VEYLDF Alignment
Item uses these practice principles: Reflective practice, Partnerships with families, High expectations for every child, Respectful relationships and responsive engagement, Equity and diversity, Assessment for learning and development, Partnerships with professionals.
Item responds to these sub-outcomes: Children become strong in their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing.
Description
Early Years TraCS supports educators working with children aged three to five who have been affected by trauma. It promotes the development of social and emotional competencies in readiness for school by:
- helping educators understand challenging behaviours through a 'trauma lens'
- building the capability of educators to respond appropriately to challenging behaviours
- enabling educators to foster trauma-sensitive learning environments.
Trauma comes in many forms, such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, family violence, community violence, family breakdown, grief and loss, exposure to mental illness and substance addiction.
Children who have experienced trauma can require significant support to get them 'school ready'. As such, TraCS builds a relationship with kindergarten services over time, allowing
consultants to develop a strong, productive partnership with educators.
TraCS Consultants come to kindergarten services, so that work is undertaken
collaboratively and in context. TraCS Consultants are responsive to the individual needs
of kindergarten services and customise support to address specific issues.
Early Years TraCS services are available as packages or have the potential to provide a more intensive service via co-location options.
Service delivery components include:
- Organisational Meeting - TraCS consultants meet with identified educators and key internal stakeholders within the kindergarten service to develop an understanding of the philosophy, policies and procedures that underpin the service to assist with tailoring the support provided.
- Observation and Needs Assessment - TraCS consultants meet with educators to explore challenges and to observe the children and the kindergarten environment and develop a tailored plan.
- In Session support - TraCS consultants work alongside educators during the session to support educators work with vulnerable children through a live coaching approach to bring a trauma informed lens into the space.
- Out of session support - TraCS consultants work with educators to reflect on their work, including the interventions and strategies that they are applying to manage complex behaviours. It also provides a space for staff to discuss their work and avoid burnout and vicarious trauma.
- Consultations - TraCS Consultants are available for phone consultations between visits to help manage and support challenges that arise.
In order to ensure sufficient capacity to deliver services, the provider strongly encourages kindergarten services to obtain a customised quote prior to submitting the school readiness plan.
Detailed Costs
Prices are calculated based on the location of your kindergarten service, the number of groups and the service elements you require. Packages have been designed to provide a baseline of meaningful contact and are customised to find the most cost-effective way to deliver service based on your location (metro Melbourne, inner rural and outer rural).
As the TraCS model is based on the establishment of a relationship with kindergarten services, and services are delivered in this context, a minimum commitment of two terms is required.
The provider strongly encourages services to obtain a customised quote prior to submitting the school readiness plan.
Implementation Considerations
Target population: early years staff working with children aged three to five.
Program adaptability: TraCS has been designed to be customised to the needs of each kindergarten service within a framework of relational support.
All packages have virtual elements to support both remote and flexible delivery, particularly within a COVID-19 landscape. Some of the packages have been designed to be delivered remotely to reduce costs using platforms such as MS Teams or Zoom. Access to devices to support virtual service delivery in this case will be required.
Staffing: it may be beneficial for educators to be released occasionally from their contact duties to consult with a TraCS practitioner. Services should therefore consider the cost of backfill when determining the cost of accessing this resource. (Visit the website for recommendations about backfill.)
Priority Area
Wellbeing (social and emotional)
Strength of Evidence
Level 5 - Foundational research evidence