FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, 10th February, 2009
MOBILE PLAY BUSES DEPLOYED … plus
10 TIPS ON HOW TO HELP CHILDREN COPE
With formal support from local Shire Councils, Save the Children is deploying
Mobile Play Buses to areas affected by the devastating bushfires, to assist
children and their families during the acute phase of the emergency.
A Mobile Play Bus was operational today at Wandong Community Centre, where
more than 75 young children and their parents gathered.
Chris Strahan, State Executive of Save the Children Victoria, traveled to
Wandong for the first day of operation.
“Save the Children has been operating the Mobile Play Bus throughout Victoria
for a number of years. We decided that this was a valuable way to help in the
recovery process for those families devastated by the bushfires”, she said.
The program is designed for children aged 0-6 and provides early childhood play
activities as well as support services (including referral options) for parents.
“In the coming days and weeks, we hope to make the Mobile Play Bus available
in areas where the need is greatest. Children can spend time playing together
and with their parents or carers, colouring, painting or doing puzzles. All
activities that assist in the recovery process and help them achieve some sense
of normality,” Ms. Strahan said.
Each Mobile Play Bus will be available Monday to Friday, 10am – 3pm, however
this may vary depending on need.
The Mobile Play Bus scheme has trained staff who are employed directly with
Save the Children. All have been police checked and have existing “Working
with Children Certificates”.
Pg 2: TEN TIPS ON HOW TO HELP CHILDREN COPE …..
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How to Help Children Cope
Ten Tips from Save the Children
The dramatic images of disasters impact children not only in the
immediate area where the destruction has taken place but also children
throughout the country watching the images on television.
Concerned about the emotional well-being of their children, many
parents, teachers, grandparents and caregivers are looking for advice on
how to respond to questions from children about unsettling and upsetting
events that continue to be shown in the media about the disaster and the
impact on homes, families and neighbourhoods.
Children often ask the adults in their lives to explain what they are seeing
and reassure them about what will happen next:
"Will everything be OK? Why is this happening? What will happen to the
children who have lost so much?"
How do we respond to these questions?
In the aftermath of disasters, Save the Children prepared the following 10
tips to help adults support children through times of crisis. These tips are
based upon Save the Children's years of international experience and
can be used as a guide for adults to support children through this current
crisis. The relevancy of different tips may vary upon issues such as a child's
previous experience, age and where he or she lives in the world.
1.
Turn off the television. They may not understand that the tape of an
event is being replayed, and instead think the disaster is happening
over and over again.
2.
Listen to your children carefully. Before responding, get a clear
picture of what it is that they understand and what is leading to
their questions.
3.
Give children reassurance and psychological first-aid. Take this
opportunity to let them know that if any emergency or crisis should
occur, your primary concern will be their safety.
4.
Be alert for significant changes. Parents should be alert to any
significant changes in sleeping patterns, eating habits,
concentration, wide emotional swings or frequent physical
complaints without apparent illness.
5.
Expect the unexpected. Not every child will experience these
events in the same way. As children develop, their intellectual,
physical and emotional capacities change.
6.
Give your children extra time and attention. They need your close,
personal involvement to comprehend that they are safe and
secure.
7.
Be a model for your child. Your child will learn how to deal with
these events by seeing how you deal with them.
8.
Watch your own behavior. Make a point of showing sensitivity
toward those impacted by the disaster. This is an opportunity to
teach your children that we all need to help each other.
9.
Help your children return to normal activities. Children almost
always benefit from activity, goal orientation and sociability. Ensure
that your child's school environment is also returning to normal
patterns and not spending great amounts of time discussing the
crisis.
10. Encourage your child to do volunteer work. Helping others can give
your child a sense of control, security and empathy. Indeed, in the
midst of crisis, adolescents and youth can emerge as active agents
of positive change. Encourage your children to help support local
charities that assist children in need.
ENDS
Save the Children is the world’s largest independent child rights agency. Save the
Children works in over 100 countries, including Australia, making a reality of children’s
rights to survival, development, protection and participation.
Save the Children has a long history in disaster management, primarily overseas and can
offer assistance programs that are child focused. Specifically, these programs address
the psychosocial needs of children affected by disasters and can be rolled out through the
Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) program.
For further information contact:
Sharyn Hanly, Media Adviser, Save the Children Australia
Tel: +61 3 9938 2011 or Mob: +61 (0) 437 355 096.
Sharyn.hanly@savethechildren.org.au
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