The Giraffes – Children aged from 3–5 years living in foster care

WHAT: Children build up a story about a Giraffe, his/her families and friends. The gallery of characters is elaborated with children.

HOW: The process with children can be organized as weekly small group meetings for a certain period or as a one-day workshop.

Storytelling is the main method of working, but photographing has also been used.

Materials from children to children and adults

Children have been naming different situations that Giraffe goes through.

These situation namings have been made in a project against domestic violence with children aged 3–5.

Other children can recognize situations without words.

The experience makes the expert – not the age!

What are we doing?

• We investigate
• We develop
• We influence

Children and Adults together!

Detective Club is a functional method aimed for the children between ages 6 to 12. The goal is for children to be able to participate in developing child protection and substitute care with adults.  Children investigate child protection in a focus group with Badger the Puppet, who is the most important member of the group. Children help Badger – they don’t have to talk straight about themselves and their own experiences. Detective Club isn’t a therapy group but it has elements of empowering participation and peer support.

In Detective Club children find out together how they could help Badger in different situations and with different themes, for example:

What home means to Badger?

”Badger doesn’t know. Who would help him – what is home?”

”Home is a place where people live. Sometimes you can’t live with your parents and then you live in a foster family.”

”Why can’t Badger live with his own parents?”

”I think it’s because the social worker thinks that he’s not safe at home. I agree with it.”

Good home is…

When the children were describing a good home, the most important thing was taking care of the basic needs:

• There has to be food, but not too much candy.
• Place where you can sleep well without having to fear.
• There are intact clothes.
• You get to play outside regularly.
• Personal room, where you have a bed, a night lap, a pillow and a bedtime toy.

What does it mean, that Badger is not safe?

”Social worker thinks, for example, that mom and dad behave badly.”

Our Goals and Values

• To give children experiences of joy and success
• To reinforce the participation of the children in substitute care
  • To make children’s thoughts and experiences visible in child protection
• To develop practices in child protection
• Every Child is a good Detective.
  • Every Child is good enough to be a Detective.
• Being a Detective is voluntary.
• Methods we use with children are suitable for their age – play, drawing, making handicrafts

Challenge to the professionals:

• Do I dare to listen?
• And how do I listen?
• It’s important for adults to keep their ears, eyes and hearts open to what children in different situations produce/have to say.

Read Detective News (published 2/2021)

Detective Club is organized by Pesäpuu ry with local and national partners.

According to research children taken into foster care tend to be low achievers at school. Social exclusion later in life can be prevented by supporting these children at an early phase. SISUKAS model has been developed to prevent the marginalization on of children in foster care by testing foster children’s strenghts and needs. One of the main goals is to develop dialog. A closer cooperation and better communication between the foster family, school and social services will be created and further enhanced. The other goal is to create more positive attitude towards education among the children included the project and also to meet the needs of the children. The suitability of the SISUKAS model and its effectiveness has been assessed by research.

More about the SISUKAS model

The Finnish word sisukas describes a person who is persistent, determined, and resilient, especially in challenging situations. It conveys a combination of strength, courage, and perseverance. There is no single English word that captures all its nuances, but several options come close depending on context:

• Determined – emphasizes strong resolve and commitment.
• Tenacious – highlights persistence and the refusal to give up.
• Resolute – stresses firmness of purpose and decisiveness.
• Gritty – more informal, often used to describe courage and toughness in the face of adversity.
• Persistent – focuses on continual effort and endurance over time.

In short, “sisukas” captures a mix of courage, endurance, and a never-give-up attitude that is admired in Finnish culture.

At the start a psychologist and a special education teacher test each child with standardised tests. The results of the cognitive test (WISC – IV) done by psychologist are compared with results of standardised tests for reading, spelling and numeracy done by special education teacher, and also to achievements at school, as perceived and reported by the teachers. Standardised tests are also used to assess baseline psychological well-being and behavior (SDQ, CBCL), as well as child-teacher relations (VAS-scale, STRS).

The results of the tests are communicated to the children, their foster parents, teachers and social workers by the psychologist and the special education teacher at meetings where all the parties are present. This approach is chosen in order to create good working relationships among child´s network, and also to demonstrate that the child is not a person with problems but rather a member of the team.

