In the Weekend Herald, Simon Collins looked at the success and failures of the Waimokoia Residential School. Today he reports on one-on-one therapeutic foster care
When 12-year-old Andrea looks at her caregiver's 4-year-old grand-daughter, she can see her younger self.
Andrea (identifying details changed), a slight, talkative and hyperactive teenager, has been in state care for six years.
She started with her father, spent a brief period with her mother, and has been placed with a succession of state caregivers. Her schooling has been as disrupted as her chaotic family life.
"Sometimes it's exposure to trauma in the family that leads to acting out at school," says Belinda Seymour-Wright, who supervises Andrea and four others in a programme that may provide the eventual alternative to residential behaviour schools - multidimensional "treatment foster care".
Few mainstream schools are equipped for it. In a month with her current caregiver, Andrea has already been enrolled and stood down from a local school, and her caregiver and the rest of the team are looking for another school to take her.
But, just possibly, she will have a better chance this time than when she spent a year in Waimokoia Residential School a few years ago.
And part of the reason is that 4-year-old girl in the house.
"My 4-year-old grand-daughter has some behaviour problems that flare up every now and then," her caregiver says. "Andrea sees herself when she sees her misbehaving.
"She'll say, 'That's what I do!'
"Being able to recognise what you do is really good. I say, 'Let's not see any of these behaviours - or maybe that's unrealistic, but the fewer thebetter."'
The caregiver, her husband, their son, his wife and two grandchildren are now Andrea's family.
"I'm a big believer in integrating these kids in the family, that's role modelling," the caregiver says. "I take her shopping, we go to the library. While she's with us she's part of our extended family.
"She loves hugs. I like to give hugs," the caregiver says. And Andreais learning to love in return.
"She doesn't play up with [the caregiver] because she likes her," says Mrs Seymour-Wright.
But this is not just conventional foster care. The caregiver has been trained to use a behaviour management system that gives points for everyday tasks such as getting up, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, going to school, doing chores and going to bed on time.
When she's in school, Andrea's teachers are asked to fill in a school card recording her attendance, work and behaviour in every class. Her caregiver adds all of these into her points and reviews each day's progress with Andrea just before bedtime.
Andrea is on level two of the three-level system, which allows her certain privileges such as a radio in her room and time watching TV.
She can accumulate points to "buy" activities such as computer games, or she can buy "bonds".
Twelve bonds means graduating to level three, where the only restrictions are those imposed on a normal teenager. Her caregiver was impressed this week when Andrea chose to buy her first bond instead of buying an activity.
A team system backs up the caregiver.
"I'm the limit-setter," says Mrs Seymour-Wright. "If there's a limit to be set, it's set by me, and then the caregiver says, 'We just have to accept that.' Then they're cross with me, not with the caregiver."
A therapist spends an hour a week with each young person, and "skills trainers", matched by gender and interests, take them to sports, music or other things that develop their skills.
At the same time, a whanau worker is working with Andrea's mother and stepfather, who will take her back after six months or a year. They are learning the same points system.
"The mum has turned herself around prior to the children being placed back with her, through a good relationship and therapy," Mrs Seymour-Wright says.
"We have also identified some extended family members who will provide respite and support for the parents."
But the hardest part of the plan is finding a "fit" in a mainstream school.
"Sometimes that involves trying one or two schools and finding a staff member within the school who will advocate for that young person," says Mrs Seymour-Wright.
"The ideal is that schools become more skilful. I have done integration work in South Africa with difficult children. When you have done that with one child, you develop the confidence to place another difficult child."
ON THE WEB
youthorizons.org.nz
