Abstract
The RFW BRP II is a successful program that has achieved the following expected outcomes:
• Children understood the changes they experienced due to bushfires and other events (e.g., COVID-19, floods), understood that their reactions were normal, developed skills for coping, problem-solving, decision-making, and building peer support networks, and have developed strategies to restore their self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Parents/carers who attended the Tuning in to Kids® program learned new and helpful ways to understand and respond to their child’s emotions and were more confident connecting emotionally with their child/ren.
• Educators developed the knowledge and skills to be confident to emotionally support the children in their care in relation to the impact of the bushfires and other disasters.
• RFW staff have strategies and support to monitor and maintain their sense of wellbeing while planning and delivering the Program.
As natural disasters are predicted to be compounding and to increase in frequency and intensity, there is a need for programs such as RFW BRP II, to continue to be funded and delivered, to promote a sense of safety, calming, self and collective efficacy, and connectedness, and to instil hope in children, families, educators, and communities impacted by disasters. In doing this, these programs will improve the resilience and wellbeing, and decrease the likelihood of long-term emotional reactions, of children post-disaster.
The following recommendations focus largely on Program sustainability and service model improvement. Based on the findings of this evaluation it is recommended that:
• RFW BRP II continue to be offered for children, parents/carers and educators who have been impacted by natural disasters and that the Program be underpinned by the five essential elements of promoting a sense of safety, calming, self and collective efficacy, and connectedness, and instilling hope.
• Consideration be given to a Program model that allows for additional time for RFW to spend in community prior to Program delivery to develop rapport, identify services and collaborate with key stakeholders.
• Children understood the changes they experienced due to bushfires and other events (e.g., COVID-19, floods), understood that their reactions were normal, developed skills for coping, problem-solving, decision-making, and building peer support networks, and have developed strategies to restore their self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Parents/carers who attended the Tuning in to Kids® program learned new and helpful ways to understand and respond to their child’s emotions and were more confident connecting emotionally with their child/ren.
• Educators developed the knowledge and skills to be confident to emotionally support the children in their care in relation to the impact of the bushfires and other disasters.
• RFW staff have strategies and support to monitor and maintain their sense of wellbeing while planning and delivering the Program.
As natural disasters are predicted to be compounding and to increase in frequency and intensity, there is a need for programs such as RFW BRP II, to continue to be funded and delivered, to promote a sense of safety, calming, self and collective efficacy, and connectedness, and to instil hope in children, families, educators, and communities impacted by disasters. In doing this, these programs will improve the resilience and wellbeing, and decrease the likelihood of long-term emotional reactions, of children post-disaster.
The following recommendations focus largely on Program sustainability and service model improvement. Based on the findings of this evaluation it is recommended that:
• RFW BRP II continue to be offered for children, parents/carers and educators who have been impacted by natural disasters and that the Program be underpinned by the five essential elements of promoting a sense of safety, calming, self and collective efficacy, and connectedness, and instilling hope.
• Consideration be given to a Program model that allows for additional time for RFW to spend in community prior to Program delivery to develop rapport, identify services and collaborate with key stakeholders.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Australia |
| Publisher | Charles Sturt University |
| Commissioning body | Royal Far West |
| Number of pages | 139 |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2023 |