Potential for school achievement, strengths and obstacles are identified in co-operation with children, teachers, carers and social workers. As a result a written individualised plan for each child will be created, indicating his or her needs for educational support and other types of interventions. During the 24 months’ interventions, the psychologist and the special education teacher are key players, as one fundamental principle is that they should constantly motivate and tutor the teachers (and foster parents) on how to assist each child to attain the set goals. The psychologist and the special education teacher do less work on a one to one basis with the children and work mostly with and through the teachers. Also, they closely monitor the individual progress and difficulties of each child, as perceived by foster parents and teachers. This information is used in planned meetings every three months with all parties present. This model makes it possible to evaluate continuously the interventions and support provided.

Foster and build on hope – views on school from the perspective of a foster child

The Pikku Sisukas model provides guidance for organizing early childhood education for placed children, supporting their growth and well-being, and ensuring successful multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Early childhood education professionals are important partners in supporting the upbringing of placed children for families and child protection actors, including social workers, foster families, professional family homes, and child welfare institutions. High-quality early childhood education takes into account the potential trauma history and individual needs of placed children. At its best, early childhood education offers the child developmental support, continuity, safety, corrective experiences, and meaningful relationships.

Systemic collaboration at the interface between child protection and early childhood education creates the conditions for early childhood education that serves the best interests of the child. It is important to utilize the expertise of the child’s close adults. Achieving this requires, in addition to increasing staff understanding and knowledge, clear structures: smooth information flow, consistent practices, knowledge of confidentiality regulations, and clarified responsibilities.

We have youth focus groups in different projects. Groups offer safety, support, peer experiences and work as a platform to learn new skills and participate in development work with professionals.

At the moment we have 5 active groups with youth around Finland:

• Group developing tools and practises between social workers and youth (Tampere)
• Group developing help and support when youth go missing from their institutions (National)
• Group developing methods for peace-keeping and support in cases of peer violence in child welfare (Jyväskylä)
• Group supporting SOILA – Social innovations in childwelfare coordination and ESF+ 5.1 projects in Finland (National, online)
• Group developing peer inspection models (Tampere)

We also organize youth forums and workshops for other young people. From young people to young people mentality and peer development work are essentials in all our work with young people.

Collecting voices of young people and taking them to decision-makers and professionals play a key role in Pesäpuu’s work.

The purpose of youth focus groups

The purpose of youth focus groups is to improve the participation amongst young people in child protection systems on three levels:

1. We promote children’s and youth’s knowledge of their rights, so that they are able to be active participants in their own lives
2. Knowledge and experience of youth to benefit other children and youth in child protection.
3. National network of children and adults, who work together to promote the rights of children and youth in Finland in national policy making.

Principles of participation

1. Familiarity – Getting to know one another, creating lasting bonds
2. Safety – Emotional, mental, and physical safety above all, trauma-informed attitudes
3. Information – Ensuring informed decisions, responsibility to forward the messages from youth
4. Support – How can we make sure that everybody can participate? Reducing the barriers of participation.

In the heart of expertize by experience

• EXPERIENCE

We all have our own stories that have made us the way we are. Those stories have power to create change and help others.

• PEER SUPPORT

None of us need to feel alone – ever again. Uniting voices gives us more strength.

• EXPERTISE

We promote the skills and knowledge youth gain through our work. You don’t have to know it all, when you participate, you are allowed to learn!

• OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE A CHANGE

Youth are taken seriously, heard, and able to change the system. They can be part of this society and it’s structures and are able to influence them.

Participation on different levels

Youth can participate in project and work on different levels with different amount of responsibility.

Low level: does not require commitment or responsibility.

Active participation: Commitment, e.g. group activities, not necessarily responsibilities.

Responsible activities: Planning events and leading small groups, acting as a peer for others, presenting speeches prepared together, acting as a voice for others.

Employee level: A diverse role, a lot of responsibility, the activities require more than just mirroring one’s own experience to the matter at hand, taking into account different educational backgrounds.

Different roles:

Peer assessor | Educator and public speaker | Expert in different groups with professionals | One-day workshops and forums | Interpreter between staff and youth | Member or leader of a youth group | Employee alongside other professionals

The peer forum model by young people for young people

The idea is to include young people in child welfare development. The forum offers space for peer experiences, feelings and thoughts and sharing life and everyday events.

“Everybody has the right to dream!”

