TRAINING AFTERCARE CENTRES TO SUPPORT CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL NEEDS
‘’I realised if you can change a classroom, you can change a community, and if you can change enough communities, you can change the world.’’ – Erin GruwellIt
Children of today face many challenges. One of those challenges is the reality that often both parents need to work for an income. As a result, despite the efforts from the parents, many children experience a lack of daily mental and emotional support at home. The challenge also exists in terms of coordinated support networks to address the problem.
Therefore, the Dutch Reformed Congregation Sesmylspruit, Centurion, South Africa, has decided to do something about this situation. During some informal research at the schools in the Hennopspark area, the church found that there were many children for whom their homes were no longer safe havens providing daily mental and emotional support. The idea has emerged to make the aftercare centres aware that they can, to a large extent, meet this need and that aftercare centre staff can make a difference in children's lives. A very large number of primary school children attend aftercare centres on a daily basis.
As a direct result, Petra Institute for Children's Ministry developed an aftercare centre course, which is mainly based on the Entering the World of Children and the Relational Children Ministry courses.
The Aftercare Centre Course is presented by Petra Institute for Children’s Ministry and trained Petra Associates.
Purpose
- Develop renewed appreciation for children amongst after school personnel.
- To ultimately help establish a positive value system in children.
- Establishing a network among aftercare centres in our community to support the children's emotional
and spiritual needs and to create a safe haven for them at these centres. - To make aftercare centres aware that they have an important role in being the “second home” for many
children.
Key outcomes of the 8-week training (one 3-hour session per week)
Participants will
- Develop as leaders to set the example in their aftercare centres.
- Establish values and act as role models to demonstrate these values.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the value of relationships to create a better working environment.
- Be able to express their own emotional needs better to grow their relationships.
- Demonstrate understanding of the value of relationships to enter the world of children.
- Apply play, listening, stories, love languages and boundaries to build relationships with children.
Course Content
The course consists of 8 sessions of 3 hours each and focusses on the following:
Key outcomes of the 8-week training (one 3-hour session per week)
Participants will
- Develop as leaders to set the example in their aftercare centres.
- Establish values and act as role models to demonstrate these values.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the value of relationships to create a better working environment.
- Be able to express their own emotional needs better to grow their relationships.
- Demonstrate understanding of the value of relationships to enter the world of children.
- Apply play, listening, stories, love languages and boundaries to build relationships with children.
Course Content
The course consists of 8 sessions of 3 hours each and focusses on the following:
Feedback: Mr Jannie Raath (Principal, Laerskool Hennopspark)
This far-sighted community project between a congregation, a school, an aftercare centre and Petra Institute, led to the formation of a circle of partners, and those benefitting from it are the children within the community.
Mr Jannie Raath, the principal at Laerskool Hennopspark, gives his feedback on the success of this project and his passion for seeing a ripple effect that will reach other communities.
