SERVICES FOR WOMEN
Child & Youth Service
ADAPT’s Child and Youth Service aims to:
- promote the right of children and young people to have their voices heard and their needs met
- provide children and young people with the safety and freedom they need to be themselves and have confidence in their ability to make positive life choices
- work creatively and safely with children and young people and their mothers in relation to their experiences of domestic abuse
The Child & Youth Service is a large, bright and airy facility with a team of professional, highly qualified, and experienced staff. Staff are trained to support children who have experienced domestic abuse in their family. This service is registered TULSA pre school service. ADAPT C&Y service has been awarded full honours in Siolta - National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Eduaction in 2018.
The service caters for children from birth to eighteen years of age and can accommodate up to 56 children at any one time. The facilicty is divided into different zones for children of different ages:
- The Green Room - children under 2 years
- The Clubhouse - children aged between 2 years and 17 years
- The Chill Out Room -ADAPT sensory room
The service is open Monday to Friday from 9:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are staying in the refuge or transitional housing,taking part in training programmes, or using any of the following services you can enrol your children in the Child and Youth Service:
- Outreach
- Court accompaniment
- Support groups or other groups
Click on an image below to view larger version:
What does a Child and Youth Worker do?
Each family is given a Child and Youth KeyWorker (CYW). Their role is to be the key worker support you and your child in the service and to support the child’s experience of domestic abuse. The Child & Youth worker will help to register your child to the service and gather infromation about your child's health, welfare and their possible experince of domestic abuse.
Do you have planned activites for the children?
Yes. We have curriculums which supports child development through the use of play in each room. Each week there is different themes e.g. colours ; autumn; buildings; apples.
The types of play that we do are as follows
- Role Play, Outdoor Play, Messy Play, Arts & Crafts, Construction & Education play, Floor Play. We use therapeutic play throughout the day to support children with the possible effects and impact of domestic abuse.
We have other programmes:
- Mother and Toddler Group
- Friday Chill out cafe : for over 8 years
- Youth Club
What is Play Therapy?
ADAPT's Play therapy service provides support through play to children and young people who have been affected by domestic abuse.
The service provides three levels of support to children who have witnessed domestic abuse
a. Therapeutic Play
b. Therapeutic Play Groups
c. Play Therapy
a. Therapeutic Play
Therapeutic play is a programme of play offered to a child who has witnessed an event that has upset him/her over an extended period of time. The focus of therapeutic play is to enable the child to deal with the emotional impact of the event with the hope that he/she will no longer be upset by the experience. The therapeutic play programme consists of one session per week for 8 to 10 weeks.
b. Therapeutic Play Groups
A structured programme of group based therapeutic play is offered where there is a group of children of the same age who have witnessed domestic abuse. Therapeutic play groups aim to help children of the same age use play to explore their feelings around domestic abuse and to help build their confidence by having their story heard and witnessed by the group.
c. Play Therapy
Play therapy is used to enhance a child's social skills through play. It is a longer process offered to children or young people who have witnessed domestic abuse over a period of time or a one off traumatic incident. This is offered to children when it is safe to do so, for example when there is no risk of further domestic abuse.
When a child grows up with domestic abuse he or she will learn coping mechanisms to enable him or her to live with the threat of the violence. Play therapy supports the child to let go of these and develop new apropriate ways to live in a non-violent home.
Play Therapy can be accessed by anyone whether they have been through the service or not. Referrals can be made by youth leaders, schools, social workers etc.
Therapeutic sessions last for 50 minutes.There is a room available where mothers can wait while the child/young person is taking part in the session.
ADAPT offers a range of one-to-one and group supports to mothers of children who are availing of our play therapy service.
You can download a brochure about our play therapy service by clicking here.
What about Child Protection?
All staff are Garda vetted and trained to work with children. ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services adheres to Children's First - child protection & welfare practice in Ireland.