Youth forums are both local and nationwide. The basic elements are permanent, but the themes and working methods differ depending on the people attending. The forums are well documented. The messages from young people are conveyed to adults and decision makers.

The Youth Safe Harbor (Nuorten Turvasatama) community is a joint initiative of Pesäpuu ry, Auta Lasta ry’s Veturointi program, and Osallisuuden Aika ry. It aims to promote the well-being, participation, and sense of community of individuals with experience in child protection through digital means. Activities are carried out collaboratively with youth, volunteers, and partner organizations in various digital environments. The Youth Safe Harbor community operates nationwide.

Objectives of the Program

• Young people receive information, support, peer support, and encouragement for issues that are important to them and strengthen their resources, as well as meaningful online activities in their daily lives.
• Online volunteer activities bring together youth and adults—both those with experience in child protection and others interested in supporting young people—enhancing their participation and sense of community.
• Knowledge gained from the experiences of vulnerable youth is utilized as part of societal problem-solving.
• Professionals and decision-makers gain a better understanding and competence regarding issues affecting young people’s lives and the possibilities of digitalization in child protection work.

Youth Safe Harbor is a Multi-Channel Online Community

Activities take place across various digital platforms, including Discord, TikTok, and Instagram.

The Safe Harbor Discord community offers an anonymous, low-threshold, and peer-supportive participation opportunity for young people aged 13–29 online. The community is open 24/7. Activities are developed collaboratively with the youth in the community.

In interactions across these digital environments, the focus is on maintaining hope, fostering belief in the future, and providing young people with positive feedback. Volunteers with experience in child protection can, through their own example, demonstrate that it is possible to overcome challenging life situations and live a fulfilling life.

We provide training, using a digital learning platform, for volunteers to carry out various online volunteer tasks aimed at strengthening the well-being of young people with experience in child protection.

Peer reviews to promote social inclusion in and effectiveness of substitute care in child protection

A peer review model in child protection services is currently piloted in counties in Finland. The aim is to strengthen young peoples’ participation in their own living environment, to create new ways to develop substitute care and to prevent maltreatment.

Read an article on peer review on Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s web site from this link.

What does a peer review mean?

• Peer reviews provide opportunities for young people to assess everyday life in substitute care, to give feedback on their wellbeing and, consequently, to exercise influence in their own living environment.
• Peer reviews also increase transparency between different actors in substitute care and produce important qualitative information about substitute care.
• Young people are met and heard by their grown-up peers who have first-hand experience of life in substitute care.
• Peer reviewers are trained for their task in the co-creation groups, and they are bound by the secrecy obligation.
• Being a peer lowers the threshold to share one’s experiences and peer reviewer are not in a superior position in relation to the young persons they meet.

The peer review activities are coordinated by a Finnish national child protection organisation, Pesäpuu – Centre of Expertise in Child Welfare.

A co-creation group consisting of child protection professionals and young adults with a background in substitute care was established in 2017 in Jyväskylä and 2020 in Tampere.

PRIDE stands for
P = Parents’
R = Resources for
I = Information
D = Development
E = Education

The starting point of foster care in child protection is the child and the child’s right to a family. This refers to the child’s need and right to meaningful relationships, safety, and continuity.

During PRIDE training, those considering becoming foster or adoptive parents have the opportunity to reflect on their life experiences and examine them from the perspective of foster or adoptive parenthood. The training provides information and an opportunity to process and assess their own readiness to become foster or adoptive parents.

Becoming a foster or adoptive parent is a major decision that requires adequate preparation. PRIDE training offers an opportunity to consider foster or adoptive parenthood from individual, family, and group perspectives. The training lasts approximately six months.

The group sessions in PRIDE training include information, small group work, and experiential exercises. In addition to the group sessions, trainers meet participants and their children in family-specific meetings. The preparatory training also includes individual assignments in which the themes of the training are explored from the perspective of one’s own life. Participants receive a PRIDE handbook during the training, which covers the key content of the program.

The training is delivered jointly by a foster or adoptive parent and a social worker.

A central theme of PRIDE training is the five core competencies required for foster and adoptive parenting. These competencies are based on the needs of children in foster care and adoption. During the training, participants assess their own strengths and areas for development in relation to foster or adoptive parenthood together with the trainers.

