Hands and Hearts That Care for Our Children
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Children’s wellbeing and development are shaped by the environments, relationships and supports surrounding them. For many children in foster and kinship care, early experiences of trauma mean they may need additional support to feel safe, connected and ready to learn.
Foster carers, kinship carers and practitioners from across the Gladstone Region came together in February for Trauma Informed Training, focused on how carers respond, connect and support the unique needs of a child. Led by Queensland based Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner Kerri Chard, this was the second time this training took place in Gladstone.
Returning participants described the sessions as an opportunity to extend and consolidate previous learning, while new participants valued being introduced to an established, shared language around safety, connection and behaviour.
Since last year’s training, one local practitioner has travelled to the United States for full TBRI certification, highlighting the model’s relevance and the value of making this training accessible within the region.
Feedback from earlier training emphasised the importance of shared learning opportunities for carers and practitioners. This shaped the design of the two-day series: day one focused on practitioners, and day two on foster and kinship carers. Each group explored role-specific content while intentionally building shared language and aligned approaches that help children feel safe and supported across services, schools, and home environments.
Across both days, participants explored practical ways to understand behaviour through a trauma-informed lens and respond to the needs of the whole child. Carers described increased confidence and new strategies they could use at home, while practitioners reflected that the sessions were engaging and full of useful examples that refreshed their knowledge and introduced new concepts to apply.
Participants valued strategies they could use immediately. TBRI’s empowering, connecting, and correcting principles supported carers and practitioners to look beyond behaviour and focus on meeting the underlying needs, building trust and responding with insight rather than frustration. “Yes Banking” stood out as a simple but powerful shift to build trust, especially for children who haven’t yet experienced many early “yes” moments. Offering more “yeses” helps children feel safe, making correction easier once connection is restored.
Practical stories, examples and tools resonated strongly. One participant shared, “It was just great, cannot fault it.” Another practitioner reported, “the training provided strategies that were relevant and practical that I can apply directly in my work with families”.
While the training provides an important foundation, the focus now shifts to supporting carers and practitioners to carry these approaches into everyday practice, recognising that children’s wellbeing continues to be shaped by the relationships, environments and supports around them.
These training opportunities form part of the Sector Capacity Building Initiative, which has supported more than 100 practitioners across the Gladstone Region. Enabled through a partnership with Rio Tinto, Here for Gladstone, the initiative continues to strengthen early supports for children and families by investing in the people who work closest with them.
To learn more about this initiative and how collective investment is supporting improved outcomes for children and families, read Collective Buying Power and Community Partnership Enabling Improved Outcomes for Families and Children, or contact GRT:
P: 07 4970 7382
