Having a good background in trauma-informed care as a childcare professional is essential since the world is always changing, and new situations that we try to deal with every day require us to be prepared. This training expands on the idea of trauma-informed care by assisting professionals in deciphering the meaning behind a child’s actions and offering techniques for being more understanding of all children. The value of empathetic interaction with a child displaying problematic behavior will be clear to caregivers. Trauma-informed care benefits the health and safety of caregivers and children. This paper aims to analyze trauma-informed care and provide a research-based account of why it should be incorporated into the training of childcare professionals.
Trauma-informed care is a framework for understanding, detecting, and responding to the effects of trauma.” Those at high risk may be suffering from PTSD or depression or behavioral issues, or anxiety. It is an approach that focuses on understanding the effects of trauma rather than just its occurrence (Gubi et al., 2019). By being aware of problems in the past, caregivers can take steps to prevent them from happening again in the future. Trauma-informed care involves recognizing the signs of abuse, neglect, and trauma and knowing how to handle these situations. It is also about understanding that a child who has experienced these things in the past may need more attention, time, and support to move forward than someone who has not experienced them. The National Child, Traumatic Stress Network stated that trauma-informed care’s roots begin with identifying individuals at high risk for traumatic stress (Bartlett & Steber, 2019). Early recognition of risk factors can prevent more serious problems from developing. Trauma-informed care is a framework for understanding, detecting, and responding to the effects of trauma.
Trauma-informed care supports systems in identifying and addressing the emotional and psychological needs of children who have experienced trauma. This reduces the likelihood of children suffering in silence and increases the probability that they will seek help when needed (Bartlett & Smith, 2019). While people who have experienced trauma may adapt and function in everyday life, they may also experience difficulty functioning in several ways, including difficulty regulating their emotions, overwhelming feelings at times, irritability and outbursts of anger, problems making or keeping friends, and trouble succeeding in school. Many people who have experienced trauma find their life affected by thoughts about the traumatic experience. For example, a child who was abused or neglected may feel shame about what happened or worry that it might happen again. They may also find themselves constantly looking over their shoulder to see if anyone is following them. A child who has experienced trauma may not be able to process their overwhelming experiences, which can lead them to act out in ways that can be harmful to themselves and others around them (Gubi et al., 2019). Trauma-informed care addresses the symptoms and underlying issues while working to prevent trauma symptoms from returning since a trauma survivor’s ability to cope with everyday demands typically diminishes over time.
Trauma-informed care promotes developmentally appropriate interventions that restore healthy attachment relationships between children and caregivers and facilitates ongoing efforts to prevent future traumatic events. Training provided through trauma-informed care does not replace the need for crisis intervention and hospitalization for children exposed to traumatic events but rather creates an environment in which the child’s reaction to traumatic events can be understood (Gubi et al., 2019). It is not uncommon for traumatized children with a history of trauma-related symptoms to present with new or different problems that may require appropriate services (Bartlett & Smith, 2019). This is especially true if the child has experienced multiple traumas or has suffered multiple traumatizing experiences. Emotional well-being provides a framework of understanding that helps caregivers recognize that children are more than their emotional reactions. Trauma-informed care will guide caregivers on how to respond and provide support in a way that allows opportunities for growth and change.
Trauma-informed care supports children who have experienced trauma by reducing the likelihood that they will re-experience trauma symptoms and improving the quality of their daily lives. Trauma-informed care is a common practice related to intervention with children who have experienced trauma. Its primary goal is to provide a safe, supportive environment where children can work through their feelings, learn healthy ways of dealing with those feelings, and develop positive relationships with caregivers (Crosby et al., 2018). With the right support, traumatized children can begin the process of healing and become stronger than ever before. Trauma-informed care is a framework that organizations can use to examine their practices, policies, and procedures to promote safety, healing, and growth for children exposed to traumatic events. The basic idea behind trauma-informed care is that traumatized children often experience a sense of isolation because others in the community do not recognize the signs of trauma exposure in children and are unable to recognize their needs and support them (Bartlett & Smith, 2019). By developing common protocols for dealing with traumatized children and creating a safe environment where they can talk about their experiences, societies can support developmentally appropriate interventions that will help prevent future traumas from taking place.
Children are especially vulnerable to trauma because of their developmental stage and limited ability to cope with traumatic events. Trauma-informed care can be most successful in conjunction with education, development of safety plans, and advocacy. By providing increased knowledge and skills to caregivers, educators, and other trauma support professionals, trauma-informed care can be incorporated into the overall care system. By establishing plans that define what action to take if a traumatic event occurs, agencies will reduce their liability for not being able to respond adequately to emergencies involving children who have experienced trauma (Crosby et al., 2018). A safety plan can help children who have experienced trauma become more resilient. Caregivers and educators who receive trauma-informed training can advocate for changes needed at the agency level or within other organizations that serve traumatized children.
References
Bartlett, J. D., & Smith, S. (2019). The role of early care and education in addressing early childhood trauma. American journal of community psychology, 64(3-4), 359–372.
Bartlett, J. D., & Steber, K. (2019). How to implement trauma-informed care to build resilience to childhood trauma. Trauma, 9(10).
Crosby, S. D., Howell, P., & Thomas, S. (2018). Social justice education through trauma-informed teaching. Middle School Journal, 49(4), 15–23.
Gubi, A. A., Strait, J., Wycoff, K., Vega, V., Brauser, B., & Osman, Y. (2019). Trauma-informed knowledge and practices in school psychology: A pilot study and review. Journal of applied school psychology, 35(2), 176-199.
write