Themes of PRIDE Training Group Sessions

1. The child’s right to a family – the family’s right to training
2. The child’s right to predictability and continuity
3. The child’s need for attachment
4. The child’s opportunity to cope with loss
5. The child’s right to family relationships
6. The child’s right to care, upbringing, and safety
7. Information and experiences related to foster care and adoption
8. The role of the foster carer – working together to ensure the child’s rights
9. Preparing for change

The aim of PRIDE trainer training is to provide participants with the skills needed to facilitate PRIDE training groups for those considering foster or adoptive parenthood. In addition, the training introduces participants to joint assessment practices and the development of foster care.

The training consists of a total of 12 training days, delivered in four modules of 4 + 4 + 2 + 2 days. Qualification as a PRIDE trainer requires, in addition to completing the trainer training, the delivery of one PRIDE training program for prospective foster or adoptive parents.

Continuing Education and Support for PRIDE Trainers

Pesäpuu provides annual continuing education and working meetings for PRIDE trainers. We also offer support and consultation on matters related to the preparatory training of foster and adoptive parents.

Continuing Education on Short-Term Foster Care

Save the Children Finland is responsible for continuing education related to short-term foster care, and Pesäpuu provides the associated training materials. Acting as a short-term foster family requires different competencies than long-term foster care. This continuing education equips trainers with the skills to take the specific perspectives of short-term placements into account.

Pesäpuu has developed a model for training substitute foster carers in collaboration with substitute carers, foster families, and foster care professionals.

Substitute carers are subject to the same requirements as foster carers, and therefore have the right to receive training. A substitute carer needs information about the role they are committing to. Substitute care is a significant part of the life of a child living in foster care. Substitute carers are needed so that an increasing number of children can live in foster families. A child has the right to receive safe substitute care, which includes the right to a trained substitute carer. In child protection foster care, substitute carers also enable foster carers to take their legally mandated breaks, thereby supporting the well-being and endurance of foster carers.

Children living in foster care may receive substitute care from individuals coming from many different roles. Some already know the child or the foster family, while others begin familiarization upon taking the role. Sometimes the substitute carer looks after the child in their own home, sometimes in the foster family’s home. A substitute carer may care for one or multiple children. The starting points and circumstances of each substitute carer are unique. In any case, the role of the substitute carer in relation to the child changes in some way as a result of the assignment, since the private and public spheres of life intersect in this role. The public aspects include, for example, the substitute carer’s confidentiality obligations regarding the child’s matters and the duty to report concerns about the child.

Training for Substitute Carers

The substitute carer training developed by Pesäpuu includes an initial meeting with the substitute carer(s), three group sessions, and an individual or family-specific conclusion meeting. Themes of the group sessions include: Introduction to child protection foster care, the specific needs of the child in foster care, and the role of the substitute carer.

The training model starts from the needs of the child living in foster care. Based on the child’s needs, it introduces the competencies, knowledge, and skills required by the substitute carer for their role. The substitute carer’s task is to respond to the child’s needs and ensure the child’s safety. In addition, the role involves collaboration with the child’s surrounding network to promote the child’s well-being.

Substitute carers involved in the development work emphasize the importance of training. Many have reported benefiting particularly from exploring the needs of the child in foster care and understanding the substitute carer’s role. Equally significant has been the opportunity to become familiar with the organization in which they serve as a substitute carer.

Substitute carers have reflected on how their role changes in relation to the child and the foster family. Many have reported receiving information from foster carers but expressed a need for more general information. They seek contact with the organization providing foster care, guidance on who their key contacts are, and information on available continuing education.

Group training encourages reflection on one’s own readiness to meet the child’s needs. Shared discussions open up new perspectives, and multiple training sessions support structuring and internalizing the material. Based on the development work, we strongly recommend that one of the trainers be an experienced substitute carer and the other a foster care professional. This already enhances the effectiveness of the training and the participation of substitute carers within the foster care community.

Preparations for kinship and close network placements, as well as the training of relatives as foster families, involve specific issues that need to be identified. Professionals in both child protection open care and foster care require the skills to work with the child’s close network in situations where the child needs substitute care, and the relatives’ capacity to help and support must be assessed. The opportunity for a relative or close person considering foster parenthood to calmly reflect on their own readiness, receive information, and access training is just as important as it is for anyone considering foster parenthood. Group-based training, such as PRIDE preparatory training, is the primary option, although it is not always feasible.

