Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services has begun offering a parenting program that provides culturally appropriate training to caregivers of Indigenous children.
The new Parenting Through Trauma with Culture and Connection program was created in response to some of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action in the area of child welfare.
Caregiver training will address the challenges of parenting a child living with complex trauma, helping caregivers learn cultural sensitivity and create an environment that is spiritually, socially and emotionally safe.
“This foster-parents group will develop an understanding of the legacy of intergenerational trauma,” said Jennifer Dreyer, child and youth counsellor. “Our goal is to raise awareness of how to address this trauma and reconnect our children with their culture using Indigenous healing methods.”
This program will build caregivers’ capacity to help children and youth reduce symptoms of stress, enhance emotional and behavioural regulation, and foster cultural identity and attachment — in a culturally appropriate manner.
The Parenting Through Trauma with Culture and Connection is a pilot project expected to launch in the fall, made possible by a grant from the Victoria Foundation. Plans are for three groups to be offered, with between 20 to 25 participants in each.
The mission statement of Surrounded By Cedar Child and Family Services says it will provide child and family services rooted in cultural values and beliefs to restore and enhance the strength and resiliency in the urban Aboriginal community.
“This project is both challenging and exciting,” said Dreyer. “We shall be looking for feedback and to learn from each other.”
For more information, go to surroundedbycedar.com.
