaviour and Wellbeing
• Early Childhood Australia
• Parent Link
• Raising Children Network
• Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network
• Skylight - a New Zealand organisation that provides specialised support to children, young people and their families through change, loss, trauma and grief - whatever the cause.