Family-Specific Assessment and Training

Pesäpuu’s training for relatives and close network foster carers provides a working model, materials, and training for conducting family-specific assessments and training for families wishing to become relative foster carers. During the two-day training, the working model is reviewed, including the specific issues arising from kinship. The materials can also be used when preparing open care family placements and in supporting relatives or close network foster carers.

Development Collaboration

The development of operational models and materials for training relative and close network foster carers is carried out in collaboration with national development workshops and working groups. Participants include professionals in substitute care as well as relatives and close network foster carers.

The family is a system in which everyone has their place in relation to each other and to the family as a whole. Changes in the family affect all family members, the internal relationships within the family, and everyday life.

The lives of foster parents’ own children change in many ways when a child is placed in the family. They have a variety of thoughts, feelings, and questions related to living with the placed child. Family life also becomes partially public as the home opens up to authorities as well as to people important to the placed child.

All Children Have the Right to Be Seen, Heard, Understood, and Supported

The children of foster parents play an important role in the life of the placed child and in the success of the placement. The needs, feelings, and perspectives of children already in the family must be acknowledged when adults are considering becoming foster parents. Research shows that paying attention to children and working with them during the training phase supports placement stability and reduces unplanned disruptions.

In addition to pre-placement work, foster parents’ children need support and information throughout all stages of the placement. Foster siblings have the right to individual attention and peer support, just like all other members of the foster family.

Pesäpuu Offers:

• Training on Foster Sibling Relationships
  Training on foster sibling experiences, working with the children of foster families, and facilitating peer support groups.
• Workplace-Specific Training
  Training for social workers and foster parents on foster sibling relationships and supporting sibling bonds in foster care. The goals and content of the training are planned together with the commissioning organization.
• Support and Consultation
  We provide consultation and support for developing practices that strengthen the participation and agency of all children in the foster family.

Collaboration between foster carers and foster care professionals is a unique aspect of foster care. The foster care professional prepares and makes decisions concerning the child placed in the family. The foster carer’s responsible worker supports the foster carer and often plans and delivers continuing education. The foster carer provides care in their own home and collaborates with various parties regarding the child’s needs. In this collaboration, the public and private spheres overlap.

The cooperation between foster care professionals and the foster carer affects how the child’s needs are recognized and the achievement of the placement’s goals. Building effective collaboration between the foster carer and foster care professionals is possible through working together collaboratively.

The SOILA – Social Innovations in Child Protection coordination project accelerates the creation of social innovations in child protection to reform child protection practices and improve services nationwide.

The overall goal of the project is to enhance the well-being and resilience of young people and families by building more effective service and support ecosystems to assist in daily life.

New solutions are developed collaboratively with child protection professionals, young people, families, and stakeholders.

The SOILA – Social Innovations in Child Protection coordination project:

• Supports the creation and implementation of social innovations in child protection by coordinating innovation activities nationwide.
• Provides a national co-creation learning network to support the development of social innovations, and organizes and facilitates events and development processes across multiple channels.
• Builds community impact by openly inviting all stakeholders interested in developing the field.
• Collaborates with regional actors, Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres), and ministries.
• Implements impactful communication in collaboration with ELY Centres and regional projects.
• Gathers evidence and knowledge to support the reform of child protection services.

SOILA bases its work on international agreements (including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) and operates at the forefront of renewing child protection services and supporting the transition to adulthood.

Implementation of the SOILA Coordination Project

The SOILA coordination project is implemented by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the National Association for Child Welfare (Lastensuojelun Keskusliitto), and Pesäpuu ry, in collaboration with partner organizations. The project is based on co-creation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM), ELY Centres, regional projects funded under the European Social Fund (ESF TL 5.1) “Youth Safety Networks for the Future,” and other stakeholders.

Funding: European Social Fund, Programming Period 2021–2027

What Are Social Innovations in Child Protection?

Social innovations in child protection are:

• Social in nature and aimed at producing societal impact.
• Broadly related to the everyday lives of children, youth, and families.
• New practices, methods, or operating models that provide solutions to partially or completely reform previous practices or services.

Social innovations have a positive societal impact and create new opportunities for interaction and collaboration.

