Child and Youth
Child and Youth Support Service
- We help families adjust to staying in the refuge.
- Staff help children and young people feel safe enough to talk about their thoughts, feelings and hopes and know that they will be listened to.
- Once the family is settled into the service then we will move the children into different groups and clubs.
- Club wise there is our baby club; early years club; afterschool and youth club.
- Each family has a Child and Youth support person who helps the family with their experience of domestic abuse/coercive control.
The Child and Youth Team supports families with their experience of domestic abuse/coercive control. We have a fabulous facility where children and young people can engage in play and creative activities with the staff.
Our service is inclusive to all children and young people and accessible to children with disabilities.
Support programmes:
Mother & Toddler Group
This is a weekly group for mothers and their toddlers. It is a place for mums to meet other mums in similar situations and their children. Staff provide play activities, discussion, reassurances and helpful tips.
DATS (Domestic Abuse Teen Support)
These one-to-one sessions are for young people aged 12 years and upwards. The sessions have different themes and the young person can choose the topic that they wish to explore. The themes are:
- Red and green flags of relationships
- Coercive control
- Healthy relationships
- The Impact of their experience
- The cycle of domestic abuse
Support Me
These are one-to-one sessions for children aged 5 years upwards.
During the sessions children can explore their feelings around their experiences of domestic abuse and control in the family home.Support can be offered with their experience of access and changes that have taken place in the family.
Creative Therapy Service
ADAPT’s Creative Therapy Service offers one-to-one therapeutic support to children and young people to allow them to explore their feelings around domestic abuse/coercive control, develop their self-confidence and help build their resilience. The methods used are art, sand tray and play to help the child or young person work through their experience.
If you wish to learn more, please connect with the Child & Youth Coordinator via email childcare@adaptservices.ie
Questions and links for more information that could help you and your children:
The impact of domestic abuse/coercive control on children and young people varies from child to child. Child and Youth staff can help you understand how each child in your family may have been impacted. The following video may also be useful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh1XmLghCws
Talking with our experienced staff can really help with parenting when domestic abuse is happening. They have vast experience and can offer you support with parenting.
There is a great booklet from Cope Galway which has lots of interesting tips and one of our staff would be happy to chat with you about this. Parenting after domestic abuse relationship:
https://www.copegalway.ie/resources/parenting-after-domestic-abuse/
A. Custody and access can be complicated in situations where domestic abuse is experienced. This link explains custody and access. If you have further questions our staff will be happy to talk to you about it. Understanding custody and access – click on link to view information: https://www.treoir.ie/information/access-custody-of-children/
Access visits can often be a time when children may become anxious or upset. Our staff can support you and your children around access – how to prepare children for access and how to support them after access visits. We can support you around any safety concerns you may have around access. For further information on access visits for children click on the link below:
https://www.ntdc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ascend-Managing-access-safely-for-you-and-your-child-1.pdf
