Care Groups for Children
Purpose:
A Care Group (CG) is designed to immerse children and teenagers in a safe, playful environment where they can learn and practice the 4 key skills of meaningful relationships, as defined by psychology professor Jude Cassidy:
The ability to show care for others.
The ability to seek/receive care from others.
The ability to be an autonomous individual (i.e., maintain emotional closeness without losing oneself) and practice self-regulation in emotional and behavioral aspects.
The ability to express personal needs and advocate for oneself.
Target Audience:
Children with difficult backgrounds, including those raised in foster families, guardianship families, or adoptive families, as well as children experiencing traumatic stress due to war.
Why It’s Needed:
Foster parents have requested Care Groups because they observe the following challenges in children:
Lack of self-regulation
Difficulty recognizing and expressing their own needs
Struggles with having a voice in decisions
Trouble giving and receiving care
Poor social communication skills
Facilitators:
Care Groups are led by trained specialists with expertise in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) and experience in communicating with children who have developmental trauma and traumatic stress.
Program Structure:
An existing 10-session program has been developed, with each session lasting 60 minutes and structured as follows:
Introduction & Group Rules
Assessing Self-Regulation Levels + Practicing Techniques
"Emotional Band-Aid" – Learning to Give & Receive Care
Main Activity – Social Skills Practice Through Role-Playing
Closing – Sharing Snacks & Mutual Care
Key Principles:
Every child in the CG has a voice that is heard and respected.
Participants use their voice to express personal needs and negotiate how to meet them.
The CG is a safe space where children and teens can seek/receive care and show care for others without shame or embarrassment.
Benefits:
Care Groups help children and teens:
Build healthy family relationships
Improve friendship dynamics
Develop social communication skills
Practice self-regulation techniques to manage traumatic stress and stabilize emotional well-being
Implementation Plan:
2 support groups per quarter (8 groups annually)
1 group = 10 sessions → 8 groups = 80 sessions total
80 children aged 7–16 will benefit