Pesäpuu ry as a Sub-Implementer in the SOILA Coordination Project

Pesäpuu ry, as a national organization for expertise by experience in child protection, is responsible within the SOILA coordination project for promoting, monitoring, and evaluating youth participation and agency. Our tasks include organizing youth-to-youth events and communications, providing experience-based knowledge and content for events, support, processes, and publications. In addition, we support the development of youth-driven social innovations in child protection.

Goals of the SOILA Coordination Project

The SOILA coordination project aims to support, at the national level, the activities funded by the European Social Fund under the “Youth Safety Networks for the Future” program (TL 5, specific objective 5.1).

The project seeks to strengthen expertise in social innovations. It provides open training on social innovations and supports development projects from initial idea generation through implementation and evaluation. The project encourages bold reorganization across different professional groups, funding channels, and producers of experience-based knowledge to improve support and services.

Innovation is implemented to achieve the strategic objectives of the “Youth Safety Networks for the Future” program:

• Reduce the need for youth placements by developing preventive services.
• Strengthen support for parenting at different stages of care placement.
• Reform aftercare support into a multidisciplinary system that supports the transition to adulthood.
• Create solutions to address mental health and substance abuse challenges among children and youth in substitute care.

”Red and green thoughts either limit or encourage us to face challenging situations.”

The Älyä tunteet (Smart Emotions) method helps children and young people manage challenging situations when they feel anxious, worried, afraid, or angry. It explores the connection between emotions, thoughts, and behavior, and supports the child in finding effective ways of thinking and acting in difficult situations.

The Älyä tunteet materials have been developed to promote the mental well-being of children and young people, as well as to strengthen emotional and self-regulation skills. The product family includes materials for early childhood (ages 3–6), school-aged children (ages 7–12), and adolescents (ages 13–18). The innovative tools are based on cognitive-behavioral therapy and are suitable for interdisciplinary use as well as guided self-help work.

Training Objectives:

• Provide tools to help children and young people regulate their emotions and manage challenging situations, based on cognitive-behavioral therapy.
• Familiarize participants with the Älyä tunteet (Smart Emotions) materials.
• Equip participants with the skills to use and apply the method with children, young people, and groups.

Training Content:

• Children’s psychological symptoms and behavioral challenges.
• Overview of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
• Familiarization with Älyä tunteet materials in practical work with children and young people.
• Practical exercises in small groups.
• Application of the method in participants’ own work context.

Training Implementation:

• The training is based on experiential learning and interaction.
• Training methods include brief presentations, short films, practical exercises using the tools, small-group and pair work.
• The method, based on cognitive therapy and developed in Norway, was primarily created by clinical psychologist Solfrid Raknes.

Tejping – Doll Play

TEJPING, or “taping,” is a child-centered family therapy method used to visualize and work through a child’s and family’s interaction patterns and challenges. The Tejping method is suitable for professionals working in child protection who wish to strengthen the child’s participation.

The goal of the method is to engage in dialogue with the child through play. The child uses tape to create a stage on a board and places small dolls and objects to represent family members, significant people, important places, conflict situations, or traumatic experiences. Through this process, the child builds understanding of their own life and experiences.

At Pesäpuu, attachment-focused interaction serves as the theoretical framework underlying many of our practices. Attachment-focused interaction is based on interactive developmental psychotherapy. The goal of attachment-focused parenting and interaction is to provide nurturing daily care for a child or young person who has experienced losses or trauma in their attachment relationships. This approach increases the possibility of creating connection and attachment with the child. Although its roots are in developmental psychotherapy, attachment-focused interaction is applicable to anyone and in any relational context.

Attachment-focused interaction—characterized by playfulness, love, acceptance, positive curiosity, and empathy—can sometimes feel easier or more challenging. Mentalization, the ability to reflect on one’s own and another person’s experiences and perspective, helps adults recognize their own thoughts and feelings and make informed guesses about what might be going on in the other person’s mind. This type of reflection supports adult-child interaction and its observation. Mentalization is also the foundation of attachment-focused interaction: one cannot truly know what is in another person’s mind without asking or otherwise exploring their experiences.

In Pesäpuu’s Working with Emotions Trainer Training, professionals working in substitute care and foster carers practice mentalization and attachment-focused interaction in everyday life. Adults reflect on what playfulness, love, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy practically mean for them. They also practice these skills with children and adolescents through intermediate exercises. Trainers who complete the course then lead Working with Emotions groups for foster carers and substitute care professionals.